Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2530832 1

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Hexagon Care Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for four children. The home provides care for children aged 11 to 17 who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager holds her level 5 diploma in leadership and management and was registered with the home in July 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection date: 17 June and 18 June 2020

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to investigate a number of concerns that Ofsted has in regard to the running of the home. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Ofsted did not physically visit the home. Instead, the inspectors gathered evidence in several different ways, including by talking to the deputy manager, children’s social workers, members of staff and the children living at the home. The deputy manager also provided electronic documents for the inspectors to review.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this inspection, concerns about the quality of care have been identified. As a result, Ofsted has issued two compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 14 (the care planning standard).

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is not currently working in the home. It is being overseen by the responsible individual and the deputy manager.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not take effective action to keep children safe in the home. For example, when staff became aware that children had access to cannabis and were smoking it, staff failed to act to stop this. This demonstrates that staff do not have the skills and ability to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2530832 2 Staff do not follow agreed strategies to protect children. This is because staff do not understand or follow the home’s fire risk assessment. In particular, staff are expected to take all smoking paraphernalia from children at night. Staff were unaware that they needed to do this and therefore failed to implement this plan. This has compromised everyone’s safety in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers lack professional curiosity. For example, during an incident a child stated that a member of staff had ‘gripped’ him. No follow-up action was taken to talk to the child about this. This does not demonstrate a strong safeguarding culture.

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This monitoring visit

Children are known to spend their time with individuals of concern. Staff have been ineffective in addressing this. This results in children being at increased risk of criminalisation and physical harm.

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This monitoring visit

Impact risk assessments are poor. They do not explore known risks to the child moving in or their compatibility to children who are already living in the home. An impact risk assessment for one child refers to the male child as ‘her’ throughout the document. It is, therefore, unclear whether this assessment relates to this child. This careless approach has the potential to place children at risk of harm .

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This monitoring visit

Some children have moved into the home from one of the provider’s other children’s homes. The children’s case records, which were transferred with the children, have not been fully updated. This means that it is not clear which risks are current and which are historical. Furthermore, the documents contain inaccurate and conflicting information. This is confusing and unhelpful to staff and has an impact on their ability to provide children with effective personalised care .

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This monitoring visit

The management oversite of the home is poor. This is further affected by the monthly reports produced by the independent visitor, which lack detail, analysis, consultation and clear timescales for any recommendations made.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to notify Ofsted about important incidents that have taken place in the home. Such shortfalls affect Ofsted’s ability to monitor the service effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted will continue to monitor the home and the progress being made.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

This is the home’s first inspection under the new registration. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2530832 3

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

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(iii)(v)(vi))* 19/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(2)(h)) 19/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2530832 4 The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home .

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry).

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) 19/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must use reasonable endeavours to ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2530832 5 measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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 PR2 2YQ

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Miss Helen Malanaphy, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2530832 6 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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