Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2614095 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

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for one child with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since December 2020.

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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.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2614095 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2614095 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at this home has established positive relationships with the adults who care for him. He benefits from a consistent routine and a staff team that understands his needs. This has resulted in a period of stability for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships staff have forged with the child have helped him to feel safe and secure living at this home. The child has made progress with his psychological well- being. This is represented by his ability to self-regulate his emotions better. He now talks more openly about his thoughts and feelings. The child told the inspector that he feels safe living at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff guide and support the child to make healthy lifestyle choices. This includes offering advice on food, nutrition and regular exercise. Also, the safe environment that the staff team has created has helped the child to engage in therapy sessions with a child psychologist. This demonstrates that the child’s health needs are well supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager works proactively with family members to help to ensure that the child has meaningful family time. The parents value the positive influence that staff have on their child’s life. One parent said, ‘They are fantastic, he has improved leaps and bounds.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager’s positive working relationship with the virtual school has enabled the child to have a learning programme in place that is responsive to his needs. The manager scrutinises the quality of education on offer and is a strong advocate for the child. This has helped the child to build some confidence and re-engage with his education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child’s interests. They enable him to access outdoor activity centres and other activities he enjoys, such as ice skating and boxing. One staff member has taught the child how to play chess. Activities are focused on providing positive experiences and building the child’s self-esteem. In support of this, staff also help the child day to day through qualitative key-work discussions. This has improved his self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planning for children referred to the home is well thought out. The manager is supported by the child psychologist when assessing the needs of children who have been referred to the home. This enables the manager to have a better insight into the care needs of children before they come to live at the home.

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

Staff have made progress in their ability to recognise signs of emotional distress in children. They now respond in ways that reduce the risk of unsafe behaviours Inspection report children’s home: 2614095 4 escalating. Incidents of self-injury, aggression and destruction of property reduce or stop as a result of living at this home.

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

The child is helped to learn new coping strategies when faced with difficult emotions. Staff use positive reinforcement, and they role model the importance of talking things through. This helps the child to know that, when problems arise, staff are there to help work things out.

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

The level of supervision and responsiveness of staff helps to reduce the potential risk of children absconding. Risk assessments provide clear direction for staff to follow should there be a missing-from-home incident. The child is also helped to explore the associated dangers of county lines and child exploitation. This helps to ensure that the child has an increased awareness about situations that would be detrimental to his safety and well-being.

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

There have been no reported allegations or concerns about safeguarding practice at this home. Staff are aware of the reporting procedure and how to escalate any concerns should they arise. There is a strong safeguarding culture embedded by the manager.

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

Interview notes completed by recruiting managers do not show how the knowledge and skills of candidates are competently assessed. This includes questions regarding keeping children safe. This does not provide the regulator with assurance that recruitment of new staff is supported by a robust interview process.

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

The plan the manager has in place to manage the risks associated with social media safety is not recorded in the child’s risk assessment. In the absence of the manager, this could result in inconsistencies in staff practice and an unsafe situation for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides strong leadership to his team. He has high aspirations for children and has led the team to share the same commitment and enthusiasm which have helped the child to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have created a homely environment for the child to live in. The staff team is focused on providing a positive experience for the child and making a difference to his life. The tenacity and oversight of the manager have helped to create a positive team culture. This has been influential to the child and has enhanced his living experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is reflective of the team’s journey and has a clear vision for the future. Staff also benefit from their consultations with the in-house child psychologist. This partnership has been fundamental in helping them to develop their knowledge and skills to provide good care. Inspection report children’s home: 2614095 5 The manager monitors the quality of care effectively. Records are detailed and support the reader to understand the narrative of care provided to the child. The child will have an increased understanding about his time at the home due to the style and clarity of recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to variable learning opportunities. Training provided to them has been in response to the child’s needs. Staff feel well supported by the manager. They recognise the leadership he provides to the team. One staff member said, ‘The manager is supportive, and he really cares about his staff.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular staff supervision takes place. However, sessions are not always reflective. This could limit the progress and the development of staff, which could impact on the child’s care experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for the child. He is quick to voice his concern when decisions are not in the child’s best interests. This helps other professionals to reflect and ensures that the child’s rights are upheld. Inspection report children’s home: 2614095 6

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Recommendations

 This registered person should ensure that risk assessments outline the agreed risk management strategies for staff to follow, particularly the child’s risk assessment for social media safety. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that relevant questions designed to keep children safe are explored with prospective candidates when they are being interviewed for a role within the home. The registered person should be rigorously curious to help to evaluate the candidates’ suitability to work with children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision provides the opportunity for staff to reflect on their role and the quality of care relevant to the needs of the children living at the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2614095 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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Inspector

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2614095 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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