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 Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 possible emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2015.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that a serious incident had occurred at the setting since the last inspection and is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered, where appropriate, alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 15 February 2022

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2022 Full Good 10/07/2019 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Three children have moved on from the home since the last inspection and one child has moved in. Children who have moved on have mostly done so in a planned way. When one child had to move quickly, managers shared information effectively with the child’s local authority to help them keep them safe.

p.3

improvement to be good

However, more recently, the registered manager did not fully consider one child’s needs before they moved in. This has impacted negatively on how some risks have been managed. This is because the manager and staff team have not acted swiftly enough to reduce the risks relating to one child’s substance misuse nor fully considered the risks for this child in relation to exploitation before they moved in. Managers and staff have not prevented the child’s substance misuse from impacting on the other child in placement.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home environment is well decorated and personalised to children’s tastes. However, there have been concerns around the conditions of one child’s bedroom. For example, substance misuse has frequently occurred in the child’s room which has led to an unpleasant smell around the property, as well as there being drug paraphernalia in their room. In addition, there are concerns around the cleanliness of their bedroom.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s educational progress is mixed. One child’s school told the inspector that they feel that the support the staff at the home give to the child emotionally is helping them to feel more settled in school. However, another child is not engaging in their education. Managers have not ensured that there is a clear plan in place to support the child and they have not worked effectively with other professionals to address this issue.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers and staff have not ensured that all children’s health needs are met. They have not acted to meet the health needs for a child, which were identified several months ago. Staff have not worked proactively with the child to help them improve their health. New managers in the home have, over the last month, got specialist support for the child.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children state that they enjoy living at the home. Staff have supported children to go bowling, go-karting and on a holiday to Skegness in the summer. However, children’s meetings are not being used effectively to engage children and enable them to feel listened to. The registered manager has not effectively challenged other agencies where there may be shortfalls in their support of children to enable them to make progress. This undermines the otherwise supportive approach to children’s care from staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 4

p.3

improvement to be good

One child has become more at risk of exploitation in recent months. This is because staff have not supervised them appropriately when the child has been in their room and when they are out in the community. When there are concerns around substance misuse and exploitation for children, managers and staff talk to the child about this but they do not make plans to find new ways of helping the child, or engage the wider professional network to get help to reduce the risk. New managers who have been overseeing the home over the last month have identified this shortfall and made an action plan to help the child become safer.

p.4

improvement to be good

Overall, children’s plans give staff clear guidance to help them know how to meet children’s needs, for example, in relation to internet safety. However, when risks have increased relating to substance misuse, children’s plans have not been updated with new information to help staff know the best way to keep them safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Managers have increased their oversight and auditing of medication for children since the previous inspection. This has meant that when some errors occurred, these were identified by managers. However, for one child the recording of when they needed to have their controlled medication was not clear. This meant that they were receiving their medication at a different time to what was detailed on their prescription. Managers took action to address this during the inspection. In addition, they intend to hold further training sessions and workshops with staff to ensure procedures are more effective moving forward.

p.4

improvement to be good

When children go missing, staff look for children, inform other professionals and welcome the child home upon their return. In one incident, staff did not respond quickly to a child when they went missing and police were not called promptly. This lack of urgency did not result in the child being harmed but could have delayed the child being located.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children are regularly praised for their achievements to help motivate them. Consequences given to children are not frequent, however when these are given, they are not restorative and do not help children learn appropriate boundaries in a supportive way. Managers recognise this is an area of development in the service and have plans in place to offer staff further guidance around this. Since the last inspection, no children have needed to be held to keep them safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have not been any allegations made against staff.

p.4

good

The registered manager has managed the home for several years and has obtained the required level 5 diploma. The registered manager and deputy manager were not present during this inspection and have not worked in the home since October 2022. Inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 5 The responsible individual has been on sick leave for several weeks, and has now left the organisation.

p.4

good

In the interim, managers from the wider organisation have been overseeing the home. Staff have spoken positively of the support they have gained from these managers and describe them as going ‘above and beyond’ to support the care of children in the home. These managers have a good insight into the strengths and areas of development in the service and have started acting to improve the care. However, these changes are still in their infancy and therefore the effectiveness of these remains untested.

p.5

good

Managers have monitoring systems in place which they use to regularly review children’s care in the home. The managers oversee all incidents, and they evaluate the care in these incidents to support staff. However, at times, these evaluations have lacked in professional curiosity. This means that shortfalls identified in children’s safeguarding and progress, in this inspection, have not been recognised within their oversight.

p.5

good

Staff benefit from monthly team meetings to discuss children and they have regular supervision sessions with the manager. However, supervisions are not being used to help staff reflect on children’s care and make further plans to support them. This is a missed opportunity to upskill the staff team and learn together.

p.5

good

Some staff do not have the knowledge they need to meet children’s needs. For example, staff have not undertaken training around neurodevelopment disorders specific to children in the home, or around exploitation and also internet safety. Some staff spoken to during the inspection did not understand the home’s therapeutic approach to children’s care. This impacts on the quality of care for children.

p.5

good

Managers have effectively reflected on the care in the home in their most recent six- month review and used feedback to help make development plans for the service. This means that the requirement from the previous inspection under regulation 45 has been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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 (a)(b)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that wider agencies are engaged in care planning for children to help them make progress. For example, in their education and health. 19 January 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have 19 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 7 the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(ix))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff support children in areas of need, and that consequences given to children are restorative and sensitive to children’s emotional needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.7

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm.

p.7

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii) (d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that there are effective plans in place to keep children safe and that staff act promptly to manage risks as they arise. This also relates to children’s bedrooms being clean and that action is taken to protect children from substance misuse in the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the previous inspection. 4 January 2023

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 19 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that their monitoring systems are being used to improve care and that staff have the skills to meet children’s needs. In addition, that staff undertaken training relevant to children’s needs and risks.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

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.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they properly assess and plan for whether they can meet children’s needs before they decide a child can move in. 2 February 2023

p.8

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.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

p.8

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 19 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 9 other child.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that medication is administered as prescribed; and ensure that recording systems are clear, effective and easy to navigate.

p.9

Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the previous inspection.

p.9

Recommendation

 The registered person must have systems in place which allow staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) This specifically relates to ensuring that staff are supported to learn and engage in reflective supervision that develops their practice.

p.9

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 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Ltd

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1 Tustin Court, Riversway, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

p.10

Inspector

Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.10

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11