Children's home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Wyre

Inspection report for children’s home: SC061803 1 SC061803 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 was registered with Ofsted in September 2004 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home and two spoke to the inspector.

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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: 28 January 2025

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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: SC061803 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2025 Full Good 30/01/2024 Full Good 29/06/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC061803 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers make careful decisions about children when they move into the home. Leaders and managers also consider the needs and vulnerabilities of the children already living at the home. This helps to ensure that children can live together safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s health needs. Staff try to find specialist support for children, for example a specialist dentist to meet the needs of one child who is scared of dentists. The social worker for the child said: ‘Hopefully, [name of child] will be able to get [their] dental work completed. The staff have recognised this and are proactive in their approach.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home are at different stages regarding their independence skills. One child is due to move out in the next 12 months into semi-independent living. Staff support the child to understand budgeting and healthy eating.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is in full-time education, which is a bespoke placement to meet their needs. The eldest child has a college placement but has refused to attend on a regular basis. Staff encourage and support the child to attend. However, staff are now trying to identify an alternative provision for the child to attend. Another child who has recently moved into the home does not attend education. However, staff are working with educational professionals to address this. However, staff are not always proactive in providing a daily educational structure for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is well supported and recognised as important by managers and staff. The manager and staff have positive relationships with family members and carers. Staff actively support children in speaking to, reconnecting with and visiting family members regularly. This supports children to maintain contact with people who are important to them, and helps to reinforce children’s sense of identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children said they feel happy and safe living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home requires general maintenance, decorating and cleaning of the communal areas, bathrooms and the children’s bedrooms, to offer a more welcoming and warmer environment. The manager accepts these concerns and took immediate action to address them, including speaking to staff about the cleaning routines.

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. They are aware of the children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. They know how best to manage and respond to these to ensure that the children remain safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC061803 4 Staff follow robust risk management and support plans. The strategies help staff to care for children safely. This has led to some risks reducing in relation to children.

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

Due to the positive relationships that the manager and staff have with the children, they de-escalate incidents effectively, to prevent having to physically hold a child to keep them safe. Children are spoken to by staff following any incidents so the children can reflect and share any worries or concerns they have about the incident. Children are also given the opportunity to share their views about how the situation could have been managed differently. This helps the children to manage their feelings and emotions more effectively.

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home have reduced. When there are incidents, staff manage them well. Staff are proactive in searching for children when they are missing to ensure their prompt return home, which makes children feel well cared for.

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

Children are encouraged by staff to access a wide range of activities, including go- karting, airsoft, trampolining and going to the cinema. The home is close to the beach, so days out often involve promenade walks and eating ice cream, which one child said they enjoy. The parent of one child said: ‘I am so pleased with their progress, it’s so nice to see them happy again.’

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

Staff conduct direct work and support sessions with the children. However, documents relating to these sessions do not include all the necessary details. Some of the language used is not child focused. The registered manager is working to improve this practice.

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

The manager has good oversight when serious incidents occur. Important information in relation to children is shared with their family members and professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates effective leadership of the home. He is confident and advocates for the children in his care. He leads an enthusiastic and committed staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child focused and ensures that staff provide children with care to meet their individual needs. The manager and responsible individual recognise the importance of staff needing to feel valued, trusted and listened to. This approach helps to ensure that staff are happy in their roles. This helps staff to provide good-quality care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, team meetings, training and a planned yearly assessment of their performance. This provides the manager with opportunities to monitor staff practice, so he is confident in the abilities of the staff team to meet the needs of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC061803 5 The manager contributes to multi-agency planning meetings. Information from these meetings provides staff with relevant information to meet children’s needs. The leadership and management team recognises the value of effective working relationships with placing authorities and external professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s overall strengths and areas for development. Feedback from professionals and the children’s parents is extremely positive and indicates that the manager and staff consistently have the children’s needs and safety at the forefront of their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager reflects on and implements changes recommended by the independent person who visits the home each month. However, these visits could be strengthened by ensuring that the views of care professionals and family are obtained to inform staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are recruited safely and there is a stable and consistent staff team, with bank staff in place to cover any absences. Waking night staff are used in the home. The home uses door alarms on the front and rear external doors, to ensure that the staff are aware of people entering and leaving the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC061803 6

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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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure the home is cleaned, furnished and maintained to a standard that meets the needs of the children. 8 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a clear education plan for each child when not in full-time education, and that children are supported to complete educational activities in line with this. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that children’s records are kept up to date and that recording is objective and non-stigmatising. Specifically, ensure that all documents are fully updated. Ensure that support plans are clear and easy to read, and that language is child focused. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person consults with external agencies involved with the child’s care, the child’s family and other professionals to offer a rigorous and impartial assessment of the welfare of the

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Recommendations

children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC061803 7

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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: SC061803 8

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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: SC061803 9 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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Inspector

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