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

Inspection report children’s home: SC482517 1 SC482517 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

This home is part of a private children’s care organisation and is registered to accommodate five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 14 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff ensure that young people receive a good welcome to the home.  The staff team provides regular and effective key-work sessions that help young people to improve and manage their emotional well-being and behaviour. Inspection report children’s home: SC482517 2  Young people know how to complain. Their concerns are responded to promptly.  Staff keep young people safe.  The manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals and complete regular training to enable them to provide good-quality care.  The staff team follows missing-from-home procedures well.  Staff have warm and established relationships with young people. This means that young people develop positive relationships with others.  Incidents of physical restraint are very low due to the positive approach of staff.

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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

 The registered manager needs to make sure that behaviour management approaches are not overly restrictive.  Some areas of the home such as the bathroom are showing signs of wear and tear and require updating.  Managers need to ensure that when access to areas of the home is restricted at night, young people’s risk assessments are updated to reflect this.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/09/2016 Full Outstanding 11/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC482517 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff treat each child with dignity and respect; provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background and make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6(2)(b)(iii)(iv)(ix)) 17/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(2)(d)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 26/01/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one young person has moved into the home and one young person has moved out of the home. The manager ensures that young people have a positive welcome into the home. Young people are encouraged to visit the home when possible to have tea and look around. Young people receive welcome packs and are given warmth and reassurance from staff. Young people are provided with toiletries and new bedding when they arrive. The young person’s guide is creative, well-written and user-friendly. This helps young people to feel at ease and alleviates some of the worries that they may have about moving to their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to put photographs up throughout their home. Staff Inspection report children’s home: SC482517 4 support young people well when they move on from the home. Managers help young people to find the best placements to meet their needs. Staff make sure that young people are prepared for their move and have the necessary skills to live independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships between young people and staff are good. Young people receive care from an experienced and committed staff team. For example, since the last inspection there have been staff shortages due to sickness and maternity leave. The managers and staff have covered these shortfalls to maintain consistency for young people. A social worker told the inspector, ‘The staff are good overall and the young person is as happy as she can be. This is the only placement that has managed to sustain her.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive effective, structured and meaningful key-work sessions, which they participate in. The sessions mirror the aims and objectives set within young people’s placement plans. Staff review young people’s progress within the placement plans. As a result, young people improve their behaviours. One young person told the inspector, ‘I like living at the home; there is nothing I am concerned or worried about.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know how to complain and feel confident in raising issues with the registered manager. Since the last inspection, one young person has made a complaint. Senior managers within the service responded to this. The young person raised no further concerns during the inspection. The registered manager encourages feedback from young people in regular house meetings via feedback forms and on a daily, informal basis. This means that young people feel able to talk about what is important to them in their home. Young people make decisions about the food that they eat, the activities that they do, and the contact that they have with friends and family members. As a result, young people feel respected and cared for. This enriches their sense of self- worth and identity. One young person told the inspector, ‘I have changed, I have got a job. It helped me and I have not been arrested for three years.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s files are well organised. All necessary statutory documents are signed and are up to date. Placement plans are young-person-centred and clearly identify aims and objectives. This enables progress, helping the young people to work towards longer- term placement aims. The registered manager ensures that the team prepares young people for adulthood. Staff provide young people with individual independence programmes to help them develop skills including budgeting, self-care, travel and maintaining employment and training. One young person recently commenced her apprenticeship in hair and beauty. With the help of staff, she has also obtained a weekend job. This means that young people are developing their skills and confidence through the encouragement and support of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide young people with consistent guidance and boundaries. Young people’s school attendance is very good. Young people above statutory age are consistently encouraged to attend further education, training or employment. When issues arise, staff help young people to resolve them. Young people receive rewards and incentives for completing chores and attending education, training or employment. This helps them to develop their independence and self-care skills. Staff praise young people’s achievements. During this inspection, staff were observed supporting one young person Inspection report children’s home: SC482517 5 to apply for an apprenticeship. Young people enjoy household activities together, such as watching movies, cooking with staff, eating out and enjoying takeaways at the dining table. Young people also do individual activities such as attending drama group and Girl Guides. Young people choose where they go on holiday and have enjoyed trips to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

London and Cornwall. This means that young people have usual and positive experiences. This enhances their opportunities and sense of well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some behaviour management approaches within the home are restrictive and have become customary. They do not focus on the individual needs of each young person. For example, managers and staff remove televisions from young people’s bedrooms on a daily basis and return them at night. This means that young people are not developing the necessary skills to manage their own behaviour. In addition, some young people are not being provided with freedom and choice about how they spend their free time. Young people are not able to decide when they would like to watch television during the early evenings or weekends.

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

Young people are safe at this home and say that they feel safe. During this inspection, staff did not raise any safeguarding concerns in relation to the quality of care that young people receive. At times, some young people do not get along and there have been some arguments and grumbles between young people. There have also been some incidents of challenging behaviour requiring police involvement. However, managers and staff make sure that this behaviour is well managed, they talk about issues such as bullying, they provide mediation and they talk with young people about their behaviour on a one-to-one basis. This helps young people to develop their behaviour and relationships with others. Consequently, behaviours within the home have improved. Incidents of young people going missing from the home are managed competently. When young people go missing, staff respond well. They follow procedures, look for

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

young people and liaise with the police. The registered manager makes sure that return home interviews are completed. Staff have good links within the local community and stay in touch with young people when they leave the home. This helps them to ensure that young people return home promptly. This promotes young people’s safety as well as demonstrating that staff care about them and want them to return home. Staff are aware of the risks associated with social media and are mindful of young people’s vulnerabilities to issues such as child sexual exploitation, self-harming and substance misuse. Staff recruitment processes are robust. Managers verify references and qualifications and check that all necessary disclosure and barring checks are in place. This means that young people receive care from appropriately checked adults. This helps to prioritise the safety of young people.

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

There have been a low number of incidents of physical restraint since the last inspection. This is because physical restraint is used as a last resort. Staff use distraction and de- escalation techniques to avoid restraint. Records of physical restraint are thorough and include feedback from young people. This means that young people understand why the restraint was used. This helps in avoiding repeated incidents. Staff talk to young people Inspection report children’s home: SC482517 6 about their behaviour and want to understand behaviours. This helps the young person to improve how they respond to others. Young people are provided with choices and they are told what the consequences of their actions will be. Staff encourage and reward positive behaviour and use money or treats as a sanction for more serious behaviours.

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

The manager makes sure that the home is generally kept to a good standard. Work has been completed to the front driveway and the large garden is well maintained. Young people like their bedrooms and have personalised them. Young people have pets in their bedrooms such as a hamster and a turtle. However, some areas in the home are showing signs of wear and tear. This includes the decoration and fittings in the downstairs bathroom, the upstairs bathroom and the kitchen area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has the necessary experience and qualifications for the role. She has been in post since September 2014. Nearly all of the staff are qualified. Those who are unqualified are within regulatory timescales to obtain their qualification. The manager is highly dedicated and has high aspirations for young people within the home. She is well supported by a committed deputy manager. The managers make sure that staff are competent in following safeguarding procedures, and staff spoken to during the inspection were familiar with these policies. They were confident and professional in explaining how to report concerns relating to a young person or a member of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by the registered manager. One staff member told the inspector, ‘The manager is lovely; she is very friendly and very nice. She is really good with the girls and staff; she is understanding and very good at listening.’ Staff receive regular, good-quality supervision and appraisal. All staff complete a variety of mandatory training in particular areas including equality and diversity, gang crime and child sexual exploitation. This means that staff are aware of the potential risks that young people are exposed to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes sure that young people live in a safe and secure environment and that the home is meeting the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose. However, the manager does not make sure that young people’s individual risk assessments reflect door-locking practices at night. For example, access doors to the lounge, kitchen and computer room are locked at night. This is not detailed within the statement of purpose. This means that young people’s freedom of movement is restricted within their home. This practice has not been properly evaluated and the impact on each young person has not been considered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has completed a thorough location risk assessment. This means that potential hazards and risks within the local area are well understood. The manager makes sure that staff work in partnership with professionals such as social workers, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and teachers. Communication is prompt and effective. The registered manager will give vigorous challenge on behalf of young people when needed. A pastoral manager told the inspector, ‘The lines of communication are very open, staff support the school with issues such as detention, and they are Inspection report children’s home: SC482517 7 accommodating.’ A children-looked-after nurse told the inspector, ‘I visit the home and feel welcome; I have a very good working relationship with staff. I have no particular worries or concerns.’

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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: SC482517 8

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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

Anna Gravelle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482517 9 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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