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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was appointed in November 2021. He is not registered with Ofsted.

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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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 12 February 2020

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/08/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in this home are mixed. They have made some progress in areas such as social skills and self-confidence. Children recognise their progress, and one child described themselves as a ‘totally different person’.

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improvement to be good

Children receive a warm welcome when they move into the home. However, moves are not well planned, and children do not receive information prior to moving in, for example a copy of the children’s guide, photographs, or introductions to staff. One child said that they did not know what to expect when they moved in. This affects how well children settle.

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improvement to be good

Children have good relationships with most of the staff. Through a variety of activities, they have fun together, for example visits to the seaside, funfair, go- karting and nature walks. Children’s memory books are being developed, and therefore the staff collect photographs of the children’s experiences. This contributes to children’s life story and helps them remember positive times in their lives.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to visit people who are important to them. Where necessary, staff accompany children on the long journeys and ensure that they are safe during the visit. Children are supported to regularly telephone their families, and they are encouraged to display family photographs in the home. This helps children to maintain important links to their identity and strengthen family relationships.

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improvement to be good

Home conditions are not well maintained. Some areas of the home are institutional, and repairs take too long to be addressed. Children’s bedrooms are not personalised, and the staff do not consistently ensure that the rooms are clean and kept to a high standard. For example, a child’s ceiling light was not secure, the carpet was dirty, and the bathroom sink was blocked. Living in these conditions can have a detrimental impact on children’s feelings of self-worth.

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improvement to be good

The staff support children to attend education. However, when children’s attainment is low and they experience barriers to learning, the provider does not take effective action in response. Children therefore continue to experience the same difficulties in education. In addition, when children are excluded from school, they do not receive formal learning, which results in missed education. Details about the timing of exclusions are not always known. On the day of the inspection, the manager did not know when a child could return to school after a period of exclusion. The lack of good planning and gaps in children’s learning can affect the children’s view of education and impact on the progress that they make.

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improvement to be good

When children move out of the home, the staff work in collaboration with other professionals and the child’s family to help the transition run smoothly. In one Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 4 example, this included a plan which gradually increases the time that the child has in their new home. However, in another example, agencies were slow to identify the child’s next home, and the provider did not advocate on behalf of the child. Failure to challenge other agencies is a theme in children’s records, and the inspector found numerous examples where the manager had not escalated issues to other agencies. This results in unnecessary delays for children and has a negative impact on the child’s experience and progress.

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improvement to be good

Children receive regular advice on how to develop their life skills. One child described the progress in their cookery skills and was observed proudly flipping pancakes. Another child spoke about their success in areas of independence such as food shopping, budgeting, and learning to manage their own laundry. This helps children to develop essential skills for their future.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to understand risks and be safer. Key-work sessions with children allow staff to speak to children about their worries. Where necessary, sessions with the in-house therapist are offered to children. This provides children with an external person to speak to and help them better understand the risks.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual risk assessments are not up to date, despite being amended by the manager on the day of the inspection. The details relating to some recent incidents have not been included in the risk assessment, and other sections were not clear. This affects the response from staff when information is not available.

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improvement to be good

When staff are concerned that children have dangerous items hidden in their bedroom, the staff carry out a room search. However, in one example, the child’s consent was not obtained, and they were not informed afterwards.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children going missing from care have increased. When children are missing, the staff search for the child and contact other relevant agencies or family members who may know where the child is. Missing-from-care records are not consistent, and some do not provide a detailed account of the event. In addition, intelligence received by staff is not transferred to the child’s missing-from-care protocol. This means that information which may help to locate the child sooner is not readily available for future occurrences.

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improvement to be good

Sanctions in response to children’s behaviour are not restorative and are inconsistent. There are no clear plans to show staff when or how to use sanctions or show a child the consequence of particular behaviour or what kind of behaviour warrants a sanction. In two examples, the manager reviewed the child’s behaviour and disagreed with the staff’s response, which resulted in a change to the sanction imposed. This affects the continuity of care provided for children and can result in children being confused, impacting on the progress children make. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 5 Complaints and allegations are not always managed well. Complaints made by children and staff are not always recorded well or investigated transparently in accordance with safeguarding practice and the providers own policy. The process for children is not child friendly or discreet and involves children having to ask a

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improvement to be good

member of staff for a complaints form and return it to them once completed. This practice prevents children from raising concerns easily and discreetly.

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good

There have been changes in the management team since the last inspection.

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good

The previous registered manager was responsible for two children’s homes. However, this arrangement did not allow for sufficient management oversight at this home. A deputy manager was appointed to offer support. However, they left after a short period. This resulted in staff feeling unsupported. Staff rarely received formal supervision. This shortfall was not identified through audits by senior leaders and has only recently been brought to their attention.

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good

A new manager has been appointed and is in post; he has experience of working with children in residential care. He has come into the home when there has been a number of challenges, and he did not receive a detailed handover from the previous manager. The manager is receiving regular support and supervision from the responsible individual.

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good

The manager has a vision to improve care practice at the home. This will take some time to embed and for staff to adjust. Staff receive regular guidance and support through reflective supervision. The manager uses this forum to address and practice issues with staff, which helps them to learn and develop. The staff are enthusiastic. They say they are well supported by the new manager and have confidence in his leadership.

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good

The staff consult with the in-house therapy team in order to understand the children’s behaviour and the impact of trauma during early life experiences. However, staff do not consistently attend meetings with the therapist, and some staff have not completed the provider’s therapeutic training. In addition, children’s records do not show how staff follow children’s therapeutic plans on a day-to-day basis.

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good

The staff have a close working relationship with the children’s families and professionals. A child’s relative described staff as ‘absolutely lovely’ and ‘like family’. A professional said, ‘It makes me feel proud what the child has achieved.’ The manager has identified that feedback from families, professionals and stakeholders is not routinely gathered and well documented. Therefore, he has introduced a new process to regularly gather feedback so that this can be used to understand the children’s experiences and to help identify where improvements in care need to be made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c)) 10 June 2022

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and 10 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 7 enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority; and

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vii)(viii)) 10 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 10 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 8 child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(b) (2)(i)) 10 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39 (3) (4) (5)) 10 July 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that a child’s bedroom is not generally be entered without their permission, though it may be necessary to establish routines to allow for rooms to be cleaned regularly. Usually, rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20). Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 9  The registered provider should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views,

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Recommendations

wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16).  The registered provider should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38).  The registered provider should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).

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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: 2509366 10

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Thomas Cappleman

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Inspector

Catherine Heron, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2509366 11 regulates and inspects 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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