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

Inspection report children’s home: SC480681 1 SC480681 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 one of a number owned and managed by a private organisation. The home provides a stable environment for young males who are unable to live with their birth families for a variety of reasons. It provides medium- to long-term care for six young people. There is an on-site school which is subject to a separate inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has managed the home since October 2012.

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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: 28 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC480681 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2017 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/11/2016 Full Good 22/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC480681 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, 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

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 (1)(2)(a)(i)(b)(c)) 31/01/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18) In particular, ensure that agreement has been sought from those with parental responsibility when children under the age of 16 are smoking; ensure that staff do not condone smoking by allowing children to receive tobacco by post; and ensure that smoking reduction plans receive review.  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. Inspection report children’s home: SC480681 4 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful and thoughtful planning ensures that young people move into the home in a positive manner. Young people receive a welcome booklet in advance, providing helpful information. This helps allay young people’s anxieties, as they know what to expect. Wherever possible, staff will make a visit to meet the young person and this will be followed by a visit to the home, prior to admission. Staff also explain how young people can personalise their bedrooms. These things help young people feel welcome and they soon settle into the routine of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from the care that they receive from an experienced and stable staff team. Staff are understanding of young people’s earlier life experiences. Staff appreciate the impact of this on young people’s current behaviours and presentation. Positive and respectful relationships exist between staff and young people. One young person commented in the annual Ofsted survey, ‘Staff are really good and helpful, I am looked after well and get along with everyone here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are in education or employment. There is an on-site education provision which some young people attend. All young people attend school, college or work experience regularly and accept this as part of their daily routine. This is a significant improvement for some. Young people are consequently making good academic progress and improving their chances of employment in the future. In addition, some young people have engaged in volunteering and have made a positive contribution to the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that young people can maintain relationships with those important to them, while living here. They appreciate the significance of these relationships and work hard to improve the quality of these, accepting that young people will need this support when they move on from the home. One parent commented, in feedback taken by the home, ‘The home is very good. Staff are doing a great job. [Name of young person] has made a lot of progress here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people engage in activities with staff, who work hard to ensure that young people can pursue their individual interests. One young person plays for a local football team and is also fulfilling his ambition to travel around the country to as many football grounds as possible. Young people enjoyed a holiday to Wales over the summer. Consequently, young people are benefiting from new experiences, leading to improvement in their confidence and self-esteem. Most of the young people also enjoy playing on electronic games consoles. However, they have been playing adult games, with access to inappropriate content, without challenge from staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC480681 5 The home is large and spacious. Young people have plenty of space to spend time together or alone. There has been some recent investment in the home, and the quality of decor and furnishings is mainly good. However, it is a large property to keep clean

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and some areas of the home, seen during the inspection, needed a thorough clean. In addition, there were no towels or soap in young people’s bathroom or toilet. These issues detract from the homely environment and give a poor message to young people about acceptable standards.

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

Young people feel safe living in the home. Staff have seen a reduction in young people’s risk-taking behaviour, such as using cannabis or going missing, since moving into the home. One social worker commented, ‘My young person is going missing less and is also using less alcohol.’

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

Staff work hard at engaging young people positively. As a result, young people want to spend time with staff. However, young people’s risk assessments and missing reduction plans contain insufficient detail about risks posed by specific individuals and details of addresses where young people may be located. While staff maintain a missing from home chronology, it is not always clear which addresses they have visited and who lives there. This detail is important to ensure that colleagues do not waste time repeating the same actions and is helpful to the police. One young person has also been allowed to contact individuals on social media, who posed a risk in the past, when he was younger than the permitted age to use this media platform.

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

Similarly, young people are enabled to smoke when they are under the legal age. Although staff are aware that young people are being sent tobacco by post, this has not been challenged. Smoking reduction plans are not subject to regular review and key- working on smoking cessation is infrequent.

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

Staff receive training in behaviour management and skilfully de-escalate the majority of challenging behaviour. Physical restraints are extremely rare, as staff help young people learn how to manage their emotions more effectively. Young people also learn to treat each other with respect. One young person said, ‘My behaviour is much better since I have lived here. Staff have helped me with this.’

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

Staff listen to young people. Young people’s concerns are taken seriously. Allegations, although rare, are reported and investigated thoroughly. Young people express confidence in managers listening to them.

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

Staff work with young people to alert them to risks that they may face when out in the community, such as child sexual exploitation, drug running and county lines. However, records do not indicate how young people have responded to this or if they have disclosed their previous knowledge and experience of these issues. This would help focus further intervention. Inspection report children’s home: SC480681 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the staff and young people extremely well. He has a management qualification and chooses to lead by example, which staff appreciate. He is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for young people and will advocate strongly for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supportive supervision. The manager is keen to support the development of those who work here. This helps to motivate staff, who demonstrate a commitment to working in the home. The consistency of the staff team reflects this. The majority of staff have the minimum level 3 qualification, ensuring that young people receive support from suitably qualified staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works well with other professionals involved with young people. They spoke positively about his commitment and dedication. Social workers said that staff keep them up to date with any developments and they always feel welcome when they visit the home. One social worker commented, ‘The home is proactive in getting support for [name of young person] when needed. I have no concerns about the skills and knowledge of staff. In fact, the staff are very competent and able to meet [name of young person]’s complex needs. I cannot think of anything they need to improve, as they are doing it all.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. He is keen to drive forward improvements. He regularly seeks feedback from stakeholders to help review the performance of the home and make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Everyone working in this home strives to promote positive outcomes for young people. They promote young people’s individuality and support them to achieve their goals. Good teamwork helps them achieve this.

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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: SC480681 7 Inspection report children’s home: SC480681 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, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

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Inspectors

Mandy Williams, social care inspector Lisa Gregoire-Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC480681 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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