Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2509367 1 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private provider. The home offers care and accommodation for up to three children and young people between the ages of eight and 18 who display emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in March 2019. The manager was also registered with Ofsted at the same time.

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Inspection date: 23 January 2020

Date of last inspection: 16 September 2019

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Inspection date: 23 January 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2509367 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the children’s progress and experiences have been mixed. This has been due to the number of changes with children moving into and leaving the home, with little time for it to become settled. One child had a positive, planned move that enabled the child to leave the home with pleasant memories and they made good progress. Two children have moved into the home. One child has settled in well. They have built some positive relationships with most staff and they speak favourably about their experiences overall.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Another child has moved into the home recently, but they have not settled and go missing frequently. Staff follow the missing from care protocol to ensure their safe return. An underlying concern relates to the lack of information sharing by the placing local authority with the home about the extent of the child’s needs. The registered manager is revisiting the appropriateness of the placement with the placing authority. The previous recommendation that relates to the home ensuring that its staff chase key information about children from placing authorities has improved in spite of the issues surrounding the most recent admission to the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team members persevere in their approach to promoting a clear structure to the children’s day, which helps them to understand the expectations of the home. This includes reaching out to those children who are showing signs of regressive behaviour, who are spending more time alone and who are falling out of sync with their daily routines. In response to these concerning traits, the measures taken by the home with the placing authority help to mitigate against such patterns of behaviour. For example, encouraging unsupervised time with friends and family to promote social integration and a change of scenery. However, the success of these measures is yet to be determined.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Regular support from the clinical team provides additional advice and support to the staff team about meeting the children’s diverse and complex needs. This also informs the children’s behaviour support plans. Consequently, the risks of exploitation and the potential for other serious harm to the children have reduced significantly. However, not all staff have received specific training around sexually harmful behaviour, which would strengthen their knowledge when caring for children who present this specific risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff promote the children’s education and encourage their engagement. Some children express aspirations for their future employment, which enables them to have goals. The children’s health needs are promoted. They are supported to attend their health appointments to ensure their good health. Inspection report children’s home: 2509367 3 The children are listened to by the staff and their views are leading to more inclusion and involvement in their care plans. Individual key-work sessions provide children with opportunities to discuss a range of matters. Children complete child- friendly consultations that enable them to express their wishes and feelings. The negative or ambiguous comments noted in some of the children’s comments have not been explored to rule out any concerns. Older children have started to engage in independent living support to help them develop useful skills, so that they can do

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The managers strive to work effectively with other agencies. This includes contact with the designated officer in the local authority to consult with them about any potential safeguarding issues. However, an action that the registered manager had planned to address during staff supervision following an allegation against the staff member has not been recorded explicitly in the supervision notes. This does not ensure a clear audit trail detailing how practice issues have been addressed to inform and improve future staff practice. Inspection report children’s home: 2509367 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2509367 5

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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, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

 ensure that all staff have training in relation to sexually harmful behaviours. 28/02/2020

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, the registered provider should ensure that any issues raised by children in their consultation documents are recognised and followed up with them promptly.  Staff supervision must enable staff to reflect and act upon how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph

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Recommendations

8.15) In particular, the registered provider should ensure that any follow up work that is needed following any allegation against staff is recorded explicitly in their supervision records. Inspection report children’s home: 2509367 6

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 children’s home: 2509367 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

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2509367 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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