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

Inspection report children’s home: SC482411 1 SC482411 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. It takes single-sex placements only, currently female young people. It also has a condition to reduce the number of people aged 18 or over for which it also provides care and accommodation. It is run by a large private organisation which has a number of other similar services nationally.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 September 2017

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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: 1 February 2017

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Outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC482411 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Incidents of young people going missing from care significantly reduce over time. Young people feel safe and learn how to manage any concerning or potentially risky behaviours more effectively.  A commendable emphasis is placed on the value of education by staff and managers in this home. All young people engage fully with educational provisions and make exceptional progress in this area of their lives.  Young people have high aspirations for their futures. They work with staff to achieve their goals and take great pride in their personal achievements. As they mature, they feel increasingly valued, part of the community and able to express their feelings openly.  Staff and managers display a real passion for their roles. They have created a real family feel to the home, which young people, parents and involved agencies all comment on.  Inspirational managers understand the barriers faced by young people looked

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Key findings from this inspection

after and act as strong advocates for them. They challenge any actual or perceived failings by other agencies to ensure that young people’s needs are consistently met.  Young people leave this home with the skills and confidence necessary to make a successful transition to adult life. Staff prepare them extremely well for their eventual move from this home. They develop self-help skills and confidence. They feel extremely valued and supported. They speak with pride of the progress they have made, and how much they have matured.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/05/2016 Full Good 21/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC482411 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A key strength of this home is in how well staff and managers support young people to re-engage in education and study. Most young people who move to live at this home have had issues in relation to their attendance, engagement and attainment in the past. From the day they move into this home, staff promote education and its immense value. They work with education providers to ensure that young people have the right placement, and they chase placing authorities for relevant documents and plans. Staff also ensure that, until a young person starts at school, an educationally based timetable is in place in the home. Young people respond really well to this approach. They want to learn, and speak openly about their aspirations for the future. One young person is having regular additional home tuition to support her preparation for GCSE examinations. Staff help young people to complete homework, to devise CVs and to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

apply for college and further education courses. There is absolutely no doubt that young people leave this home with the potential to achieve a successful future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage young people to follow a routine and to learn new skills. Young people take pride in cooking meals together and discussing menu plans. One young person is currently working towards independence. She shops for her own food with staff support, and prepares all of her own meals. This young person has matured immensely in the time she has lived in this home. She takes great pride in her progress since moving to live at this home. Young people leave this home with excellent self-care skills and make very successful transitions to adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people feel that they have a real voice in this home. They speak with confidence about their rights. They feel empowered by staff to express themselves in review meetings and other forums. Staff ensure that independent advocates are sourced for young people where appropriate. Records reflect the daily consultation with young people. One young person said: ‘I understand what happens if I misbehave or do something risky. I accept that I will be grounded and staff are trying to keep me safe.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Over time, young people form really positive relationships in the local community. Staff actively promote their engagement in local clubs and activities. These include youth clubs, cadet groups, gyms and voluntary organisations. Several young people have had work experience or apprenticeships at local services over recent months. They do voluntary work and receive praise for how well they engage within the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff use a wide range of research-based assessment models and tools. Staff complete a baseline assessment of each young person’s needs at the point of admission. They set targets with young people and very closely monitor their progress. Key-work sessions focus on young people’s presenting needs and issues. There is clear evidence of the progress made by each young person. Young people speak with confidence and great pride about their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Placing social workers and parents speak of the immense progress that young people Inspection report children’s home: SC482411 4 make. They make significant progress in their education. They also go missing from care much less frequently and have a greatly reduced vulnerability to sexual exploitation. Several young people have been able to return to live with family members. This reflects the excellent work done to address their concerning or risky behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people learn the value of considering and meeting their holistic health needs. Staff ensure that they attend medical and other health-related appointments. They support them to overcome any anxieties they may have about health-related issues. Over time, they provide them with the skills and confidence to make their own health appointments. They move on from this home with the necessary skills to live as independent and capable adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support young people to keep in touch with family members and significant others. This includes taking them to visit family members, even when this involves long journeys. Parents feel very welcome to visit the home and report excellent communication from staff. They feel fully involved in their child’s care and decision- making. Staff demonstrate a detailed understanding of each young person and their family relationships. They strive to maintain contact and advocate for young people to ensure that their expressed needs and wants are met at all times.

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

Missing from care incidents drastically reduce for all young people. This is achieved in a very short period of time after they move into the home. Staff support young people to consider their behaviours and assist them to develop safer coping mechanisms. Staff and managers work extremely closely with other agencies to address missing from care issues. A specialist missing from care officer from the local police visits the home every month to receive updates and share information. This officer speaks very highly of how well staff support young people. The officer states that there are very few missing from care incidents. Staff ensure that young people have return interviews, and use any information gathered to inform risk assessments and behaviour management plans.

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

Young people take great pride in the progress that they make. They articulate how safe they feel and reflect maturely on the previous concerning behaviours that led to their placement in this home. Key-work sessions reflect how staff use research-informed practice to support young people. Recently, staff and young people attended training with an independent provider. This focused on participatory photography projects and enables young people and staff to consider specific issues and topics relevant to them. Group sessions have commenced with staff and young people in the home. Initial feedback from staff and young people is very positive.

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

Some staff training, such as emergency first aid, e-safety and child sexual exploitation, has been made available to young people. Such inclusion of young people in formal learning and development opportunities is commendable and highly imaginative.

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

There has been no physical intervention for a considerable period of time. This is attributable to the excellent understanding of young people’s needs by staff. Staff work Inspection report children’s home: SC482411 5 with young people to consider triggers and preferred methods of support at times of particular stress. Young people understand the risks they may face, and feel fully included in their behaviour management plans. They feel confident in sharing their anxieties and fears with staff. This enables staff to support them sensitively and with real empathy. Young people reflect on the progress they have made in managing their own concerning behaviours. One young person said: ‘I have made so much progress. I used to have tantrums and cause damage, but I don’t any more. I am really proud of where I am now.’

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

Staff take issues such as bullying very seriously. If they have any concerns, they address them immediately with young people. Staff understand the risks posed to vulnerable young people from the use of mobile phones, social media and the internet. They devise working agreements with young people and very closely monitor their use of technology. Staff use the regular young people’s meetings to consider specific issues and topics with young people. This included the use of derogatory language at a recent session. Young people feel able to discuss a wide range of safeguarding issues with staff.

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

Recruitment and selection procedures and processes are excellent. Management oversight, at all levels, reflects their total commitment to ensuring that only the most suitable and safe adults are employed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and deputy manager are inspirational leaders. They set extremely high aspirations for young people and staff. They ensure that young people have the best possible opportunities, experiences and outcomes. They ensure that staff have the necessary skills and expertise for their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel highly valued as part of a team that places the needs of young people at the centre of practice. They receive high-quality supervision and appraisal. They develop areas of specific expertise and interest. This increases their motivation and sense of being valued as a residential care worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The deputy manager has excellent systems in place to monitor and track staff training and development. The organisation provides a wide range of training opportunities for staff. As the home rarely uses physical intervention with young people, there are plans for a trainer to deliver some informal refresher work with staff. This reflects the commitment of managers to ensuring that staff remain competent and confident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have excellent systems in place for monitoring and tracking the progress made by each young person. They regularly audit case files and other records to ensure compliance. They can clearly demonstrate how the home achieves vastly improved outcomes. They take the comments and recommendations of their independent visitor very seriously and diligently respond to the visitor’s monthly reports.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A detailed development plan is in place. This has a particular focus on young people, and on how their needs will be met. The location risk assessment is regularly reviewed and Inspection report children’s home: SC482411 6 takes into consideration the views of and feedback from relevant agencies. Business continuity plans also reflect a management team whose members fully understand their responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working continues to be another key strength of this home. Staff and managers understand their professional responsibilities, as well as those of other agencies. They challenge agencies and placing authorities when information is not shared or services are not provided in a timely manner. They use clear escalation strategies and monitor responses from placing authorities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Records show how engaged young people are in discussions and decisions about the care and support they receive. They feel valued. Staff actively encourage young people’s input at all levels. Young people can and do influence their care plans. Partner agencies consistently praise the staff team and managers for their excellent communication skills. Young people display an impressive understanding of the reasons that they are in care. They also understand their rights. This is in large part attributable to the excellent work done by staff and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Case records are organised in such a way as to provide very clear and easily accessible information about young people. Records reflect the current and changing needs of each young person. They provide a very clear sense of the journey made by each child during their time living in this home and the immense progress they make.

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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: SC482411 7

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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: Unit 1 Tustin Court, Riversway, Preston PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Tracy Murty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482411 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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