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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 1 SC482683

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Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private company. The home provides care for four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A peripatetic manager has been overseeing the home since the last inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 6 December 2022

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Children living in this home have good relationships with the staff. The staff understand the importance of positive relationships and work hard to ensure that children maintain these, including with family members. Staff involve children’s families and others who are important to them. Staff also help children to understand difficult and unsafe relationships.

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The care of children

The home is well appointed throughout and children’s bedrooms are decorated according to their taste. Children’s belongings are evident across the home and this adds to a nurturing and homely feel.

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The care of children

Since the peripatetic manager has started overseeing the home, care planning for children has improved. Children’s plans are well written, with clear expectations of realistic and achievable targets and goals. Children’s files and records are contemporary, clear and updated regularly.

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The care of children

The peripatetic manager offers appropriate challenge both to external agencies and to senior leaders within the organisation, particularly in relation to safeguarding concerns and concerns around children receiving the right kind of education.

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The care of children

No children have moved into or out of the home since the last inspection. However, a new child is due to move into the home soon. The peripatetic manager has completed a detailed assessment of the child’s needs, balanced against those of the children who already live in the home. The child has visited the home with their family in order to make the move as smooth as possible.

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The safety of children

The peripatetic manager has appropriately involved external agencies following a recent allegation made by a child against a staff member. The peripatetic manager followed this through, ensuring that a full investigation took place and effective safeguards were put in place for the child.

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The safety of children

The staff are fully aware of their safeguarding responsibilities to the children. Staff are quick to de-escalate tricky situations and there have been no physical interventions since the last inspection. Consequences are now restorative in nature and are reviewed by the peripatetic manager to ensure this. If any consequences are not restorative, they are revoked.

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The safety of children

Staff have worked well with one child to reduce the child’s substance misuse. However, the child still smokes tobacco and sometimes does this in their bedroom. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 3 Measures to address this have been ineffective and this leaves both staff and children at risk. The provider made immediate plans to rectify this issue during the inspection.

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The safety of children

The home is large and spacious and staff report any necessary repairs and maintenance to their site team as they arise. However, one fire door was found not to work as it should and did not close fully into the door frame. This exposes both children and staff to unnecessary risk in the event of a fire.

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The safety of children

At the time of the last inspection, one child was able to leave the home without staff becoming aware. The response to this incident was proactive and measures were put in place to prevent a reoccurrence in the future. However, the provider did not notify Ofsted of this serious incident. Failing to notify Ofsted of such incidents does not give the regulator sufficient monitoring and oversight of the home between inspection activity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Since the last inspection, a peripatetic manager has been overseeing the home. The peripatetic manager has the skills, knowledge and experience to manage the home effectively. The peripatetic manager has developed effective systems to monitor and evaluate the quality of care provided to children. These include detailed monthly manager’s audits, which are effective at picking up shortfalls in staff recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

All documents reviewed were recorded in a clear, concise and understandable way. These records are regularly reviewed and monitored by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff are well trained and now receive regular, reflective supervisions. The peripatetic manager is implementing a six-monthly review of staff annual appraisals. Monthly team meetings are another reflective opportunity for the staff to think and talk about their practice. Staff are supported to implement the training they receive to improve the quality of care experienced by the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

An independent visitor attends the home on a monthly basis. Shortfalls identified by the independent visitor are raised in an action plan for the peripatetic manager to address. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Good 10/07/2019 Full Good 16/10/2018 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 5

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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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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; 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)(b)) This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that assessed risks, such as a child smoking in their bedroom, are sufficiently mitigated. 4 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home— the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that all the fire doors in the home are in a state of good repair and close as they are designed to in order to prevent the spread of fire. 4 June 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should, under regulation 40, notify Ofsted and other relevant persons about serious events. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 6

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

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Inspector

Ricky D’Arcy, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482683 7 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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Inspector

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