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

Inspection report children’s home: SC479650 1 SC479650 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 private children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home provides specialist therapeutic services and support for young people. The registered manager has been in place since October 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: 12 December 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC479650 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2018 Full Outstanding 14/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/06/2017 Full Good 09/11/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC479650 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people benefit from effective, high-quality support from staff, teachers and therapists that promotes their needs effectively and contributes to considerable change and improvement in their lives. Young people make excellent progress across all aspects of their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A social worker reported, ‘[Young person] is making excellent progress and working well with staff and therapy. [Young person] is doing very well in education and exceeding targets. The care provided is excellent.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people experience trusting and respectful relationships with staff and enjoy positive relationships with each other. They benefit from continuity of care and experience stability and consistency in their lives. Young people feel safe and secure and develop a strong sense of permanence and belonging. Young people reported, ‘It’s peaceful. Just a nice place to live. It’s kind, caring and safe’ and ‘Love the house and all the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff aspire to make a real difference to the lives of young people. They maintain highly effective partnerships with social workers, schools, therapists and other professional agencies to ensure that young people benefit from effective help and the best possible wrap-around support. Staff facilitate family time for young people. Consequently, young people sustain their familial relationships with the people who are most important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There are effective arrangements in place to promote the young people’s good health. Young people are registered with and have access to the health services they need to promote their positive health. This includes access to on-site therapeutic support to promote their emotional well-being. A specialist nurse reported, ‘Consistent and regular in-house therapeutic support is available to all young people to encourage their positive self-views, emotional resilience and positive relationships. I have always found the quality of care provided to be of a high standard and very child-focused.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There are clear expectations for young people to attend school or alternative educational provision. Young people’s attendance and engagement in full-time education are consistently positive. Young people reported, ‘The home has helped me open up about myself and feel safe being around other people. We have a therapy team if we need to talk about personal things. Staff take our thoughts into consideration.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff consistently have high aspirations for young people. They work enthusiastically with the providers of their education to promote their educational achievement. Additionally, school leavers are well supported to further their education and pursue their career aspirations, training and educational goals. For example, some young people are attending college studying joinery and uniformed public services. Inspection report children’s home: SC479650 4 Young people benefit from positive community-based activities to develop their social skills, interests and hobbies. They enjoy going to the cinema, music lessons, bowling, ice skating, army cadets, football and many other interesting activities that are of specific interest to them. Recently, young people completed voluntary work on behalf of a local charity. This was appreciated, so much so that a member of the charity has visited the home to personally thank young people and staff.

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

Young people are happy living at the home. They are kept safe and have a very strong sense of personal safety. The use of robust risk assessments and highly effective safeguarding practices promote the safety and well-being of young people.

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

Staff have developed an excellent understanding of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of young people and take appropriate action to address them. Young people become increasingly safer, self-confident and resilient because of the support they receive and the actions staff take to help and protect them. External agencies reported, ‘Always found the staff incredibly professional and knowledgeable’ and ‘[Young person’s] time in the placement has been an excellent experience for him. He has expressed how proud he is of himself. The placement has empowered him.’

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

Young people are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. Staff are trained in child protection and are knowledgeable, clear and familiar with their safeguarding roles. There are no issues with anti-social behaviour or offending, substance misuse, child sexual exploitation or with young people going missing from the home. Significant incidents are rare. However, when they do occur, they are reported to the appropriate authorities to ensure that young people are protected from harm.

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

Staff consistently prioritise the safety of young people and others. Young people with a history of unsafe or high risk-taking behaviour are closely supervised and monitored by staff. Additionally, young people are subject to stringent safeguards and multi-agency safety plans to reduce the risk of harm.

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

Young people are supported to re-engage and access services in the community confidently and safely. As a result, young people develop resilience and self-confidence, working closely with staff towards achieving greater levels of planned independence.

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

Staff consistently have high expectations of young people’s behaviour and use an evidenced-based approach to reinforce positive behaviour. Relationships between staff and young people are exceptionally positive and these relationships are based on trust and mutual respect.

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

Incidents of negative behaviour have reduced substantially as young people learn to self-regulate their own feelings and emotions safely. Staff understand the triggers for behaviour and take decisive action to prevent incidents and behaviours from escalating. There have been no restraints or complaints since the last inspection. Young people reported, ‘Everyone gets on well’ and ‘Staff are good at their jobs.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC479650 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff meet and exceed the aims and objectives of the home’s statement of purpose. They share and implement the home’s clear approach and philosophy in caring for young people. Staff consistently prioritise the needs of young people and ensure their safety, happiness and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers ensure that the home is managed efficiently and effectively. The registered manager and his deputy are both qualified to the diploma level 5 in leadership and management. The registered manager has consistently high expectations of staff and high aspirations for young people. He stimulates the enthusiasm of staff and channels their efforts effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are extremely well supported. They are managed effectively, professionally supervised and reliably led. Staff are well trained and suitably qualified. They are skilled, professional and competent workers. A young person reported, ‘Staff take a lot of pride and joy in everything they do for young people.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people benefit from a physically safe, appropriately secure, comfortable and homely environment. Health and safety is addressed effectively by staff to ensure a safe environment for young people. However, there are some aspects of the premises that could be improved upon, so that the home looks homelier and less clinical.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is visited each month by an independent professional to scrutinise staff’s practice and the home’s arrangements to safeguard young people and promote their safety and well-being. Reports are sent to the home and Ofsted following each monitoring visit. The reports received by Ofsted are consistently positive and reflective of the outstanding services provided for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has completed a comprehensive quality of care review in line with Regulation 45. He has looked at the progress and experiences of young people and consulted with young people and their families, social workers and other professional agencies as an integral and important part of his review. The registered manager implements development plans and makes effective use of the home’s internal and external monitoring activities to secure the home’s development and continuing improvement. There are no breaches in regulation. Therefore, there are no requirements or recommendations made following this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC479650 6

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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: SC479650 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: 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479650 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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