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

Inspection report children’s home: 2663174 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

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social, emotional or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in March 2022, as did the suitably qualified and experienced manager.

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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 inadequate

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress in this home is inconsistent. This is because the leadership of the home is ineffective. The impact on one child of poor levels of oversight has been considerable. Although the home is described as being a therapeutic service, few staff have a good understanding of this type of care. Managers accept these shortfalls and the judgements made at this inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not ensure that children move on from the home in a planned way. A child who expected to stay at the home for a long time had to move suddenly. This was because staff could not meet their needs. This did not provide the child with consistent care. It did not give the child confidence that adults will commit to them in the long term.

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improvement to be good

The planning for children moving into the home is not consistently effective. Managers do not ensure that children’s needs are evaluated alongside those of other children living in the home. Staff’s training and skills do not form part of the decision-making about children moving into the home. This leads to poor matching of children’s needs and staff being unable to provide good-quality care.

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improvement to be good

Children make progress in some areas of their development. They settle into the home quickly. Staff work hard to build relationships with children, including when barriers exist due to children’s previous experiences. This means that children begin to enjoy positive experiences within a short period of living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s emotional needs are supported by a therapeutic team. Some children engage in individual therapy, which is evidence of their progress. The therapeutic team helps staff to understand the impact of children’s previous experiences. Although this support is not yet embedded, therapists are helping staff to provide the care that children need.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational needs are being met. They attend school regularly, including when this has been difficult previously. Staff support children’s education by advocating on their behalf when necessary. Improved attainment is helping to increase children’s options for the future. Children also benefit from having much- needed structure to their days.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of different activities. This includes going on holiday and having regular horse-riding lessons. As well as building positive memories of living in the home, these activities help children to develop their social skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s safe relationships with family members. One parent spoke warmly about the help they received from staff. As a result of this input, the child has reconnected with their parent. This is a good outcome for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 4

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improvement to be good

Staff do not manage behaviour effectively. They do not understand how to use the model of care alongside behaviour management plans. This means that staff do not have effective strategies to use to support children, and children feel unsafe. Staff resort to calling the police for assistance. This reduces the staff’s ability to present to children with confidence and competence. The impact of these serious shortfalls in practice is significant for children’s everyday experiences, safety and protection.

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improvement to be good

Staff develop risk assessments to respond to safeguarding concerns. The quality of these assessments is much improved in recent months. Individualised strategies help children to become safer. Instances of self-harm and substance misuse reduce as a result.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, staff observe local protocols, which include searching for children. Children become safer and learn that adults will act to protect them.

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improvement to be good

Staff undertake individual discussions with children. Some of this work is helpful, for example when children talk about activities they enjoy. Other sessions do not appear to be effective. For example, when staff want children to talk about their worries, children disengage. This is a missed opportunity to help children to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership of the home is not effective. The registered manager does not show that he is in full day-to-day control. He lacks oversight of the home and does not ensure that the quality of care for children improves. The registered manager accepts that improvements are needed to better support and protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is not operating in accordance with its statement of purpose. Staff are not consistently offering therapeutic care for children. As a result, children do not make expected progress and significant incidents occur. Managers have failed to make timely improvements and children do not receive the support that they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The team of staff do not work well together. Communication between staff is not consistently effective. As a result, staff have differing expectations of their roles. This has caused difficulties for children and further fractured the staff team. Several staff have left, and the current staff team is very small. The registered manager has a poor understanding of these concerns, including the impact on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The approach to training is not effective. The majority of staff did not learn how to provide therapeutic care for children until many months after the home opened. This had a detrimental impact on the ability of staff to help children cope with their trauma. Staff have recently undertaken bespoke training to provide them with the Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 5 skills and confidence they require. It is too early to evaluate the impact of this learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management of allegations is inconsistent. Referrals to the appropriate professionals take place and proper procedures are followed. However, managers and staff do not support children who may make allegations as a coping mechanism. Managers’ support to staff is poor. This significantly affects children’s placements in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not feel well supported by managers. Staff worry about the impact of caring for children with complex histories. They feel that managers could do more to understand the difficulties that have occurred. Managers are aware of this and are making changes. Supervision sessions have been improved and are more reflective. Team meetings are well attended and include considerable discussion about children’s needs. It is too soon to know whether these improvements will make a difference to positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

External monitoring is provided by an experienced independent person. Visits are undertaken regularly. Reports are comprehensive and focus on the experiences of children. The registered manager responds well to specific recommendations. The independent person raised several concerns about the management oversight of the home. Senior managers eventually became aware of this and have put in place systems to improve this area of practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 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, the 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are trained to provide the care that is set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 9 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 9 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 7 positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the support and skills to understand and manage behaviour that is challenging.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 9 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 8 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 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

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)(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children only move into the home following careful analysis of their needs, alongside those of other children living in the home. 9 December 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff who carry out individual work with children, to help them come to terms with their past experiences, do so in line with the particular type of care that the home provides. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.15) Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 9

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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: 2663174 10

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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

Jane Titley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2663174 11 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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