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

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Staff develop good relationships with young people. Young people feel that their welfare is at the heart of the home’s practice. As a result, staff are able to work productively with them and bring about very significant improvement in their outcomes.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Staff have high expectations of young people, effectively encouraging them to make positive lifestyle changes, which in turn significantly improve young people’s self-esteem and self confidence

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people’s safety and well-being significantly improve as a result of the outstanding care they receive. Based on their starting points young people are making exceptional progress in a number of key areas.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people with complex needs are achieving excellent outcomes in education, health and in their relationships with adults and peers. There is a reduction in risk taking behaviours and partner agencies say young people’s progress exceeds expectations.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Placement plans are working tools that are frequently updated. They are comprehensive documents that detail achievable outcomes and fully recognise the progress young people are achieving. They support young people to effectively plan for their future and enable them to make sense of their life journey to date.  Young people are enthusiastically engaging in very meaningful, individualised education programmes. Staff are extremely effective in liaising with educational providers to secure young people’s optimum attainment.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The home is well managed and the staff team is fully committed to the ethos and working practices in the home. Reflective practice ensures the strengths and weaknesses of the home are recognised and suitable plans are put in place to ensure continued development and sustained improvement.  Young people receive outstanding support from a staff team who work in close consultation with partner agencies to ensure the best outcomes and experiences for young people in their care.

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Information about this children's home

This is one of a number of children's homes operated by a private company. The home provides care for six young people from 11 years up to 17 years with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home was re-registered in November 2014 as a result in a change in the name of the registered company. This is the first full inspection since re-registration

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outstanding

Young people are at the centre of the home’s daily routines. The home is organised to ensure young people enjoy access to a full range of social opportunities and experiences. The home provides highly personalised care that takes account of individually assessed needs. As a result young people increase in confidence and their individual personalities flourish as their achievements are acknowledged and celebrated. Placement plans are clear and set out what staff must do to meet the needs of young people effectively. All staff are aware of the detail of plans which are updated regularly. This ensures that young people are treated consistently, and know what their objectives are and how they will be met. Plans also describe how staff should respond to young people on a day-to-day basis, for example, giving them praise when they make responsible decisions. Records of young people’s progress and achievements are linked to the care plans and are evidence that what staff do has a

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outstanding

Young people enjoy extremely positive relationships with staff who provide consistent, positive role models. Their relationships are based on mutual trust and respect. Young people quickly begin to value the support they receive and so ultimately do not want to let themselves or staff down. One professional said ‘ Young people’s views are of paramount importance to staff working in the home. They inform and support the high quality of care young people receive’. Another professional said that ‘ Staff demonstrate an absolute commitment to young people and have consistently high expectations of all agencies working with them, so that young people have every opportunity to fulfil their full potential’.

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outstanding

Staff are positive and ambitious for young people, and very effectively encourage them to engage in education and as a consequence begin to fulfil their full potential. Excellent support and communication with education providers is enabled all young people to enjoy and achieve in their very individually arranged education programme. A professional said’ Staff are skilled at promoting the value of education. Due to this he has and is engaging very well, having recently achieved a number of qualifications that we believe would have been difficult if he hadn’t been so well supported to change his attitude and behaviours.

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outstanding

Young people develop social and independence skills that will help them when they move towards independence. This includes development of self-care skills such as independent travel on public transport, shopping, preparation of meals and laundering clothes . Staff ensure that those young people who need them have pathway plans setting out how they will progress into independence. They work co-operatively with the placing authority to ensure sooth transitions to independent living. They continue to offer verbal support to young people after they have moved on, recognising that some young people have developed meaningful relationships with staff which continue to be important to them.

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outstanding

Young people have clear contact plans and staff support them to see many of their family members. Some of the young people have made particularly good progress and have significantly better family contact than they had prior to living here. One parent said ’Staff have worked with us both. I didn’t always get things right as a parent. Because of the support from the home we now have a much better relationship. I can’t believe the difference in him and the plans he now has for his future. The staff team are brilliant I don’t know where he would have been by now without their support’.

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outstanding

Staff receive comprehensive training around safeguarding and are clear about safeguarding procedures should they need to use them. Staff are clear about the use of the internet and monitor this closely. Young people are exceptionally well supported to learn how to keep themselves safe both in the community and on line. The risk assessments made by staff are comprehensive and realistic and contribute well to safeguarding the young people in their care.

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outstanding

Risks to the welfare of new admissions to the home and the impact of their admission on the current residents are considered in pre-placement meetings and documentation. A social worker commented that one of the strengths of the home was that ’Staff consider the needs of all the children before accepting the placing any other young person. They seek as much information as they can to ensure the group will be compatible and that staff have the ability to meet the needs of each young person’. Initial risks likely to be presented are understood by the staff team and have reduced since admission to the home.

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outstanding

Staff are fully aware of the potential for bullying and take a proactive approach to ensure the risk of bullying is minimised and where possible eliminated. Young people are confident that bullying in any form is not tolerated by staff. They say ‘staff are on to us immediately if we call anyone racial or homophobic names’. Staff appropriately challenge and support young people, question language which does not promote equality and diversity, and seek to positively challenge negative perceptions young people express. Young people are encouraged to value each other’s differences, and to treat everyone with respect.

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outstanding

Incidents of young people going missing are infrequent. There is one current concern relating to a young person’s failure to return when visiting his home area. Despite staff interventions and multi-agency meetings the young person is clearly indicating he wants to return to his home area. Staff are trying to support him and ensure his views are taken into account by the placing authority. This is because he is placing himself at increasing risk. In the recent past, when there have been repeated incidents of a young person being reported missing, staff response instigated a multi-agency review in order to ensure that the risks the young person was placing themselves in were promptly addressed. The young person responded well to the multi-agency plan, that he contributed to and agreed, and as a result has made a positive choice to change placement.

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outstanding

There are a number of incidents when young people fail to return on time. These relate to the normal behaviours of older teenagers, testing the boundaries when they are allowed increased independence. Such incidents are being responded to appropriately by staff who also try to make young people aware of the anxiety this causes them because of their concern about their welfare. As young people value their relationships with staff there has been a significant decrease in this type of behaviour.

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outstanding

Staff manage behaviour effectively, using the quality of their relationships with young people to maintain socially acceptable behaviour for the majority of the time. Sanctions are not often used. When sanctions are felt appropriate they are agreed with the young people and are aged appropriate. For example, early beds are not deemed appropriate for older teenagers, who have decided which sanction would positively impact on them. Staff prefer to use incentives to recognise and reward young people’s achievements. Young people respond positively to this approach, developing greater consideration for others and learning the benefits of cooperative behaviour.

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outstanding

Appropriate information about the complaints procedure is available to young people who understand how to make a complaint if they wish to do so. Young people rarely complain and there has only been one complaint since the last inspection. Young people have the skills to sort out minor issues through discussion or by raising matters during regular house meetings. The physical environment is clean, well maintained, safe and secure. Regular checks are carried out to avoid exposure to unnecessary risks. Young people confirm they know what to do in the event of an emergency and participate regularly in fire drills.

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outstanding

The home’s senior staff follows safe recruitment practices to avoid unsuitable people working with vulnerable children and young people.

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outstanding

The Registered Manager is suitably experienced and qualified. He is a very effective leader, being visible and readily available to staff and young people. He is well supported by an experienced, qualified senior management team. S taff receive very effective levels of formal and informal supervision, annual appraisals and a comprehensive training programme is in place to ensure they retain their skills. A high percentage of staff are qualified in social care and have considerable years of knowledge and skills that support young people to achieve their optimum potential. Many have worked in the home for a number of years and bring high levels of experience and consistency to the care provided to young people.

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outstanding

There is a strong emphasis on delivering exceptionally high quality care. The team continually strive to provide the best outcomes for young people. The team communicate well with each other to ensure everyone is kept up-to-date with new and changing information about young people’s needs and circumstances. This is done in a variety of ways, which are effective in practice, such as structured shift handovers and more informal sharing of information. All staff speak of the importance of staff meetings when detailed discussions occur about each young person. They all confirm that the strength of these discussions is key to the positive outcomes young people are achieving. They ensure consistency of care, and provide avenues for the full staff team to follow up any incidents and review young people’s individual care plans and risk assessments. However, minutes of these meetings do not demonstrate the high levels of discussion that takes place.

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outstanding

While this does not impact on the quality of care young people receive it fails to demonstrate the importance staff place on such regular discussions.

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outstanding

External monitoring via monthly visits are detailed and comprehensive. The monitoring system provides a robust review of the home’s practice relating to the quality of young people’s care. This feeds into the development plan and demonstrates the manager’s commitment to continue and sustain improvements in the home’s function. The Registered Manager’s own monitoring is evaluative and makes use of consultation with young people, social workers and parents. The home’s development plan details that these informal consultations will be strengthened by a formal process, including the completion of questionnaires by all parties attending young people’s statutory reviews.

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outstanding

Senior managers carefully monitor the progress young people make and there are clear systems in place to identify areas of development for each of them. This valuable information is incorporated into care plans and risk assessments. These are reviewed frequently and confirm the progress young people are making, as well as identifying any further areas that require support.

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outstanding

The management team have excellent links with other agencies and positively engage with them in providing appropriate services, which benefit children and young people. Where required, specialist help is identified and options explored to ensure they are able to access the services tailored to meet their specific needs. One professional said that ’ It has been a bit of an unsettled time over the last few months as a number of young people have moved on. Staff and management have responded positively to the change, working in close co-operation with other professionals to promote the safety and welfare of each young person living in the home’. Another professional shared that’ ‘The strength of the home is excellent care planning and case management. Staff ensure the young person has the opportunities and experiences to support the development of their personal wellbeing. They also help them recognise and

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outstanding

appreciate their individual talents and skills.’

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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

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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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