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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC480671 1 SC480671 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 by a private company. The provider’s statement of purpose states that the home provides care for up to three girls. The home provides care for children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A school operated by the same provider is on the same site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and has been registered since February 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home for SC480671 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/06/2022 Full Good 24/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home for SC480671 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with the staff who care for them. Staff spend time with children and get to know their personalities and interests. Children refer to the house as their home. When talking to professionals, children refer to the staff as their family. Children say that they do not think there is anything that could make their home better.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school. Staff communicate well with education professionals. They advocate for extra tuition and support when children would benefit from this. When children have been reluctant to attend school, staff have provided consistent encouragement and support to do so. This results in high attendance and steady academic progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children experience issues within school, the children ask that staff are contacted for support and comfort. Schools report that the staff respond warmly, sensitively and promptly to the needs of the children they care for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff treat children with dignity and respect. Staff understand children’s cultures and backgrounds. Staff promote tolerance by celebrating the differences of each child. This is done through both external events and within the home. Children feel accepted and have developed a sense of belonging to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain the house to a high standard. Children personalise their bedrooms according to their tastes and wishes. Children keep personal belongings in the communal areas. These are items such as shoes and coats in the hall, musical instruments and pets downstairs. Children have ownership of all areas of their home and feel comfortable spending time in shared spaces.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are being well prepared for their futures. Staff ensure that the children have goals appropriate to their individual starting points. Staff support children to learn skills for independence and encourage them to identify new targets as they progress. Managers identify staff who are best placed to develop and deliver independence plans for children; this has resulted in staff being brought in from across the organisation.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand the risks to children and what they should do to reduce them. Staff complete direct work with children so that they understand how to keep themselves safe. This includes topics such as child sexual exploitation, road safety and online safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff encourage children to take risks appropriate to their age. This includes socialisation without adult supervision, access to technology and using public Inspection report for children’s home for SC480671 4 transport. Staff support children to reflect and learn from situations when things do not go to plan.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff do not hold children regularly. On the occasions when a child has been held, it has been as a last resort and for the least amount of time. Staff reflect on incidents to consider whether any improvements to their practice can be made.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children do not often go missing from the home. When they do, staff respond promptly and appropriately to ensure that children return quickly and safely to the home. Staff support children to learn how to stay safe in the community by working with them and setting clear expectations of behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are protected from bullying. Staff communicate with schools and parents when issues between children and their friends arise. This results in robust emotional support for children and leads to a quick resolution to their concerns. Therefore, the children feel safe and protected.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers : good

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager is committed to their role and has excellent relationships with all the children. The manager and staff have ambitious visions for each child’s future, in line with the children’s own goals and aspirations.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Monitoring in the home is robust and effective. The manager has implemented a system to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the progress the children are making. Managers and leaders have oversight of all key documents. Their findings are used to provide feedback to the staff and improve the quality of care for the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are trained to meet the specific needs of the children they care for. The manager is proactive in identifying areas where extra training is useful, such as self- harm and online safety. The manager also identifies training before it is needed, such as LGBTQ+ and gender identity training. Therefore, a previous requirement in relation to this has been met.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager has copies of all the children’s relevant plans and assessments. When there has been a delay in receiving these, the manager has challenged wider agencies and escalated to ensure that they are provided. This has included making a formal complaint to a special educational needs department. Therefore, a previous requirement in relation to this has been met.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Leaders and managers in the home provide regular supervision for staff. Senior staff have completed training to allow them to deliver effective supervision. Staff are also supported through regular team meetings. These meetings include the opportunity to reflect on practice and are attended by the in-house therapist. The therapist provides guidance in meeting the needs of the children effectively. Inspection report for children’s home for SC480671 5 The manager completes the planned rota and ensures that the actual hours of the manager and staff are also logged. Therefore, a previous requirement in relation to this has been met.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The statement of purpose lacks information in relation to how the effectiveness of therapy is measured. The manager also needs to add how this evidence can be accessed. Therefore a requirement in relation to this has been made. Inspection report for children’s home for SC480671 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 registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the statement of purpose must set out how the effectiveness of any healthcare or therapy provided is measured. Additionally, that it contains details of how the information about its effectiveness and the evidence demonstrating this can be accessed. 3 November 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 for SC480671 7

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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

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home for SC480671 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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