Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 1 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. The home is registered for two children who have experienced childhood trauma.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 6 June 2021 and is suitably qualified.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This setting was registered by Ofsted in this current inspection year.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 2

p.1

Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the clinical team work collaboratively and use a therapeutic parenting model which means that children receive nurturing care and support. Staff and the registered manager have undertaken specialist training to enable them to understand and meet all the children’s needs well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living at the home. The children have made some significant progress considering their starting points. For example, one child’s school attendance increased from 40% to 98% and subsequently their academic performance and attitude towards education has improved. Another child with complex health needs has been able to improve and maintain a good standard of health and is now attending full-time education and engaging in physical activities they enjoy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the clinical team support children’s health. They help children who have suffered bereavement, by promoting their resilience and coping strategies. One partner agency told the inspector that they had observed a vast improvement in a child’s emotional well-being and commented how settled they were at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Equality and diversity is fully embedded by the manager and staff. They promote anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice. Each child is treated with respect and dignity and differences are advocated for and celebrated. Staff undertake good- quality one-to-one work with the children to enable them to have a better understanding of matters of tolerance and difference for themselves and others around them. Children can freely practise their religion, have their dietary needs met and be proud of their identity and sexual orientation. This has particularly empowered one child to have a sense a belonging and pride in who they are, and to live a happier life.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff enjoy positive relationships with each other. The children are comfortable and content in their home environment. They have chosen to have a real Christmas tree and were looking forward to buying and decorating it. The home environment is warm, cosy and welcoming and provides ample space for children to relax and unwind. Children have displayed photos of their own families throughout the home and they are encouraged by staff to personalise their bedrooms. Children have opportunities to express their wishes and feelings daily through speaking with staff, and at weekly meetings and key-work sessions.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend quality time with their close family and friends despite, in one child’s case, living a distance from the home. In circumstances when children have limited close family or friends, staff help them to build social networks through introducing them to appropriate groups with children who have similar interests. Children form excellent support networks, which reduces social exclusion and isolation. Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 4 Children live healthy lifestyles. They are encouraged to eat healthily, take regular exercise and to develop their self-care skills. Children have access to a variety of activities within their community, such as going on holiday, shopping and going out on day trips. Children improve their social skills, self-esteem and confidence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Through meticulous matching, care planning and multi-agency working, staff and the registered manager supported both children’s transitions into the home well. The children quickly settled, they get along with each other and enjoy spending time together doing activities they love and enjoy.

p.4

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

Staff know the children very well and identify, understand and manage risks to promote children’s safety. They promptly report any safeguarding concerns and take action to keep the children safe. Children told the inspector that they feel safe living at the home.

p.4

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

When incidents of self-harm occur, staff take time to speak with the children to understand what happened and why. They try to identify any triggers and consider how they can support the children to prevent similar incidents occurring. Staff do so in liaison with the organisation’s clinical team. As a result, incidents of self-harm are reducing.

p.4

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

Staff have positive relationships with all children at the home and model good behaviour. They provide the children with consistent routines and boundaries. Staff use restorative practice to help children to understand their behaviour and to make positive choices. Children are learning from their behaviours and are regulating their emotions better. Consequently, there have not been any physical restraints as staff are able to de-escalate situations effectively.

p.4

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

Behaviour management plans and risk assessments identify known and potential risks to children. However, they do not always include clear step-by-step guidance on managing risks. This is a recording issue and has not had a direct impact on children’s safety.

p.4

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

Staff are not consistently undertaking required health and safety checks to ensure that all food is stored in the fridge safely. In addition, staff do not monitor the temperature of the refrigerator where medication is stored. These lapses have the potential to compromise children’s welfare.

p.4

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

Staff employed by the provider to work at the home are safely recruited. However, managers do not extend the same diligence to checks on agency staff. This increases the chances of unsuitable adults caring for children. Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the children and staff team well. Her enthusiasm influences the staff team, who share her passion and drive for achieving the best possible outcomes for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monitoring and reviewing systems are effective and, as a result, she is fully aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She is proactive in addressing any shortfalls identified through her own monitoring and in monthly visits by an independent person. This helps to ensure that children receive a good quality of care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partner agencies report that the manager is child focused and uses a therapeutic approach in looking after the children. She exercises professional challenge when necessary to ensure that partner agencies fulfil their obligations to children. As a result, children are making progress in all aspects of their lives.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff have received relevant training and have ongoing support from the clinical team, which enables them to meet the children’s specific needs. Regular team meetings promote consistency, reflective practice and supportive relationships. Good teamwork means children receive coordinated care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality reflective supervision, which supports them in undertaking their roles effectively. The manager praises and thanks staff for how well they are helping children to experience positive outcomes at the home. Staff thrive on this good support and feel valued in their role. Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home—

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 28 January 2022

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that they comply with relevant health and safety legislation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 7

p.6

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: 2634698 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1 Tustin Court, Riversway, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

p.8

Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

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 medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9