Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Preston

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team builds exceptional relationships with the young people. These relationships are warm, nurturing and caring. Relationships are strong and the team keeps in touch with the young people once they move on. This feels like a welcoming home, and young people look relaxed and comfortable here.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has established a team that is committed to providing high quality of care. The team is consistent in the way in which it delivers care. The team members commit to the young people, and stay in the home’s employment for long periods of time. This contributes to the positive relationships the staff have with the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people continue to visit the home once they have moved out. They also join in with family occasions such as Sunday lunches, birthdays and activities like horse-riding or days out. When young people move out this is usually planned well in advance. The team supports the young people to prepare for this move and ensures that they have everything in place that will contribute to the move being successful.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Before a young person moves in, the registered manager ensures that the team is provided with all the required information to help care for the young person. When requests are received for a new young person to move in, leaders and managers rigorously assess the young person’s suitability to ensure that the home can meet their needs. Impact risk assessments are comprehensive, and assess the potential impact that anyone new will have on the home and the current group of young people living there. Leaders and managers formulate care plans from this information that detail the needs of the young people. These plans are not always updated in a timely manner to reflect the progress that is made by the young people in their first few weeks living in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is an ambassador for safeguarding children and has particular expertise in supporting young people who are at risk of being, or who have been, sexually exploited. This level of knowledge and skill is disseminated to the team members, who are developing into a team that is expert in the field of safeguarding children and young people. When the young people talk about experiences which may link to possible abuse and trauma, the team responds to this situation well by putting the young people first, and ensuring that they are safe. The team has exceptional links to professionals in their local area who contribute to the safety of the young people in the team’s care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team encourages the young people to keep themselves safe, and promotes positive choices. There is a lot of emphasis placed on communication, and talking about feelings, risks and anxieties, which the young people respond well to. The young people are successful in making positive choices in relation to keeping themselves safe, and they have reduced the frequency of times they have been missing. This is significant progress when compared to their safety records where they lived previously. The team knows how to respond if the young people do go missing, and follows missing protocols exceptionally well.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is persistent in ensuring that the emotional needs of the young people are met. This support includes pursuing services to support mental health when the need arises. Restraint rarely occurs. On the occasions it has, there have been high-risk situations where the team has restrained young people to stop them from significantly harming themselves. The young people always get the chance to talk about a restraint when one has occurred. Leaders and managers monitor restraint effectively, and learn from those experiences.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Consequences to negative behaviour usually relate to the young people breaking the smoking rules, which they have contributed to putting in place themselves. This usually results in money being withheld, which reduces the amount of tobacco they can purchase. The young people’s views are sought about these rules and consequences. The registered manager monitors consequences effectively.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team encourages the young people to aim high and have aspirations for their future. The young people have lots of opportunities available to them, which support them in getting into education, employment and local clubs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has effective monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care that the young people receive. The young people contribute to these systems and their voice is very much heard in relation to their care, and the development of the home.

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and provides accommodation for up to six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/11/2016 Full Outstanding 18/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/06/2015 Full Outstanding

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that children and young people's care plans are reviewed and updated to evidence progress they are making, particularly when they are new to the home and progress is swift. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 18, paragraph 3.31)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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