Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in East Riding of Yorkshire

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:

 The manager and staff team can build trusting, secure relationships with young people quickly. This allows them to identify areas of vulnerability and strengths. This information is used to inform risk assessments and develop personalised care plans.  The home recognises the value of contact with families and important adults and makes sure the contacts are safe and in the best interests of the young person.  The emphasis placed on young people going to school or taking part in educational activities allows for young people to improve attendance and see that education is important to them. The varied activities that are offered also allows the young people to have fun and develop new skills and interests.  The manager and staff team have up to date knowledge and understanding of safeguarding. They use this to ensure young people are safe, but also encourage young people to make positive choices. The processes for raising

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The children's home provision is good because:

concerns are clear and staff are confident in using them.  When young people go missing from the home the staff look for them and support them on their return. There is a robust process for staff to follow which includes liaison with the police and other agencies. They complete key-worker sessions to try and understand why young people go missing to reduce the number of missing episodes.  This is a well-managed home. The manager has robust monitoring processes in place which ensures records are reviewed regularly. She also uses the results of audits to develop practice within the home.

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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

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether:

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Requirement Due date

(a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(1) and (4)(a) and (b)) 01/10/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

For looked-after children, the registered person should seek to ensure that the local authority regularly consults the child and the home about the child’s relevant plans. If the child raises concerns about the content of any of their plans, their implementation or the process of review, staff should advocate for the child and seek to ensure that their concerns are addressed. In particular, when responses are not deemed adequate concerns are escalated through appropriate processes. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 57 paragraph 11.11)

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Recommendations

Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. In particular, the recording in daily logs needs to be reviewed. Details of different young people in the same book does not allow for a young person to have access to these records and would breach other young people’s confidentiality. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 58 paragraph 11.19)

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Information about this children's home

This privately run home is part of a large organisation and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home offers medium-to-long-term care both within the main house and in the attached independence flat.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

good

The manager and staff team understand that young people need to have contact with their families and adults who are important to them. Each young person’s contact plans are individualised and staff assist young people in planning for their contact sessions. Some young people enjoy positive times with their families. For those whose contact can be challenging, support is given to try to understand the tensions and promote the positives of being in touch with their families. Young people gain more understanding of who they are and some start to unravel the difficulties they have faced in the past.

p.6

good

Educational activities are used extremely well. Young people who have school places attend school regularly and their attendance is 100%. The staff team ensure that there are positive links between home and show interest when they return from school. Homework and private study are encouraged and a study area has been developed to provide appropriate equipment and quiet space. Young people therefore have positive educational outcomes which helps to improve their self- esteem and gives them increased choices when leaving school.

p.6

good

For those without school placement, activities are arranged to help them keep in a positive routine of getting up and out of the building. The activities are planned to involve basic skills and to include activities in the local community. The manager and staff team advocate for the young people in terms of trying to arrange school placements. This does need to be more robust when escalating concerns. There are some young people who have waited some time to be offered placements.

p.6

good

There is a positive approach to helping the young people prepare for moving into their own accommodation. An independence flat is on site and young people are helped to budget and cook, together with learning to live on their own. Staff encourage young people to build the practical skills but also with a caring and nurturing approach assist young people to build resilience which will help them when they are living independently.

p.6

good

The manager and staff team have skills enabling them to get to know the young people well. This allows them to build strong trusting relationships. One young person wrote, ‘She (my keyworker) never gives up on me, she always calms me down when I’m sad, she is one of the only people I will listen to, I have so much respect for her.’ The staff team also ensure, through handover meetings and case discussions, that they all know the young people very well, including their starting points. This information is used to inform placement plans and risk assessments. This in-depth knowledge not only helps young people to stay safe, it also shows the young people that staff are interested and have their best interests at heart.

p.6

good

The staff have regular updated training on safeguarding children. This has included training on internet safety and the risks associated with exploitative and abusive relationships. Staff are able to recognise the signs that can indicate safeguarding issues and are very clear what they would do if they were concerned about a young person.

p.7

good

Young people said that prior to the change in management they did not feel safe on some occasions. This was connected to the behaviour of young people towards one another in the home. The manager and staff have ensured that any young person who feels unsafe or bullied is listened to and action is taken. Restorative practice is used to try and help young people build relationships and deal with any conflict within the home. When spoken to young people said they now, ‘felt safer and felt confident in talking to staff’.

p.7

good

There is a clear and accessible complaints procedure which is used by the young people and by the local community. The process ensures the complainants are informed of outcomes. Restorative practice is used as far as possible; one example was with the local neighbours who received personal apologies. The manager also uses complaint outcomes to improve practice where necessary.

p.7

good

The manager and staff have high expectations of standards of behaviour. They use de-escalation techniques to try and avoid physical interventions. There has been a considerable reduction in the number of physical restraints and young people have started to understand the triggers to their challenging behaviours. If physical intervention is used it is recorded clearly. All involved have an opportunity to talk about the incident afterwards and try to learn from it. This approach to behaviour management allows young people to learn to manage their own emotions and to understand the consequences of their challenging behaviour.

p.7

good

Young people do still go missing. Some young people are involved in abusive or exploitative relationships which place them at risk of being harmed. Staff respond consistently to episodes of young people going missing and go out looking for them. They work well with the local police to ensure young people are returned as soon and safely as possible. Staff work with the young people to help them understand the risks they are facing when they are missing. There has been a reduction in the number of young people who go missing and reduction in the number of days they are missing from the home.

p.7

good

The staff team work well together to ensure that young people feel safe. There is improved communication and handovers ensure staff are all informed of information. Regular team meetings and management oversight is helping to ensure that the young people stay safe. The staff team are more resilient and motivated under the new management structure. The young people know the staff team who are consistent and well-known to them. This improves the young people’s sense of permanence and belonging to the home and local community.

p.8

good

The manager is qualified and has extensive knowledge of working in residential childcare. She has just successfully completed the process to be a Registered Manager. As a new manager, she has developed new styles of working and is being motivational with the staff team. She is supported by a senior management team and the registered individual.

p.8

good

The manager has a very clear picture of the strengths and weakness of the home. There is a detailed ‘live’ development plan that allows her to remain focused on the priorities of the plan. These include improving the physical environment of the home, which is in need of refurbishment, but also to look at the purpose of the home and the referrals it will take in the future. The programme of change is being managed well.

p.8

good

The staff team have good relationships with other professionals. One social care professional said she, ‘enjoyed visiting the home as staff were genuinely warm and nurturing and did everything they could to help my young person’. There are some instances when the manager and staff team do not act as robustly as they could in challenging social care professionals about concerns they raise. This can leave young people feeling that they are stuck and no one is listening to them or being their voice in meetings.

p.8

good

There is now good supervision and support available to the staff team and the manager. This encourages a sense of belonging to a team and creates an environment that encourages safe working practice and professional development. Supervision is child centred and reflective allowing the staff team to gain more insight into the way they work and learn from incidents or good practice.

p.8

good

The manager has developed good monitoring systems. She uses consultation information, file audits and other internal monitoring. The independent visitor’s reports needs to be more evaluative in terms of an opinion of whether young people are safeguarded and the home promotes the well-being of the young people. A more evaluative approach will provide the manager with further scope to improve practice where necessary.

p.8

good

The manager and staff team have a good recording system. The exception is the use of daily log book. This records all information about all young people and staff in one book. In its current format, young people could not have access to this information as it would breach data protection principles. Young people should be encouraged to view what is written about them as this allows them to understand their world.

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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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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