Children's Home run by Aspris Care North West Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 1 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2020, and the manager registered in December 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2024 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good 09/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is settled and happy in their home. The manager and staff provide the child with personalised care. The child’s care plan is understood and followed by staff. This ensures that the child receives consistent care. The child’s social worker said, ‘[Name of child] is doing really well. The staff are excellent and proactive. They make the effort to ensure all the child’s care needs are met, where possible.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show a commitment to the children they care for, which continues when children move out of the home. For example, staff supported one child who no longer lives at the home to secure an apprenticeship. Staff celebrate children’s time living in the home, and when they move out of the home, they experience carefully planned transitions. This helps children to experience positive endings and to settle into their new home. The parent of one child who recently moved out of the home said, ‘The staff are amazing. They did so much for [Name of child]. They allowed him to stay on at the home until his flat was ready.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff work closely with education professionals to secure the best education options for the child. The child is currently being educated at school and has a personalised timetable. The child is making good progress in education. Managers and staff understand the child’s barriers to learning, and they support the child’s wishes for education to remain in a school setting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to attend routine health appointments. The manager and staff work with the company’s therapist and external agencies to support the child’s emotional health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have positive relationships with the child. This means they can support, guide and advise them, to enhance their development. The child has the opportunity to share their views, wishes and feelings and have input into decisions about their life. This supports the child to feel listened to, valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a good routine and structure in place and is supported to develop their independence skills in line with their age and individual needs. This supports the child to develop necessary skills in preparation for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to spend time with their family and friends. Staff have good relationships with family members, which helps the child to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated to a good standard throughout. The child has recently moved bedrooms and was encouraged to have a say in the decoration and furniture for their new bedroom. This creates a sense of belonging and identity, and enables the child to invest and take pride in their home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The child’s risks reduce because of the care and effective safeguarding practice that they receive from staff. Staff understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. The child’s plan details their known needs, risks and vulnerabilities and provides staff with clear steps to take to keep the child safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff provide clear routines, boundaries and consistent care. This creates stability for the child and helps them to understand what is expected of them. Staff use rewards and incentives to encourage positive choices, which enables the child to take responsibility for their own behaviours.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are trained in physical intervention and de-escalation. However, they have not had to use physical intervention to keep the child safe. This is due to the positive relationships staff have built, which allows the staff to successfully de-escalate situations and support the child to regulate their emotions.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff help the child to understand risks and develop strategies to manage difficult feelings safely. This teaches them life skills for their future. One social worker described a child who recently moved out as ‘a totally different child’, highlighting the success of the staff’s efforts in helping them understand their emotions and navigate challenging situations.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff maintain the home to a high standard and ensure that it is a safe environment for the child to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals, staff and the child speak highly of the manager and the level of support the receive from him. One staff member said, ‘We get good support from the manager. They ask about me, which is nice and shows they care.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and staff supervisions are reflective, allowing staff to review challenging situations and share best practices. This creates a positive and consistent approach to care. Staff receive an annual appraisal, which provides feedback on their performance. This helps staff to develop their skills to enable them to provide the best quality of care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are recruited safely. They have a detailed induction plan that includes undertaking the relevant training for their role. The staff are given opportunities to develop and progress in the organisation if they choose. However, some staff have not achieved their appropriate qualifications within the required timescale, despite this being raised as a recommendation at the last full inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has formed positive working relationships with professionals. Feedback from professionals is extremely positive. The manager appropriately challenges professionals when they do not take appropriate action to meet child’s needs. This ensures that any delays for the child are resolved quickly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 1 July 2025

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Barton Close, Grove Park, Enderby, Leicester LE19 1SJ

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Inspector

Deborah Turner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2595021 7 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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