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

Inspection report children’s home: SC479649 1 SC479649 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 young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and who are experiencing a period of crisis. The home runs a 28-day programme, which focuses on engaging young people with activities. As part of the programme, young people spend overnight periods of time away from the small community home, camping. The service has five properties and one caravan, all linked to one central hub home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home changed its function and re-registered with Ofsted on 27 May 2019. The manager has been registered since 17 May 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 November 2019

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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 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: N/A Inspection report children’s home: SC479649 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 25/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC479649 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are good at providing personalised care to young people. They take time to get to know young people and they draw on young people’s strengths. Staff are skilled at supporting and enabling young people to engage in activities which meet their individual needs. Young people have had the opportunity to try activities such as camping, fishing, walking and go-karting. This has given them the chance to discover new talents and enjoy new positive experiences. This increases young people’s self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager tailors a 28-day programme to the individual needs of the young people. This has benefited young people as it means that they engage and are willing to invest in the programme. Good-quality houses in residential communities support young people’s positive daily experiences. However, the use of one caravan offers young people a less dignified and homely experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy good relationships with all the staff team. Young people have gone out of their way to nominate staff for in-house awards. One young person said, ‘She did everything like watch horror films and pranks even though she wasn’t up to it.’ Another said, ‘[Name] has always been there to talk to me when I am low. Even on his days off he has helped me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-working sessions are good. Staff make sure that the sessions are purposeful and that they meet the aims of the placement outlined in young people’s placement plans. Key-working sessions cover a range of topics, such as anger management, health, stopping smoking and reducing risk-taking behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people use the time at the service as a period of reflection. The calm environment which a young person finds themselves in can be a long way from what young people have experienced prior to placement. Therefore, the service’s main function is to provide some stability in young people’s lives before their local authority can find a long-term placement suitable for their needs. As a result, there is no education provided, but instead an opportunity to experience educational activities, such as a visit to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds and Hadrian’s Wall.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker professional reflected on the service for her young person by saying, ‘Positive roles had a big impact on his self-esteem and belief in himself. He stopped using cannabis and going missing when he went into the service… I would not hesitate to use them again.’

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

Young people feel safe and are safe. Good-quality risk assessments, which are child- focused, provide staff with clear guidance as to how to keep young people safe. They are written clearly so that young people understand them. Staff know young Inspection report children’s home: SC479649 4 people and they know their risks. Young people say that they are motivated to engage in the 28-day programme and make changes to their lives. A social worker said, ‘ My young person has had no physical interventions; staff have talked him down and calmed him down and I have witnessed that. Staff have been able to develop a positive relationship with him.’

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

Young people’s risk-taking behaviours reduce. Staff are skilled at de-escalating incidents. They use their relationships with young people to engage them in discussions regarding risk-taking behaviours, such as violence, substance misuse and running away. Young people rarely go missing. On occasions when young people tell staff that they want to run away, staff walk with young people regardless of the distance, talking to young people and encouraging them to return home.

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

When physical interventions are used, and there has only been one since the home was registered, the registered manager independently speaks to the young people afterwards to gain their feedback and talk about their experience of the physical intervention.

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

Staff engage in regular safeguarding training. The registered manager ensures that staff understand how to report safeguarding concerns. The manager has taken rigorous action when safeguarding concerns have arisen and this has supported young people’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2016. He is appropriately qualified. Out of the 26 permanent members of staff, 17 are appropriately qualified. The other staff members are either in their probationary period or in the process of completing the relevant qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has appointed more staff members, who have all been safely recruited. This has reduced the number of casual staff being used and has brought greater stability and consistency to the workforce and young people. The registered manager is aware that the staff team needs to now embed changes and continue to provide good-quality care to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is ambitious and is keen to develop the service. He encourages staff to get to know young people and their individual needs rather than adopting a ‘one- size-fits-all’ model of care. This has had a positive impact on the progress that young people make. The registered manager has taken care to accept placements of young people whose needs staff are able to meet. He recognises the service’s limitations, but also the strengths of the service. This has meant that young people are appropriately placed and there has been a significant reduction in incidents. New paperwork has been introduced, which is much more child-focused and which provides staff with clear guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions are good, and staff say that they feel well supported. Supervisions focus on safeguarding, the young people and their progress, and training of staff. Staff say that Inspection report children’s home: SC479649 5 training is good, and that there has been an improvement in this area. Management oversight is rigorous. The registered manager oversees and scrutinises all paperwork. He and his deputy visit the individual services on a weekly basis, and he is quick to address any practice shortfalls. The responsible individual also carries out quality assurance visits regularly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child-focused. For example, he ensures that he consistently seeks the feedback of young people and he welcomes consultation with them. He is keen to hear young people’s views, wishes and feelings, and has made changes because of their feedback. The registered manager has high aspirations for the young people in his care as well as the quality of care that staff provide to young people.

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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: SC479649 6

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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: 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

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Inspector:

Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479649 7 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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