Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2614506 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 home is privately owned. The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home provides care for up to two children aged between 11 and 17 who may have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager registered with Ofsted in February 2021.

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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 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 requires improvement to be 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: 2614506 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2614506 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at this home are making good progress. They receive care from a consistent team of staff who understand their needs well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff were observed to provide support to children in a caring and nurturing way. This helps children to develop trust. For example, staff use soothing strategies to help children to settle at bedtime and to ease their anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with staff. Staff plan a wide range of activities which help to keep children physically active. Children enjoy swimming trips, and one child plays football regularly with a local team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have been proactive in supporting one child to develop a friendship with a peer from school. The child now meets his friend regularly outside of school. This has boosted the child’s confidence and is helping the child to widen his social network.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Contact with family members is promoted. This is well planned and coordinated with families and professionals. This regular contact with family members is important to support children’s emotional health and well-being. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘Staff go above and beyond to make sure contact with families is facilitated.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Staff ensure that children have access to support from community health services and that children attend their appointments. Furthermore, when staff identify that a child requires more specialist support, they take appropriate steps to arrange access to this. As a result, the impact of one child’s health needs on their development is better understood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the children’s needs. However, the information in children’s care plans is generic. Care plans do not contain sufficient information about the child’s individual needs and how they will be met. This is not in line with staff’s knowledge and practice. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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improvement to be good

There has been one occasion where staff have not informed managers about an allegation made by a child. This means that managers did not have an opportunity to investigate the child’s concerns at the time of the incident. This has had an impact on the inspection judgement in this area. Requirements under regulation 12 are made to address this. Inspection report children’s home: 2614506 4 The manager carefully considers whether staff can meet a child’s needs before a child is admitted to the home. The manager also considers the compatibility of the children. There was a short period when children’s behaviour was unsettled following an admission of a child to the home. Staff worked cohesively and consistently to manage children’s behaviours effectively. As a result, children are more settled and have more positive relationships with each other.

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improvement to be good

Children receive high levels of supervision and support. Staff know the children well and can spot early indications that a child is becoming frustrated or anxious. This means that staff can intervene early and distract and diffuse situations effectively. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘I am really impressed by how well they know [name of child] and how they have used that knowledge to inform their practice.’

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improvement to be good

Staff are embedding consistent structure and boundaries with children. Children know what is expected of them and are starting to accept and adapt to the new boundaries. As a result, there has been a reduction in the number of incidents where children have displayed behaviour which is challenging.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from regular direct work that is focused on their individual needs and identified outcomes. Ad hoc work is also completed when issues or incidents arise. This helps children to reflect and learn from the incident. In addition, children have access to a therapist who is employed by the organisation. The therapist also supports staff to develop an in-depth understanding of the children’s needs and devises bespoke approaches for staff to adopt when working with a child.

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improvement to be good

Children are helped to manage their behaviour and feelings more safely. Inappropriate behaviours and language are challenged by staff. Staff support children to think about how they could respond differently when they are angry or upset. This is helping children to better regulate their emotions. Physical interventions are rare and only used as a last resort to manage children’s behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are updated regularly. However, they do not contain sufficient information about the strategies staff should use to minimise and manage risk. A recommendation has been made to improve this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably experienced and qualified to undertake this role. He is supported by a responsible individual, who is a frequent visitor to the home. The responsible individual provides support, advice and undertakes quality assurance activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the needs of the children and the progress they are making. He is accessible to children and enjoys spending time with them. The manager is a good advocate for children, and he supports them to access the services and support they need. Inspection report children’s home: 2614506 5 A high level of staff retention means that children are cared for by a consistent staff team. The stability of the staff team is an important factor in supporting the children to build relationships with staff and feel settled and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel valued and supported by their managers. They receive regular supervision, which supports their continuous learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff attend mandatory training that equips them with the skills to undertake their roles. In addition, all permanent members of staff hold nationally recognised childcare qualifications.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good communication among the staff team. Team meetings are used to share ideas and to agree consistent approaches. The therapist employed by the organisation attends these meetings. This gives staff the opportunity to seek further guidance and advice to shape their practice. Inspection report children’s home: 2614506 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 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)) 28 February 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s risk management plans detail the strategies staff must use to manage and minimise risks to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that children’s care plans are individualised and detail how staff will meet each child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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: 2614506 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

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2614506 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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