Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Lancashire

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

Young people are supported by a stable, highly motivated and competent staff team who have high aspirations for them to achieve their potential. Most young people settle quickly into a caring and supportive environment. They enjoy good quality care, feel safe and are protected from harm. They say, ‘Staff genuinely care about them and are always available to talk and listen.’ Regular keywork sessions are based on individualised plans for young people. This creates opportunities for them to make good progress across most aspects of their welfare and development, particularly in terms of improved health and behaviour. Some young people are achieving well at school and have excellent attendance. Others who currently do not have full-time education placements benefit from careful and considered plans to gradually increase their educational hours. Staff work tirelessly to promote the personal growth and development of each

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The children's home provision is good because:

young person. This is achieved through developing strong and trusting relationships between staff and young people in conjunction with careful and considered personalised planning, target setting and incentives. They are proactive when managing young people’s behaviours and support them to make positive choices to overcome particular crisis and help them become more confident young adults. The home has suffered some recent damage by young people. Promptly addressing repairs, maintenance and decoration of the home and replacing broken furniture will ensure the house remains homely and comfortable for young people to live in. Staff development is strong at this home, which ensures they have the necessary skills, understanding and knowledge to meet young people’s current and emerging needs. The home is highly regarded by young people, their parents and professionals. A placing social worker said, ‘Staff understand (name) and engage him in managing

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The children's home provision is good because:

his behaviour.’ A young person commented positively about going back to school after a long time and a parent describes the staff as, ‘brilliant.’ Strong management arrangements and robust scrutiny provide the foundations on which young people experience good quality care. Monitoring of the home is good although monitoring reports in respect of educational progress could be improved by using a greater range of information.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard: ensure young people living in the home have the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. In particular, this relates to promptly replacing damaged furniture, repairing and decorating damaged walls and painting bedroom doors. Also, replacing damaged floor covering in the laundry room and cleaning and defrosting the freezer. (Regulation 6 (2) (b) (vii)) 26/06/2015

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Recommendations:

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations:

 develop improved data collection methods to measure the educational progress of young people (The Guide, paragraph 5.2, page 26)

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Recommendations:

 ensure young people are in full-time education while they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan states otherwise. (The Guide, paragraph 5.14, page 28)

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Information about this children's home:

This home is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private company. It is registered to care for up to six male young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history:

This home was re-registered in October 2014 having been taken over by a new company. The company has other children’s homes that provide care and accommodation. The building, staff, children and young people and the Registered Manager were unchanged during the re-registration of this home. This is the first inspection of the home since it re-registered.

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Good

Young people benefit enormously from the support and nurturing environment provided by a committed and knowledgeable staff team. Staff work tirelessly to provide opportunities for young people to succeed. They are not daunted by initial setbacks or failures but are relentless in their efforts to help young people get back on track. They are skilled in engaging young people.

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Good

Young people contribute to the running of the home through daily discussions with staff and regular attendance at young people’s meetings, where discussions are held about meal choices, activities and other special events. In addition, keyworkers meet weekly with individual young people to discuss specific topics and agree targets and incentives. Young people fully participate in all aspects of planning, which mean they know what progress they are making. Their views are central to staff practice. Young people confirm they know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy with any aspect of their care but have not needed to do so since the home re-registered.

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Good

Young people who have been at the home for some time benefit from the stability and permanence of the placement. They develop strong and trusting relationships with staff and feel secure enough to express their views, wishes, feelings and worries in constructive ways. Most young people new to the home settle quickly and have a strong sense of belonging. This is reflected in the progress they make from their admission. They benefit from improved health, education, emotional development, and improved relationships with family, and some show significant reductions in risk-taking behaviour, such as choosing not to go missing from home.

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Good

Young people develop new coping strategies with the support of staff and other professionals, such as anger management and the effective use of individual behaviour support plans. This helps them through particular difficulties and keeps them safe. As a result, the need for physical restraint and sanctions is reducing as placements settle. The commitment and motivation of staff, the use of behaviour support strategies and effective incentives and rewards, helps to strengthen young people’s emotional resilience and psychological well-being. As a result, young people make progress in most areas of their lives.

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Good

Young people enjoy good health and are supported to attend their medical appointments. Staff provide good information and guidance on a range of health issues including the dangers of smoking, substance misuse and sexual health. Young people enjoy a balanced and healthy diet that includes a range of diverse foods and takes account of young people’s particular likes and dislikes. They enjoy a broad range of social and sporting activities of their choice, which helps maintain their psychological and physical health. They benefit from having access to a large games room with a table tennis and pool table and a separate well-equipped gym.

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Good

Some young people engage in full-time education and have excellent attendance. Others are on a reduced timetable and staff support them to access additional educational opportunities. Staff work effectively with providers to challenge and overcome any barriers to young people’s full participation in education. They are proactive in chasing the placing authority to ensure where possible full-time education placements are made available to young people. There are some careful and considered plans in place that will increase educational hours for young people. The plans take full account of their previous history of poor attendance, challenging behaviour and exclusions, and aim to gradually reintroduce young people to full-time provisions.

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Good

All achievements are celebrated in the home, which increases young people’s confidence and self-esteem. Certificates and photographs are prominently displayed around the home. This promotes their self-esteem and means they feel valued by the adults who care for them.

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Good

Staff view young people’s identity and family origin as very important in developing positive self-esteem. Young people benefit from clear and safe contact arrangements, understanding when they will see their family and other significant people. They have good support from staff to maintain regular contact visits and keep in touch. Staff encourage young people to develop friendships and spend time seeing their friends. This means young people have the same social experiences as other young people their age.

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Good

Individualised plans prepare young people for independence. They begin to learn a range of practical skills to help them maintain their living environment. Family and other professionals involved in their care endorse the high quality care and support provided. Parents and social workers confirm communication is good. One parent said, ‘(name) is well looked after at the home and has a chance to do activities and come on contact.’ A young person said, ‘The staff make it feel like a family.’

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Good

Young people confirm they feel safe and protected from harm. They understand that bullying is not acceptable behaviour and the home operates a zero-tolerance policy. They have confidence that staff will deal with any incidents that do occur. Staff effectively balance the need for protection with enabling young people to take reasonable risks as part of their growth and development. Staff encourage young people to be open and honest about their friendships and to talk about their relationships.

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Good

Staff quickly develop strong relationships with young people and are effective in encouraging them to think carefully about the choices they make. This helps young people settle quickly and most choose not to run away from home.

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Good

Some young people admitted to the home have a history of going missing and some exhibit extremely challenging behaviour. Placements are regularly reviewed to ensure the home continues to meet young people’s needs. Decisive action is taken when this is not possible and some young people have moved to new placements. For those who stay, the homes records show a reduction in young people being reported missing. When incidents do occur they are dealt with appropriately and most young people return home quickly and safely. On return to the home young people are offered the opportunity to speak with an independent person but most prefer the option of speaking to a member of staff who they know. Staff receive specific training in respect of return interviews.

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Good

Risk-taking behaviours such as going missing from home, self-harm and high level aggression are well-managed by staff using a positive and effective response to young people’s specific needs. There are good systems in place for responding to allegations and suspicions of harm. Staff fully understand safeguarding policies and procedures and receive quality training, which enables them to respond appropriately to any concerns about young people.

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Good

Staff place a strong emphasis on promoting positive behaviour through praise, rewards and incentives and talking through problems with young people in a constructive way. Young people benefit from this nurturing and consistent approach and clearly understand the homes routines and boundaries. They know what is expected of them and the consequences for any unacceptable behaviour. This encourages effective group living and has resulted in a reduction in the use of sanctions as young people settle into and engage with their placement.

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Good

Staff are trained in the appropriate use of physical restraint, which is only used as a last resort. There have been some incidents of restraint since the home re- registered in October 2014, which is mainly due to a period of volatility when young people new to placement were exhibiting challenging behaviours and others were experiencing placement moves. These incidents have now reduced as young people are more settled in the home and others have moved out. The Registered Manager maintains individual detailed records to identify patterns and trends and evaluates these effectively.

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Good

Thorough recruitment and vetting procedures are in place and visitors to the home are checked and supervised appropriately. Young people enjoy a safe and secure environment in a home where there is a strong ethos on safeguarding. There are clear assessments in place for any hazards in the home and for places young people visit. In addition, young people are involved in regular fire evacuation practices so they know how to leave the home in the event of an emergency. Robust health and safety systems also help protect young people from harm.

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Good

Young people live in a home that is effectively and efficiently managed in their best interests and meets the aims and objectives of its Statement of Purpose. This document is reviewed regularly to ensure the changing needs of young people are safely met.

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Good

The Registered Manager leads by example and is supported by a stable, skilled and competent staff team. A number of staff are suitable qualified and those that are not are working towards relevant qualifications. The Registered Manager has been in post since December 2014 and is experienced and suitably qualified. He is developing an effective management style that promotes high expectations of staff to provide high quality care for young people. As a result, staff demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering high quality practice that is tailored to the individual needs of young people in their care. The effectiveness of this approach is evidenced by young people’s progress. For example, with staff support some young people have re- built positive relationships with family members and have experienced positive transitions home.

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Good

The home is well-resourced in terms of staffing and finance and is situated in an area that facilitates young people’s independence and safety. Staff have a broad range of experiences and skills to meet the everyday challenges of caring for young people. They provide a consistent approach to working with young people that promotes their safety and welfare. Staff confirm they are effectively supported, guided and valued through regular reflective supervision, team meetings and training. This ensures they are clear about their roles and responsibilities and gives them regular opportunity to develop and reflect on their practice to meet young people’s needs.

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Good

Young people’s records present a good overall picture of their experiences at the home. Records are maintained to a high standard and information is well organised within care files. These files are monitored monthly to ensure all the required information is present and up-to-date. Young people can access their records with support from staff, which helps them to understand their history and future plans. The Registered Manager has good monitoring and quality assurance systems in place, which enable young people to continue to enjoy high standards of care. He regularly reviews the effectiveness of these systems and where improvements can be made new systems are introduced to better capture relevant data. Several new documents have been introduced to help improve outcomes for young people. In addition, the Registered Manager is in the process of reviewing the information required to effectively measure young people’s educational progress.

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Good

Monthly independent monitoring reports review the home’s performance, young people’s progress, and identifies areas for improvement. Regular consultations with young people, parents and other professionals influence the actions taken to progress home. The Registered Manager has a realistic understanding of the strengths of the service and promptly addresses areas where improvements can be made. The home continues to use a detailed development plan to drive forward further improvements.

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Good

Young people enjoy high quality care in a home that is generally comfortable, homely and safe. However, there is some recent damage to the home that needs prompt attention. Repair work, maintenance and redecoration are required to some communal areas, some young people’s bedrooms and the laundry room. In addition, broken furniture in young people’s bedrooms and damaged dining room chairs need to be replaced to ensure young people continue to live in a home that provides a warm and comfortable living environment.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection. An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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