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

Inspection report children’s home: SC480086 1 SC480086 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 provides care for up to six children who have social and emotional difficulties. The manager is qualified and has been registered since 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 September 2018

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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: 15 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC480086 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/07/2017 Full Good 23/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 30/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC480086 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) This is with particular regard to ensuring that incidents trigger a review of risk assessment documentation.  Take account of information provided by return home interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a good home. The children feel safe, valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have strong relationships with the staff. The children said that the staff care about them. These relationships are the cornerstone of the progress that children have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have made good progress with their education. Two children are now in full-time education. This is significant progress from their starting points. Talking about her school work a child said, ‘They [the staff] always make sure that I am on top of what I need to do.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children to meet their health needs. One child has developed the skills to manage her own health needs. This is a critical skill that will be valuable for the rest of her life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children recognise the progress that they are making. One child said, ‘When I first went into care I just hibernated, but here I am doing things and sorting things out.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff consult the children and show interest in what the children have to say. The children feel listened to and are able to communicate well with the staff. A parent said, ‘They [the staff] include the girls in their planning for everything. They make everybody feel part of what is going on.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children to develop their knowledge of the world. They invite guest speakers to come and join them for informal afternoon tea. Guests include representatives from local churches, mosques and charities. Inspection report children’s home: SC480086 4 The staff support the children to raise money for charities. This helps the children develop their sense of community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children said that staff support them to prepare for independence and that staff manage moves into the home with sensitivity. A child said, ‘It was a quick move. My room was all nicely done. I had to come straight here. It was good because I was really scared but the staff came out and helped me with my stuff. I had tea with them. It’s really nice sitting around the table.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support children to see their families. The families of children who live a long distance from the home are positive about this. A child said, ‘They [the staff] arranged contact with my little sister, who I have not seen in ages. The staff came in especially.’

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

The children feel safe. They are able to identify staff with whom they can talk if they are worried, frustrated or angry. The children said that staff listen to them. The staff are aware of how to raise safeguarding concerns.

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

The staff support children to develop their understanding of risk. Discussion and reflection are routine parts of the day-to-day care at this home. Topics of discussion include pertinent safeguarding issues. The staff use simple pop culture routes into these discussions. The culture of sitting together and chatting is well embedded.

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

The staff write risk assessments for each child. The manager is introducing a new template to record these, which better identifies the actions necessary to mitigate risks. One risk assessment had yet to be updated and contained out-of-date information. However, the staff have a good understanding of current risks. This partially mitigates the effect of this oversight.

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

There are times when the staff need to physically intervene to keep children safe. These interventions are appropriate and proportionate. The staff and the children reflect on incidents after they have occurred.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been incidents when children have gone missing. The staff are alert to indicators that children may be planning to go missing. The staff follow the children and look for them. The children’s missing-from-home risk assessments are proportionate. The staff develop these assessments in partnership with placing authorities.

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

When children return from being away from the home, the staff inform placing authorities. The staff track whether return interviews take place. However, they do not routinely request copies of these interviews. As a result, risk assessments are not consistently informed by the content of the interviews. Inspection report children’s home: SC480086 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a dedicated, respected, experienced and qualified manager. Staff, children and professionals respect her. An equally respected deputy manager supports the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff who should have a level 3 qualification do so. The staff team is well established. This results in staffing consistency. Parents and children recognise this as a positive aspect of the home. A parent said, ‘[My child] has definitely made progress. She understands why boundaries have to be implemented. She understands online safety. She understand the consequences of choices. This is because everyone is doing the same thing for her.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from external professionals and families is good. They spoke positively about the quality of the service, the quality of the staff and the difference that the service is making. A family member said, ‘They are the warmest, most professional people, who make us feel part of it.’ Another family member said, ‘I find them so friendly and welcoming. They are not judgemental. I feel that I can ring them at any time. I am never made to feel like a nuisance.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has a good knowledge of the children. Managers understand children’s needs and the progress that they are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager writes assessments to consider potential placements at the home. When information is clearly missing or indicates that the child would be a significant risk to the other children, placements are declined.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular, supportive supervisions. These include reflection on practice. The staff have access to a range of training courses. Attendance at training is encouraged and monitored. The staff reflect on what they have learned during their training. They discuss this in supervisions and with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has made improvements to the physical environment since the last inspection. The children have personalised their rooms. The inside of the home is relaxed and generally warm and homely. A parent said, ‘I feel really comforted that [my child] is being well looked after and cared for.’

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC480086 6 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: SC480086 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

Ashley Hinson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC480086 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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