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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC479654 1 SC479654 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number of homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care for up to six children with sexually harmful behaviours. Children living in the home also have access to the organisation’s school and therapy departments. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this site.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children were living in the home. They all spoke with the inspector about their experiences of living there.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2018.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 25 February 2020

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC479654 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2020 Full Outstanding 11/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/10/2018 Full Good 20/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC479654 3

p.2

outstanding

Children living in the home make exceptional and sustained progress from their individual starting points. Their progress is underpinned by the highly effective and secure relationships that they are supported to develop with staff.

p.3

outstanding

Children say they like living in the home. They feel listened to and know how to raise any concerns. Their views contribute to their day-to-day care, and they feel included in decisions about their lives. Staff clearly care about children and have an excellent understanding of their needs. One child told the inspector: ‘I really like it here, it’s good. I like the staff, my room, everything really. They really help me. I know they care and are helping me a lot.’

p.3

outstanding

Children benefit from a specialist therapeutic model of care. High levels of structure, supervision and support enable them to develop their self-awareness and abilities to self-regulate and form secure attachments. Excellent partnership working between staff and the in-house therapy and education teams ensures seamless support for children.

p.3

outstanding

Children attend the on-site school and make significant progress in their education. They are able to focus on their learning as their education is not affected by external factors, such as bullying or travelling to school. All children have up-to-date education plans. Their educational achievements and aspirations are supported effectively, and they are helped to achieve their goals.

p.3

outstanding

Children’s identities are well supported and nurtured. Children get lots of opportunities to try new experiences. Their interests, activities and hobbies are encouraged, and they are able to work towards caring for their own aquatic pets. These experiences help children to learn strategies to manage their emotions and increase their confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

outstanding

Children benefit from direct access to the in-house therapist. The therapy team uses research-informed practice to develop care strategies and provides ongoing support to staff. This therapeutic approach is very successful and children are continually empowered to develop their self-awareness and modify their behaviours.

p.3

outstanding

When appropriate, the team helps children to safely keep in touch with people who are important to them, supporting them to see them regardless of distance. Staff strongly advocate for children and regularly liaise with other services about children’s plans. All children are encouraged to access external advocacy services to receive independent support. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479654 4 Bespoke independence plans identify opportunities for children to learn age- appropriate life management skills at their own pace. These plans evolve throughout their time at the home and prepare children well for adulthood.

p.3

outstanding

The home is a calm and welcoming environment for children. It is decorated and furnished to a high standard. Children’s photos and artwork are displayed throughout the home. This helps them to develop a sense of belonging and security. Their bedrooms are personalised to reflect their interests. Communal areas are well resourced to encourage a range of activities. However, the bath is awaiting repair and the main bathroom appears worn and requires refurbishment.

p.4

outstanding

The safety and well-being of children is at the centre of staff’s practice. Children say they feel safe. They become safer as a result of clear and consistent boundaries, and their understanding of expectations around behaviours. Feedback from professionals is consistently positive. One social worker said: ‘I do not have a bad word to say about the home. Staff really know [name of child] and understand him. They definitely keep him, and them, safe. I have no concerns about him being there. I feel confident and I am not worried about him at all, which makes a huge difference.’

p.4

outstanding

Prior to living in the home, children displayed complex, high-risk behaviours and were often involved in criminal activity and court processes. These behaviours are fully explored with children through age-appropriate discussions with the in-house therapist and staff. This results in a significant reduction in behaviours as children are helped to make safer choices, reflect on their behaviours and develop victim empathy.

p.4

outstanding

Allegations and safeguarding incidents are dealt with in line with procedures. There is clear oversight from the management team and evidence that children are listened to.

p.4

outstanding

Staff are highly vigilant to risk. They understand children’s individual, group and community vulnerabilities. Ongoing assessments completed by the in-house therapy team are embedded in children’s plans. These plans include children’s views and clearly identify risks and triggers alongside detailed guidance and therapeutic strategies for staff to follow.

p.4

outstanding

Robust processes ensure that the needs of children moving into the home are fully considered alongside the needs of children already living there. Plans for children moving into and out of the home are detailed and identify how any risks will be addressed. Group living dynamics are well understood and managed effectively. The home’s statement of purpose reflects the use of bedroom door alarms as an additional safety measure when required. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479654 5 Children benefit from high levels of supervision. Staff are able to de-escalate situations effectively and distract children from displaying harmful behaviours towards themselves or others. Incidents of staff needing to hold children to keep them safe are rare.

p.4

outstanding

Medication processes are clear. Changes in the recording of medication implemented since the last inspection ensure that records also reflect occasions when prescribed medication is refused. A recording gap identified during the inspection did not impact on children’s safety.

p.5

outstanding

Staff focus on promoting children’s confidence and self-esteem through positive achievements and praise. Children are encouraged to earn rewards. They participate in household chores as a restorative sanction for negative behaviours. The manager has identified processes to ensure sanctions are clearly recorded.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. She is child-centred and ambitious for children. The manager is supported by a newly appointed deputy manager and responsible individual. They have high expectations of staff and are focused on improving outcomes for children. Effective monitoring systems ensure they have robust oversight of the home. Minor recording discrepancies identified during the inspection were swiftly addressed.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has experienced several staffing changes. These changes have been well managed. Regular agency and bank staff have been used alongside permanent staff to provide consistent care to children. Recent recruitment drives have been successful and the need for agency and non-permanent staff in the home has now reduced.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite the staffing changes, staff say they feel supported and report morale is high. New staff members feel welcomed into the team. Staff benefit from a robust induction programme, effective team meetings and relevant training to meet children’s needs. They also have access to support from the in-house therapy team to further strengthen their practice and knowledge. Regular supervisions take place for all staff, but records do not consistently reflect the detailed discussions that take place.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Communication with partner agencies is highly effective. Placing authorities and families are kept updated about the progress children make and are regularly consulted about their care. Feedback from children and stakeholders is used to continually develop the service. Development plans clearly identify the home’s strengths alongside areas for further development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recommendations made at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479654 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the condition of the home is maintained to a high standard throughout. The bath needs to be repaired and the bathroom appears tired and would benefit from refurbishment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information in a way that is clear and not open to misinterpretation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision records reflect the detailed discussions that take place with staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children’s home: SC479654 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1 Tustin Court, Riversway, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

p.7

Inspector

Caroline Bertram, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC479654 8 to 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8