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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1212094 1 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

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2020.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1212094 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2022 Full Good 21/05/2018 Full Good 14/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1212094 3

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outstanding

Three children live at the home. They have all lived there for a significant period of time. The children all had identified complex needs and vulnerabilities before moving into the home. Their behaviours included self-harm, suicidal ideation and frequent missing-from-home episodes. The progress children make living in the home is outstanding, considering their individual starting points. One child said, ‘It’s been life-changing for me. They have changed my life massively.’

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outstanding

The children benefit from an outstanding quality of care that promotes their needs effectively and results in sustained improvement in their lives. Staff are passionate about children and aspire to make a positive difference. Staff are trained and skilled in delivering therapeutic parenting in accordance with the home’s therapeutic model of care. This ensures that staff can establish secure attachments with children and develop trusting and meaningful relationships with them.

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outstanding

Staff work tirelessly with the home’s therapist to address the impact of children’s trauma. The therapist works closely with children to engage them in therapy that helps them cope with adversity and supports their recovery. A child said, ‘The therapy was a big one for me. I will miss the staff when I leave. They’ve become my second family.’

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outstanding

Children make extensive progress in therapy, which improves their emotional and psychological well-being. They are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians and have regular access to these services when they need them. There are effective arrangements in place to promote children’s good health.

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outstanding

Children make exceptional progress with their independence, education, training and employment. Each child has a pathway plan to support their readiness for adulthood. Staff have been successful in supporting children’s education. Children have completed their school exams and mainstream education. They are now attending college and make considerable progress with their educational attainment and achievement. One child is studying a diploma in uniformed services and aspires to become a police officer.

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outstanding

Children enjoy a wide range of activities, such as gymnastics, arts and crafts, cinema, rollerblading and holidays. The children have shown acts of kindness by raising money for a local charity. One child said, ‘Best memory is my holiday to London. We stayed there for three days and went sightseeing, it was amazing.’

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outstanding

Children’s views are sought regularly, and this ensures that they can contribute to all aspects of their care. Consequently, they are familiar with their plans and feel valued, involved and listened to. Children enjoy spending time with their friends and families, and staff are proactive in helping children to sustain their close Inspection report for children’s home: 1212094 4 relationships with the people that are most important to them. One parent said, ‘Her care is excellent. The staff go above and beyond. I’m so proud of her.’

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outstanding

Staff promote a safe and positive environment for children. Their safety is consistently at the centre of staff’s practice, and there is a strong safeguarding culture in the home. Children become increasingly safer because of the actions staff take to support and protect them. A child said, ‘Staff help you when you are upset. They do checks on you throughout the night.’

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outstanding

The use of robust risk management plans are used by staff to address the specific needs and emerging vulnerabilities of children. Plans are reviewed regularly and are kept up to date by staff. Staff have an excellent awareness of the triggers for behaviour. This enables them to anticipate incidents and take action to prevent behaviours from escalating. This ensures that children are kept safe from harm.

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outstanding

Unsafe behaviours, such as suicidal ideation, self-harm and going missing from home have reduced significantly in relation to the children’s individual starting points. For example, there has only been one occasion when a child has gone missing from the home since the last inspection. One social worker said, ‘Her self- harm has reduced significantly, and she’s not been missing since October 2021. They know her very well and know how to keep her safe.’

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outstanding

Staff are trained in child protection and know how to deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. Children are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. Children know how to make a complaint, and their rights are championed effectively. One parent said, ‘It’s become home from home for her. I can’t praise them enough.’

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outstanding

Staff are trained to deal with challenging behaviour safely and effectively. They are skilled in de-escalation techniques and use therapeutic support plans to promote the safety of children. This has been proven to be extremely successful and has led to a reduction in the use of restraint. There has only been one restraint since the last inspection.

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outstanding

The accommodation provided for children is physically safe and appropriately secure. The children benefit from a warm, welcoming, cosy and homely living environment. They look after two house pets, a love bird and a tortoise named Sheldon. The children benefit from high-quality, well-designed and spacious living accommodation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home employs a well-qualified, skilled and experienced registered manager who demonstrates strong and effective leadership of the operations of the home. An experienced deputy manager is also employed to support the registered manager Inspection report for children’s home: 1212094 5 with the day-to-day running of the home. Children benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively, which promotes positive outcomes for each of them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home employs well-organised, qualified, trained and experienced staff. They are invested in their relationships with the children. The needs of children are championed effectively by staff. A social worker said, ‘The placement is amazing; the risk assessments are great and communication is excellent.’ An independent reviewing officer said, ‘[Name of child] is happy, and she feels well supported. There is a high level of in-house therapeutic support.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with the home’s therapist, social workers, schools, parents and other relevant professionals to ensure that children consistently benefit from the best possible help and all-round support. The home’s therapist said, ‘Managers and staff have a genuine passion for the children and often go above and beyond to enhance the girls’ quality of life and sense of belonging.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A stable staff team is employed to provide children with continuity of care, consistency and stability in their lives. Staff enjoy working at the home and communicate a high level of job satisfaction.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff training and developmental needs are identified and met effectively. There is a strong emphasis on staff’s professional progression and development through induction, appraisal, professional supervision and high-quality training. A member of staff said that the setting provides good training, especially therapeutic authoritative parenting and motivational interviewing, with plenty of supervision and scope to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example and have consistently high expectations. They ensure that staff have a clear sense of purpose and direction.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers scrutinise and closely monitor the home’s performance effectively. They use feedback obtained from children, social workers, parents and independent reviewing officers to review the quality of care provided for children. They make effective use of the home’s monitoring activities to secure continuing improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are no shortfalls identified following this inspection and no breaches in regulation. Consequently, there are no requirements or recommendations made. Inspection report for children’s home: 1212094 6

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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: 1212094 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, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

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Inspectors

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Kayleigh Treanor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1212094 8 inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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