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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1212704 1 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is one of a number of homes owned and managed by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social, emotional or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 24 September 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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting to carry out a monitoring visit on 24 November 2020. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1212704 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2019 Full Good 08/11/2018 Full Good 17/10/2017 Full Good 22/02/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1212704 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in the day-to-day running of the home. Staff arrange weekly meetings to encourage the children to decide on their food choices and their preferred activities for the coming week. Children benefit from individual key-work sessions that ensure that they are involved in decisions about their care and support needs. However, children’s views and opinions are not reflected in the children’s guide to the home. This is a generic document that is not personalised to this setting. For children moving into this home, this guide does not give them a sense of what living in this home will be like.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to develop new interests and celebrate their achievements. For some children, this means that they now enjoy activities such as swimming, photography, singing and horse riding. This helps the children to expand their experiences and develop self-confidence because they are able to develop new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff invest time building trusting relationships with the children, and the children enjoy doing activities with staff in the home and in the community. This helps the children to develop appropriate attachments with staff and means that they feel valued, giving them a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the children attend the on-site school and their attendance is good. The regular meetings between residential staff, school staff and the therapist ensure that there is a coordinated approach to the children’s education. As a result, children make good progress in this area of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional and physical health needs are met. Staff support the children to live a healthy lifestyle and to attend their medical and healthcare appointments. For some children, this shows considerable progress and has made a significant difference to their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and generally well decorated, and staff encourage the children to personalise their own bedrooms. However, the children’s bathroom facilities are not well maintained. This does not provide a comfortable living environment in all areas of the home.

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

Children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are up to date, detailed and easy to follow. Staff ensure that these documents are regularly reviewed to highlight any new risks or concerns. This ensures that staff have the information that they need to manage and reduce risks to the children’s safety. Inspection report for children’s home: 1212704 4 The home’s location risk assessment is detailed and includes input from other key professionals and agencies. This means that staff have a good understanding of emerging risks in the local community or surrounding areas that may place children at risk of harm.

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

When children move into the home, the manager completes an impact risk assessment. This document helps to balance the needs of the children already living in the home with those of the child moving in. As a result, children’s admissions are well planned and they quickly settle into the home.

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

Children benefit from individual incentives and a restorative approach to help them to manage their own behaviour. This means that children learn how to better resolve their frustrations and anxieties. Consequently, there has been no use of physical restraint, no missing from home incidents and no complaints since the last inspection.

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

Safeguarding referrals to external agencies are not always completed in line with the home’s policies and procedures. For example, a recent allegation was referred by email and not on the appropriate referral form. Although this did not result in failure to act, this is contrary to the home’s policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high aspirations for the children and focuses on providing good- quality care and support. He understands the children’s needs well and continually reviews the service. This ethos is shared by the deputy manager and staff team and ensures that children’s needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses internal monitoring systems to identify practice shortfalls. However, there were some instances the manager was unaware that some key documents in children’s case files were not signed or dated, and did not include the name of the author. This inconsistent recording does not provide the children with an accurate record of their time in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On one occasion, the manager did not notify Ofsted of an allegation regarding a professional who supports the children. Although the local authority designated officer and the children’s social workers were informed, this prevented Ofsted from making sure that the actions taken to protect the children were effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they are supported in their roles and find the manager to be approachable. They are involved in decisions about children’s care and the development of the home, and this leads to a collective responsibility for supporting children and meeting their needs. One member of staff said that they are ‘proud of the home and proud to support the children’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision and they receive training that reflects the children’s individual needs. This is reinforced in regular team meetings that are also Inspection report for children’s home: 1212704 5 used as a learning forum. This provides staff with the skills and knowledge they need to enable them to care for the children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Family members and external professionals are positive about both the care that the children receive and their communication with the home. Staff share regular updates on the progress that children make. One parent said: ‘I am over the moon with the care, absolutely over the moon.’

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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 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

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the shower is maintained to a good standard. 18 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 18 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1212704 6 keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the children’s guide reflects the individual home and that children are involved in decisions about the contents.

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii)) 18 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 18 March 2022

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 18 March 2022

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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 for children’s home: 1212704 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Ltd

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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

Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1212704 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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