Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 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

The home is run by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This was the home’s first inspection following registration in September 2021. At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home. Children’s moves into the home have been positive and carefully planned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with those caring for them. The inspector observed positive interactions between the staff and children. External professionals reported that staff work hard to develop and maintain their relationships with children. As a result, the home is a caring environment for the children living there and they develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have advocates and staff encourage them to express their opinions about the care they receive. Children are involved in their care planning and contribute to documents. They are clear and confident about how to make a complaint. Consequently, children can express their wishes and feelings and feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home are in good health. The manager and staff register the children with local medical professionals and support the children to attend relevant appointments. The children are up to date with all health assessments and have clear health plans in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is maintained to a high standard. It is a comfortable, tidy and clean environment. Children can personalise their rooms in their own style. There are soft furnishings and photos of the children throughout the home. Consequently, the children feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child in the home is currently not engaging in education. Staff are clear about the importance of education and attempt to engage the child in learning activities throughout the day. The manager and staff advocate for the child; however, currently the child remains out of education.

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

There are clear and individualised risk assessments in place for both the children living in the home. The manager completes regular reviews of the risk assessments and they are updated following incidents. Staff are knowledgeable of the strategies in risk assessments and their responsibilities to minimise risk to children. As a result, children in the home are being kept safe.

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

At the time of the inspection, one child was missing. However, there were clear missing-from-care plans in place and staff were being proactive in their attempts to locate him. There have been several occasions of children going missing from the home. On those occasions, staff have usually been proactive in their efforts to locate Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 3 children. However, children have not always been looked for in identified locations and return home interviews are not consistently completed.

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

Staff use a restorative approach towards behaviour management. There have been no occasions when physical restraint was necessary. There have been times when staff’s practice has been inconsistent in relation to the boundaries in place. The manager has identified training to address this. It is evident that children currently thrive in an environment of mutual respect.

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

There are effective working relationships in place with other safeguarding professionals. The manager is proactive and has requested additional strategy meetings when children are missing. External professionals speak highly of the manager’s approach to communication during incidents of concern. As a result, children are being supported efficiently by all professionals.

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

There have been two allegations made against staff. The manager has not followed the home’s safeguarding procedures. Therefore, appropriate investigations have not always been thoroughly carried out. Additionally, Ofsted has not been notified of these allegations. The registered person has not taken all the action necessary following allegations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably experienced and qualified manager. He knows the children well and leads his team to strive for the best for the children living there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feedback regarding the registered manager is positive. Feedback from other professionals is good, and the leadership team’s communication and commitment were highlighted as a particular strength. Consequently, staff and external professionals trust the manager and the care provided to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well. The care plans in place for children reflect accurately their needs and the plans of the local authority. The manager regularly reviews the care plans, and they include input from children. This results in the manager being able to evaluate children’s progress effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is staffed to meet the needs of the children. There is a stable and consistent staff team. The staff are all trained to meet the needs of the children they are caring for. This ensures continuity of care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision. Supervisions are of good quality and allow space for reflection. Team meetings take place monthly and cover training and learning for the team to take away.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that staff access training which is relevant to the needs of the children. Staff have a good variety of training, including training around exploitation and county lines. As a result, staff have a good knowledge and skill base to safeguard the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 4 The manager ensures safer recruitment processes are in place for the recruitment of staff. However, effective monitoring systems are not in place to ensure that all staff are appropriately qualified within the specified time. Consequently, there is one member of staff who is not qualified for the role. They are currently completing the correct qualification. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 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

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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager and staff being proactive and creative in their strategies to engage children in education. 17 August 2022

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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

that staff— 17 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 6 assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager and staff taking effective and proactive action when locations are identified during episodes when children are missing from care.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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

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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)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered manager using monitoring and reviewing systems to ensure that the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures are implemented consistently. 17 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— 17 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 7 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all staff have completed appropriate qualifications by the relevant date.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The provider needs to show on rotas the actual hours that all staff, including managers, have worked. 17 August 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)) 17 August 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care they have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 8

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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: 2647514 9

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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

Rose Maddocks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2647514 10 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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