Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2654084 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

The children’s home is owned and run by a private company. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home offers short-term care for children irrespective of gender.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since November 2021. This is the first inspection since registration in November 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 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: 2654084 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving in to the home are supported to quickly build relationships with staff. Children are introduced to key members of staff and the home environment before they move in. One social worker said, ‘[Name’s] transition into the home was brilliant, staff made an effort to visit him first on two occasions.’ This encourages children to have the best possible start to life in their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Strong relationships are formed between children and staff. A variety of activities are provided and are based on children’s particular interests. For example, fishing and rugby were identified as keen interests by children. These are promoted by staff, and children are provided with all necessary equipment to fully particulate in their hobbies. As a result, children engage well in the activities. This provides children with opportunities that they may not have previously experienced and supports the development of positive self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children contribute to their plans and are supported to contribute to meetings about their care. One social worker said, ‘[Name] was supported by staff to attend his review meeting and spoke up for the first time.’ She went on to say, ‘Since moving into the home, he is like a different boy, in a routine and able to express himself.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have good routines in place. This supports engagement in education, including accessing education in the home. For example, where children are not in full-time education, they are supported to attend an alternative education provision. As a result of staff providing clear and consistent routines, children’s engagement in education has improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. When appropriate, this includes staff travelling to the child’s own local health services. This ensures that children’s health needs are consistently met, without delay, while living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family relationships are supported by the staff. Staff are thoughtful in planning the time that children spend with their family. For example, staff organised a day trip for one child and their family, including a boat ride. This enables children to enjoy positive family experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have raised a complaint, management take on board the child’s view and complete a thorough investigation. Records of complaints show how the manager investigated a complaint and demonstrated that the child was satisfied with the response. This ensures that children are listened to, and the action taken reduces the risk of such issues arising again.

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

Inspection report children’s home: 2654084 3 There is a coordinated response when missing incidents occur. Staff work with the police to locate children and return them to the home. The manager works in partnership with the police and other professionals to agree on what actions are needed to keep children safe. This results in children’s risk assessments being reviewed by all relevant professionals, and works towards reducing the risk of harm.

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

However, children’s return interviews have not taken place, which does not allow children to share their concerns about their experience. For example, one child had a significant increase in missing episodes, but the manager did not escalate their concern when the local authority failed to offer return interviews to the child.

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

Staff have not always been consistent in their response to children going missing from the home. For example, on one occasion, a member of staff did not make reasonable efforts to look for a child before reporting them missing to the police. This may create a missed opportunity to return a child home safely and reduce the risk of harm.

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

Risk assessments are clear and identify children’s needs. These plans enable staff to be clear on their role in meeting children’s needs and reducing risk. Staff undertake direct work with children on a range of topics, specific to their needs. As a result, children improve their knowledge of risk, which helps them to make positive choices.

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

Restraint is rare and when it has been used it has been proportionate to the incident that has occurred. Detailed records of the event enable the manager to evaluate the effectiveness of staff practice. Debriefs with children and staff are completed so they can both share concerns and learn from these incidents to prevent repeat occurrences.

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

However, on one occasion, the person undertaking the debrief with a child was not the most appropriate person to do so. Where a restraint has involved the registered manager, they must be satisfied that when delegating the debrief it is to a person who is suitably experienced and knowledgeable to do so. This ensures transparency in practice and children are given the opportunity to share any concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team that provide consistent care for children. Where there have been increased safeguarding concerns, the manager has employed additional staff to meet the needs of the children. This has resulted in reducing risk to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager of the home completes effective monitoring of practice in the home. In doing so, the manager has good management oversight and can provide clear direction to staff while monitoring progress. Children are more likely to receive consistent care from staff because of effective management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular staff supervision takes place and staff feel supported because of the availability of and direction from the manager. For example, the registered manager has oversight of all staff supervisions and, where needed, will respond to practice Inspection report children’s home: 2654084 4 issues as they arise. This helps to ensure that staff are clear about the expectations of their role and the standards that are set. Inspection report children’s home: 2654084 5

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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 involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate, having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

When a child returns home after being missing, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Where the responsible authority does not provide this opportunity, the registered manager must escalate this. 24 July 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a restraint has taken place and involved the registered manager, the child is provided with an opportunity to express their feelings about the experience with a suitable person. If the registered person is unable to complete this debrief themselves, the delegation of this should be made to someone the registered person is satisfied has the Inspection report children’s home: 2654084 6 relevant skills and experience. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that at the start of a child’s placement there is a clear agreement with the local authority in regard to roles and responsibilities. This is specifically in relation the responsibility of the local authority when a child goes missing from home and social work visits. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure there is a clear procedure to follow and the roles and responsibilities of staff are known when a child is missing from home or away from the home without permission. Procedures should be clear of how long staff need to search for the child before staff return to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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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: 2654084 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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Inspectors

Sadie Mulkeen, Social Care Inspector Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2654084 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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