Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report children's home: SC481152 1 SC481152 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is owned and managed by a private company.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

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

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 18 January 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Outstanding

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because: Inspection report children's home: SC481152 2  The home is making a significant difference to children’s lives. Staff work in partnership with children to help them make measurable progress.  Children say they feel supported by staff who care about them. As a result they are motivated to achieve and exceed their goals. They have confidence in staff to help them to overcome any difficulties.  Sophisticated, multi-agency care planning and review reflect clear understanding of individual needs and risks. Children are supported to reduce their own risks, so that they are able to feel safer and happier.  Children are encouraged to live healthy lifestyles. Children engage well in therapy to improve their understanding of their past experiences, develop effective strategies and build emotional resilience.  Education is valued highly. Children attend school regularly and apply

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Key findings from this inspection

themselves to the best of their ability. Barriers to learning are recognised and children are supported to overcome them.  Practice models and programmes used in the home promote and support children’s developing independence. This facilitates children to take transitional steps towards adulthood, with the support of staff who know their strengths and areas for development.  Managers and staff demonstrate their expertise in caring for children with complex needs. This is reflected by the comments of external professionals who praise the home’s practice, multi-agency working and communication.  Staff welcome opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills further. They value the support of leaders in the home, and feel they are able to contribute to the home’s development.  The home’s ethos has high aspirations for children to achieve positive outcomes. The manager therefore challenges any shortfalls in practice to

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Key findings from this inspection

remove barriers to children’s progression and development.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff need to ensure that they record consistently across all of the home’s systems so that important health information is clear and accessible to meet children’s needs.  Staff should record complaints in the central log so that this accurately reflects the nature of the complaint, the action taken and the resulting outcomes.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children's home: SC481152 3 04/08/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/02/2016 Full Outstanding 13/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC481152 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This relates particularly to ensuring that important health information is clear across all records, and that the central log of complaints is maintained and up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s experiences and potential for successful future life opportunities are significantly enhanced by the care they receive in the home. They are central to their care planning and engage enthusiastically to make positive progress in their own lives. Staff work consistently and collaboratively to ensure that children’s needs are met and their voices are heard. Staff build warm, supportive relationships with children, with genuine positive regard so that children feel valued, build self-esteem and develop resilience. Close working relationships, particularly with school staff and therapists, help to provide consistent and holistic care and support to overcome barriers to progress. There is a sense of belonging; one child describes how the home was ‘like living in a massive family’, reflecting the staff team’s understanding of needs and expertise in supporting children to develop positive attachments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s attendance at the adjoining school reflects their understanding of the importance of education in future opportunities. Teachers work closely with the home to maintain a good understanding of any emotional needs which may present barriers to learning, and to ensure that children are given appropriate support. Four children have recently completed their GSCEs and plans are already progressing for their next steps to college to complete vocational training or A levels. Staff support children to complete homework and revision, and praise them when they do this independently. A younger child was proud of his achievement in attempting a mock psychology GCSE despite not yet being in Year 11. As part of the therapeutic process, some children write film reviews to demonstrate their learning about social relationships and attitudes, which allows therapists and staff to understand the effectiveness of interventions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The well-established community activity programme supports the development of social skills, as well as increasing opportunities to develop social networks and independence. Young people are encouraged to join community groups, and practise skills such as travelling on public transport to visit family. One child reflected on how far they had progressed in the programme since the last inspection, saying ‘now I think about it, I am really proud of myself’. Another child is excited that he is to start part-time work. He said Inspection report children's home: SC481152 5 ‘it’s the best (home) I’ve been in’, and wants to remain in the local area when he leaves. He has recently moved into the independent flat in the home in preparation for adulthood and is looking forward to the additional responsibilities this brings. He worked well with his key worker prior to his move so that he is fully aware of the expectations of

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

this progression towards independent living. Children recognise the support that staff provide to help them make progress. One child has sought help to successfully advocate with his placing authority so that he can remain at the home, recognising the support he receives. His social worker stated that he has a plan for the year ahead and that it was positive to see the child ‘drive his own plan’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children describe enjoying a wide range of activities both in the home and elsewhere, such as watching films, playing console games, and playing football and basketball in a local park, as well as trips to the beach, football matches and places of interest. They are looking forward to going on holiday during the summer. These experiences enable children to build positive memories as well as developing their social skills and interaction. Where appropriate, staff support children to have contact with their families, and reassure them when they choose not to meet face-to-face. This helps children to have control over aspects of their lives which can be emotionally difficult.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Health is promoted with support provided to attend appointments, and children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own health needs. However, this is monitored, and where children do not look after their health properly, staff ensure they are aware of the consequences and take a more directive role. Some children successfully take responsibility for administering their own medication. Children plan the menu with staff and take turns to cook evening meals, so that they develop valuable life skills and understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet. Currently, they are all taking part in a ‘water challenge’ to keep themselves properly hydrated. One child said he felt ‘more awake’ as a result. Although health needs are identified, records do not consistently cross-reference important information such as allergies. This has not negatively impacted on children’s health, because in emergencies staff use the child’s relevant plans

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

so that medical professionals have access to vital information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Close partnership working between therapists and staff supports children’s emotional well-being, both through therapy sessions and via staff consultations. Children engage meaningfully in their sessions to explore emotionally challenging past experiences, and build healthier strategies to help regulate their emotions and increase their resilience. Regular multi-professional progress meetings are held, and therapists also support staff in their daily practice to reinforce interventions. The therapists will now be present in the home on three days per week, which will facilitate further opportunities for staff to understand underpinning theory to enhance their knowledge and skills. Therapy is also integrated into the planning of the positive behaviour support model used in the home’s practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home’s recognised practice model promotes children’s development. The ethos of the home, in seeking positive outcomes of any challenges and focusing on future potential, builds children’s positive self-views and identity. Staff share core practice values and are committed to provide the most supportive environment, where children Inspection report children's home: SC481152 6 are valued as individuals and their achievements are celebrated. In doing so, staff support children to reduce risk and enable them to make positive progress.

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

Robust risk assessment and management systems mean that children are helped to keep themselves and others safe. There are high levels of supervision both in the home and the community, and children are fully involved in plans so that they understand what is expected of them, participate well and tolerate the structures in place. Vigilant but unobtrusive monitoring ensures that children are afforded the least restrictive management in response to any court orders in place. Children clearly understand, and are proud of, the progress they are making through their community activity programme. They are motivated to work towards increased levels of independence. Progress is regularly reviewed to ensure that next steps are taken at the child’s pace as well as in response to any presenting risk. This means that children are able to safely make progress towards their goals.

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

Children report feeling safe and rely on the staff to provide guidance and support with any concerns. The strength of relationships enables children to be honest and transparent about their own intrusive thoughts, to allow staff to respond to emerging needs. The positive behaviour support model used in the home enables children to make such disclosures without fear of judgement. This research-based approach to risk support is applied so that children feel intrinsically valued by staff, who clearly distinguish between the individual and their behaviours or concerning thoughts. The level of trust that is fostered within the home therefore allows children to express themselves openly in the knowledge that they will receive help, both from the staff and the therapists who work with them.

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

The high levels of supervision mean that children very rarely go missing. There is an immediate and appropriate response to any unauthorised absences to ensure that the child is returned safely to the home. Effective liaison with the police ensures the protection of children and the community, and close working relationships were used positively in supporting a child when he was struggling with difficult emotions. As a result, he made a positive choice to remain in the home because of the investment and support of the team. The child has also planned strategies with staff to manage his frustrations, and allow him time away from the home to help him to self-regulate without impacting on others. He is able to use a keyword to alert staff so that they are able to respond, and he has successfully used this technique to go to a location which has a calming effect.

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

Behaviour management systems and vigilance of staff mean that other risks such as child exploitation, radicalisation, substance misuse and offending are minimised. Staff access relevant specialist training so that they retain detailed and current knowledge of any potential risks, and one member of staff highlighted the benefit of attending recent gender-specific training in child sexual exploitation. The highly skilled staff use their Inspection report children's home: SC481152 7 training in the home’s practice model effectively, which consistently promotes positive behaviour. As a result, restraint is not required to manage children’s behaviour. Internet use is closely supervised and children are fully aware of monitoring systems in place. They understand that the privilege of owning a mobile phone with internet access entails a level of responsibility and is also subject to monitoring.

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

When there are difficulties between children, staff support them to consider the impact of their behaviours. Staff work creatively to develop children’s understanding and ability to reflect with relevant examples, so that they are able to rebuild social relationships. Young people are encouraged to critically view their own behaviours, such as use of discriminatory language. Staff are supportive, but expect children to accept and respond to challenging messages. As a result, any imposed consequences directly address incidents and provide purposeful and restorative learning, and rare occasions of bullying are addressed effectively. Children feel able to make complaints in the knowledge that their concerns will be listened to and dealt with promptly. While records are kept of the small number of complaints and their outcomes, staff have not recorded them in the central log.

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

Staff are clear about their responsibilities and procedures for safeguarding children. There are robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure that only suitable individuals are employed in caring for highly vulnerable children. Consequently, care provided remains of the highest quality and enables children to feel protected and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by a highly effective and established registered manager who is ambitious and influential in promoting the best outcomes for children. The team works proactively with other professionals and, where appropriate, families, to engage in holistic, highly individualised planning of children’s care, and will robustly challenge any shortfalls that might impact on children’s progress. The manager has the highest expectations of himself, the staff team and other agencies to deliver positive outcomes. He has ensured that placing authorities provide relevant plans in response to a previous recommendation, so that planning within the home clearly reflects statutory agencies’ expectations. Measurable progress is demonstrated through case records and reports which are sent regularly to key stakeholders. Feedback from professionals, including social workers and independent reviewing officers, is universally positive about the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

progress young people make, reflecting the high quality of care provided. They note that communication is excellent, significant events are reported and staff work consistently with placing authorities to support complex needs and manage risk. A team manager said that the home ‘manages very difficult situations other homes would’ve given notice for’, and a social worker described the support as ‘outstanding… (the child) has now reached a state of catharsis, and speaks about feelings.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children regularly view and contribute to their own records and participate in meetings, Inspection report children's home: SC481152 8 so that they understand their own progress and experiences. They actively participate in the care planning process and respond well, demonstrating their commitment to their own growth and development. They express their views in weekly meetings, as well as in discussions with key workers, and contribute to the running of the home. They are involved in the redecoration of a shared bathroom in response to a previous recommendation. Their views are discussed at staff meetings so that their voices are heard and suggestions considered. Children are at the heart and forefront of the service, and staff practice responds to their individual needs. Leaders and managers have a detailed understanding of children’s progress and, where necessary, amend plans in response. Children are sensitively encouraged out of their comfort zones to achieve

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

important milestones in progression towards their futures. Their diversity needs are actively incorporated into their individual plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager maintains detailed monitoring systems of practice and identifies areas of development to drive continued improvement in the quality of care provided. This is supported by external monitoring visits, and with a pending change to the independent visitor, the manager is keen to ensure that future monitoring continues to provide evaluative input. Improvements, such as the induction process for new staff, are made as a result of shared practice with other homes owned by the provider. The deputy manager has recently returned to the home after maternity leave and will take forward further development of the home’s practice model. Staff who have not already undertaken the focused training will do so in the coming weeks, to ensure they have the underpinning theoretical knowledge to their practice. There is an effective development plan in place for staff to continue to enhance their knowledge and skills, and they

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

welcome any opportunities to develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is clear oversight of practice and, where necessary, any performance issues are addressed. The manager acts as a positive role model to staff and supports them to explore different strategies to engage children and strengthen relationships. Staff report that they are well supported by managers and leaders. In addition to regular and effective supervision, they welcome the manager’s ‘open door’ policy and opportunities to reflect on practice in handovers and with therapists. They feel able to make suggestions, and have been involved in making improvements to the supervision process as well as rotas, both to benefit young people and enable staff to engage in more meetings and training. Staff respond flexibly to the needs of the home to provide young people with stability and consistency of care. This means that agency staff are not required. Staff are enthusiastic and mutually supportive, working collaboratively within

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

the home’s model to deliver care which reflects the ethos outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. There is a shared ownership and a commitment to supporting young people’s positive progression, and a pride in sharing their achievements with others. The team work together with education colleagues and therapists to create a busy and happy home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a clear confidence in the home’s approach and an awareness of the need to balance children’s integration into society while managing any risks to them and the wider community. He attends regular meetings with the police to ensure that he maintains current knowledge of community risks that may impact on planning. He will Inspection report children's home: SC481152 9 assertively challenge statutory and voluntary community agencies to ensure that children are safeguarded effectively and their progress promoted. In doing so, he ensures that children can experience the highest quality care and opportunities to reach their potential and enjoy positive futures.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children's home: SC481152 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hexagon Care Services, 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton On Ribble, Preston PR2 2YQ

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Inspector(s)

Karen Willson, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC481152 11 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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