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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2580626 1 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 is a private children’s home registered to provide care for up to three children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2021. She is suitably experienced and qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 12 October 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. Inspectors have 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: 2580626 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 have positive and trusting relationships with the staff team. Creative key- work sessions encourage children to talk regularly with staff to help them to manage their emotions, thoughts and feelings. One child said, ‘This care home is like another part of my family.’

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The care of children

Children have clear routines in place for their daily education. Staff work well with education providers to address any challenges that children face. This ensures that children are progressing at a pace that is suitable to their needs.

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The care of children

One child has refused to access additional agencies in relation to their substance misuse. The staff team has not been proactive in identifying alternative ways in which the child can be educated about the risks associated with cannabis misuse.

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The care of children

Children are provided with opportunities to talk about their identities, beliefs and cultures through ‘topic of the month’ discussions in children’s meetings and one-to- one monthly consultations with the manager. Children also engage in regular workshops to celebrate specific events, such as International Women’s Day and Children’s Mental Health Week.

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The care of children

Children move into the home in a planned way. They are at the forefront of care- planning and decision-making. When children move on from the home, they are provided with supportive transitions to ensure that they move to a place that is most suited to their age and needs.

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The safety of children

The process of assessing whether children can live safely with one another is thorough.

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The safety of children

Children’s risk assessments guide staff on the action they should take to safeguard children. They are detailed and contain up-to-date chronologies of children’s risk behaviour.

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The safety of children

Incidents of children being held to keep them safe have reduced in the home. Children are helped to find safer ways to manage their emotions. The manager uses debriefs to look at alternative strategies to support children or to make changes to staff’s behaviour-management approach. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2580626 3 Children rarely go missing from the home. Staff follow risk assessments and take appropriate action to try to prevent children from going missing. On one occasion, the manager failed to notify Ofsted when a child was missing from the home overnight and the police had reported concerning issues associated with the address at which the child was found.

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The safety of children

Staff undertake direct work with children to educate them about the impact of their risk-taking behaviour and steps they can take to keep themselves safe. In addition to this, staff are proactive in educating children about other risks that children may not be subject to but that they require knowledge of to help them to make positive choices in their future lives.

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The safety of children

The manager oversees all consequences for unwanted behaviour to ensure that they are achievable and realistic tasks for children to undertake and that the staff support and encourage children to see them through.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager is confident in her role. She knows the children well and advocates on their behalf. She is a good role model for both staff and children. Since the last inspection, she and the staff team have worked hard to ensure that all requirements and recommendations have been suitably met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff said that the senior team provides clear guidance for the staff team to follow, to ensure that staff work together consistently. Staff feel that they have been well supported by the management team daily and during more challenging times when children have been in crisis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Monthly team meetings are used by the manager to address any key areas of development or change required. The manager regularly monitors the staff team’s training needs. She has sourced additional training specific to the needs of children, to equip staff with the skills to support new children coming to live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager now uses the reports from the independent person to make prompt improvements to the quality of care provided to children. She has introduced a clear action plan to enable her to check that all recommendations made by the independent visitor are actioned appropriately and within suitable timescales. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2580626 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2580626 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, 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 5 May 2023

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 5 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2580626 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

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2580626 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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