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

Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 1 SC482569 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 home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to six children, aged up to 18 years, with social and/or emotional difficulties. The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2010.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 11 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2020 Full Outstanding 05/02/2019 Full Outstanding 07/11/2017 Full Outstanding 21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At this home, children receive warm and affectionate care from a consistent and passionate staff team. Children regularly sit and eat together at the table. They use this time to talk with staff and to share laughter. Children’s placement plans are very detailed and include lots of information about children’s pasts and their families, as well as their likes and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This large home is full of photographs, paintings and plants throughout, which add to the homely feel. However, some internal doors are routinely locked in the home, which takes away from the domestic feel of the home and prevents children from freely accessing all areas. Children have good-sized bedrooms that they have been able to personalise. The manager has recently purchased a large sofa and redecorated the lounge, which the children are pleased with. Plans to update the bathrooms in the home have been delayed. The responsible individual shared during the inspection that this work should be completed by September 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff help children who have been out of education for considerable amounts of time to re-engage in bespoke part-time programmes with the help of tutors. Most children have plans in place to progress to full-time education. However, more action is needed from staff to help one child who has not been in full-time education for several years. This could affect the child’s future development and access to opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to enjoy a range of positive and enjoyable experiences, including canoeing, paddleboarding, walks to the marina, trips to Alton Towers and volunteering with an animal care organisation in the local community. Consequently, children have opportunities to try new activities and develop their confidence. Staff make sure that children’s wishes and feelings are routinely gathered on a day-to-day basis. Staff help children to share their emotions through sensitive and meaningful discussions, to help reduce their fears.

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

Children told the inspector during this inspection that they felt safe at this home. They did not share with the inspector any significant concerns or worries about their care. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and practice when talking with the inspector.

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

Staff respond swiftly when children leave the home to go missing. For example, staff have effective relationships with the police and advocate about children’s vulnerabilities to ensure a joined-up approach to reduce potential harm. Staff search for children in known areas, and follow them to ensure their swift return. When children return to the home, the manager prioritises work with them on the potential risks and emotional harm they have been exposed to, to help reduce further Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 4 incidents. Children receive support and advice about sexual health to help educate them about healthy and safe relationships.

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

Risk management plans include detailed information about children’s behaviours and how staff should support them. However, the use of door alarms and the removal of some personal items are not recorded or reviewed in most children’s plans to ensure individualised care that meets the needs of each child.

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

The staff’s use of physical restraint is low and when restraint is used it is as a last resort to keep children safe. The manager has good oversight of incidents, and identifies areas where staff can improve their practice to ensure the best quality of care for children. However, records of some incidents do not contain enough detail about children’s behaviour. Staff prioritise talking with children about their thoughts and feelings after incidents, however discussions held with children and staff are not consistently recorded on the system.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is highly experienced, and is dedicated to providing nurturing care that helps children thrive. Staff shared during this inspection that they love working at this home, and feel very supported by the manager. A staff member shared: ‘The manager is incredible and one of a kind, I don’t know anyone like her. She takes time out for you; you feel safe when she’s around.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular, good-quality supervision. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and discussions in supervision are heavily focused on the needs of children. Supervision records are sufficiently detailed and include notes of follow up actions to improve the quality of care provided for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has detailed records of staff training to show that full-time staff are up to date with mandatory training. However, some casual staff members are not up to date and consequently may not have the skills and training required to ensure the children’s welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that safer recruitment processes are robust. For example, all necessary identification documents are available on staff files. References are properly verified, as are gaps in employment and reasons for leaving. This ensures that adults are appropriately vetted to prioritise the safety and well-being of vulnerable children at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers for all of the children were consulted during this inspection. Social workers shared that staff keep children safe at this home, and that a good quality of care is provided. One social worker shared: ‘The staff are dedicated and passionate about her well-being and have positive working relationships with her, which allow them to challenge and support her big and tricky feelings when necessary, in a calm and child-centred way.’ Another social worker told the inspector: ‘I can see that staff care for their children and really fight tooth and nail for their best interests; this is also evident in their engagement in professional meetings.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 5 Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the use of door alarms and the removal of personal items and devices are properly detailed in risk management plans, and are regularly reviewed. 27 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii)) 27 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 7 In particular, ensure that children who have been out of education for some time are supported to access full-time education provision to meet their needs as soon as possible.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that casual staff are up to date with mandatory training. 27 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that internal doors are not locked so that children’s liberty and movement are not restricted. 27 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 27 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 8 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised persons adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children’s behaviour prior to restraint is clearly recorded, and that debrief discussions with staff and children are recorded.

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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: SC482569 9

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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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Inspector

Anna Gravelle, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482569 10 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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