Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Coventry

Inspection report for children's home: SC482683 1 SC482683 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 owned by a private company. The home provides care for four children aged 11 to 17 years who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2015.

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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 on 3 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC482683 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2019 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good 09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC482683 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were four children living at the home at the time of the inspection. This is a settled home in which staff support children to develop their independence and emotional well-being. The manager and staff know the children well and talk about them warmly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from regular attendance at school and college. Children have enrolled on painting and decorating courses, and they attend housing projects. One child has achieved four GCSEs. This child has been successful in securing an apprenticeship as a clinical support worker at a local hospital.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved into the home since the monitoring visit in February 2021. The manager completed thorough matching assessments before the children moved in. Risk assessments are detailed and regularly reviewed and updated following any changes. Staff follow the plans to support the children with their understanding of risks and harm. As a result, children are making good progress from their starting points. Professionals and family members are pleased with the care and guidance that staff are providing to their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff establish positive, trusting relationships with children. Consequently, children engage in discussions with staff about the issues that are important to them. Staff have helped children to improve their understanding of healthy relationships, managing their feelings and sexual health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved on since the monitoring visit. Two of the children left the home in an unplanned way because of events leading up to their move. The manager ensured that both children continued to receive care and support from staff until they were settled in their new homes. Young people who have moved on continue to keep in touch with the staff and children at the home. These young people are proud of their lifestyle changes and career progress. The staff talk of the young people’s achievements with pride.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is welcoming and homely. Children are involved in choosing colour schemes for the home. Children have helped to redecorate and wallpaper the lounge. As a result of one child’s comments, changes were made to the interior of the conservatory. There are photos of the children displayed throughout the home. This helps the children to feel that they belong and that the house is their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently started to administer their own medication. This has been well assessed and managed. Staff support other children with their medication. However, one child’s medication has been regularly missed or refused, without thorough recording from staff. Medication administration protocols have not been followed, which has put the child’s health at risk. Children’s medication records are not clear. Records fail to show why medication has not been administered. Staff Inspection report for children's home: SC482683 4 signatures are missing from administration records. There have been discrepancies in auditing systems, making it difficult to ensure all medication is accounted for. The managers complete regular medication audits. However, no action has been taken by the managers to address the shortfalls in the recording system.

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

There have been incidents of one child going missing from the home. The managers and staff have responded in line with the child’s missing-from-care protocol to help find and return the child to the home as soon as possible. Staff welcome the child back home warmly, and the manager ensures that the child is given the opportunity to take part in a return home interview with an external professional.

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

One child has made remarkable progress. There has been a significant reduction in the level of risk that they are exposed to since they moved to the home. The staff’s nurturing approach has led to no incidents of this child going missing from the home.

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

Staff use incentives, rewards and verbal praise to recognise when children do something well or when they have shown kindness and respect to each other and staff. Staff are consistent in their expectations of children’s behaviour. As a result, incidents at this home are well managed and de-escalated without use of restraint. Sanctions are proportionate. There is good management oversight of incidents, which helps to identify any lessons that can be learned to improve practice.

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

Staff access safeguarding training that helps them to identify concerns of exploitation, gang affiliation and online abuse. Targeted training enables them to meet children’s individual needs. This helps the staff to feel confident and to be consistent in their responses to incidents.

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

Children’s activities, holidays and hobbies are recorded so that the children can reflect on their achievements. Large folders capture these memories and contain photos of the children. However, staff have used their own personal mobile phones to take the photos of the children. The home does not have a specific policy in relation to staff’s use of personal phones. While this does not appear to have had an impact on the children, lack of clear guidance for staff means that safeguards for children are reduced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads a culture of respect for children and staff. She implements the home’s approach, which is a deeply nurturing parenting style. This approach is embedded through staff training and through the manager’s understanding of therapeutic parenting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers are highly visible. Children enjoy spending time with the managers and feel able to approach them for help, knowing that they will respond to them. Children’s complaints are responded to in line with the organisation’s complaints Inspection report for children's home: SC482683 5 procedure. Children’s meetings are held regularly, and children are encouraged to talk about the home and other areas of their lives. The children know that the things they raise will be acted on by the managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager completes a six-monthly review of the quality of care provided for the children. However, the manager has not demonstrated how she has responded to children’s feedback and opinions in the report. This weakens evaluation of the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safe recruitment processes are comprehensively carried out to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. The staff receive a thorough induction which includes a range of training and shadow shifts with experienced staff. Good induction, support and training help staff to meet children’s needs and provide continuity of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established good working relationships with professionals and family members, who are positive about the communication and working relationship with her. Concerns for children have been successfully escalated by the manager when a multi-agency response is needed. Children benefit from knowing that everyone is working together to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of staff’s strengths and the areas in which they need support to develop. Staff receive regular supervisions and performance management reviews. Staff say that they feel well supported and valued by the manager. They enjoy working at the home. This helps to provide children with a positive atmosphere. Inspection report for children's home: SC482683 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and protect each child effectively from harm; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, provide clear guidance for staff on the use of personal devices to take photos of the children. 10 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 10 March 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC482683 7 In particular, ensure that medication is administered as prescribed and clearly recorded when prescribed medication is refused; and ensure that recording systems are clear, effective and easy to navigate.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that actions taken as a result of the feedback from and opinions of children are recorded in the report. 1 April 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: SC482683 8

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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

Rachel Watkinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC482683 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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