Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 1 SC481152 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 owned and managed by a private company. The provider’s statement of purpose states that the staff care for up to six boys with emotional and social difficulties who require medium-term therapeutic care.

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Information about this children’s home

The home shares the site with a school run by the provider. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2022 Full Good 21/08/2019 Full Outstanding 03/01/2019 Full Outstanding 20/06/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, four children were living in the home. The inspector spoke to all the children, who were happy to talk about what it is like to live at the home. Children said they feel supported by staff. They were observed having positive interactions with staff. However, shortfalls in leadership and management and the protection of children impinge on children’s progress and safety.

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improvement to be good

Identified shortfalls in the monitoring and overview of paperwork mean statutory documents are not on file for some children. Staff do not have access to children’s care plans and placement plans. Health information on some children’s files is missing. This means that care planning for children is not consistent, which impacts on the quality of care provided.

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improvement to be good

Before coming to this home, children have had a history of disruption to their education. All children are now attending and engaging in education. The school is attached to the home and there is effective communication between staff in the home and staff in the school. This supports children’s learning and provides consistent care for children. Children and parents spoke highly of the education provision.

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improvement to be good

Following children’s moves out of the home, the absence of transition plans means the home is not able to demonstrate how children have been supported and if these moves have been positive for children. Furthermore, managers could not evidence what work was undertaken with children to promote their independence skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff work closely with birth families to strengthen and repair relationships. Family time is supported, both in and outside the home. Children benefit from family time. One parent said, ‘Staff are lovely and approachable and always support family time.’

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to engage in hobbies and interests of their choice, including bell ringing, boxing and drum classes. These activities help build children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Children living in this home have highly complex behaviours. Their safety plans are confusing and when safety plans have been reviewed or updated, it is not clear what changes have been made. Furthermore, not all staff have read and then signed children’s risk assessments and safety plans. This reduces their ability to manage risks safely and keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 4 An allegation made by a child against a member of staff was not reported in line with the company’s safeguarding procedures and internal processes. This means that action was not taken to investigate the allegation. This reduces the ability to manage risks and keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of children’s past experiences and work closely with professionals and the therapist to educate children on identified risks and behaviours. This supports children to keep safe and to understand risks and acceptable behaviours. This means that some children are able to progress to free time in the community in a safe and planned way.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, no children have gone missing from this home. There have been few incidents of physical intervention in the home and they are only used as a last resort. Consistent boundaries are in place, which children respond well to. They have clear expectations of what is expected of them in relation to behaviour. This provides children with safe and predictable care.

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good

There has been a recent change of manager. The new manager is suitably qualified and experienced. At the time of the inspection, she had not submitted her application to register. Throughout these changes, staff have felt supported. They said the manager is inclusive and that staff morale is positive.

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good

There are shortfalls in the monitoring and review of the home. The quality of some records is poor and inconsistent. For example, records of key-working sessions vary significantly in quality and not all were signed by staff and children. These shortfalls reduce the quality of care provided to children.

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good

Managers have not made effective use of internal monitoring systems, meaning areas for improvement are not always identified or addressed. The new manager has identified a process to improve internal monitoring of systems, but this has not yet been implemented.

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good

Staff are committed to training. However, the training matrix is not kept up to date. Staff have not completed self-harm training in relation to one child living in the home. This compromises children’s emotional well-being.

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good

Staff supervision remains regular and consistent and focuses on supporting staff to develop their skills . Annual appraisals are undertaken, to review staff’s knowledge and skills and identify future training needs. This supports staff’s ongoing professional development.

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good

Since the last inspection, the home has faced some challenges in relation to a high turnover of staff. A high proportion of staff are in their probationary period. However, they are being supported effectively during this period. The manager is Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 5 aware of the staffing difficulties and is taking appropriate action to actively recruit new staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 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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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements 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;

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Requirements Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirements Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(b))

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Requirements Due date

Specifically, ensure that all staff have read, understood and signed risk assessments. Furthermore, ensure any changes in risks are updated and clearly recorded in risk assessments and safety plans. 28 April 2023

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Requirements 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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Requirements Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirements Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 28 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirements Due date

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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Requirements 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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirements Due date

Specifically, ensure that systems are in place to regularly monitor and review children’s records and plans to ensure consistent quality. Furthermore, ensure children’s documents, including health documents, include all relevant information. In addition, managers should keep an accurate record of training to enable them to identify staff’s training needs, and keep this under review.

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Requirements Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirements Due date

Specifically, ensure that children have clear transition plans when preparing to leave the home. Also, record what support is provided to children to promote their independence skills. 28 April 2023

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirements Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and 28 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 8 sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirements Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirements Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b))

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Requirements Due date

Specifically, ensure that the correct safeguarding procedures and internal processes are followed when an allegation has been made against a staff member.

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirements Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirements Due date

Specifically, ensure the home has a copy of children’s local authority care plans and placement plans. 28 April 2023

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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: SC481152 9

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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: Hexagon Care, 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton- on-Ribble, Preston PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 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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