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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2608195 1 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 provides care for two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. A national provider operates this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted when the home was registered in November 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children currently live in this home.

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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: 2608195 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2023 Full Good 09/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2608195 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection. There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in this home receive individualised care. The staff team works hard to ensure that children are making good progress and have improved, positive experiences while living in the home. Two children’s social workers discussed the significant progress children had made during their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and children are warm and nurturing. Because of this, children enjoy being around staff, and they feel safe and are happy. The inspector spoke to both children in the home. One child said that their progress is because of the support from staff. The child said, ‘They are a brilliant staff team, always here to help me; I’ve been lucky living in this home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is well promoted. Children have made positive progress in their education. The provider ensures consistent support and professional challenge between the home and children’s education provision. Because of this, children continue to flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to stay in touch with those who are important to them. Staff will go above and beyond in supporting family time. They recognise the importance of these relationships and of strengthening relationships. Because of the team’s unwavering support, one child has returned home to live with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. Staff support with all aspects of their health and emotional well-being. Staff offer children regular direct therapy with the organisation’s clinician. If children do not wish to engage with the clinician, staff consult with the therapist. This enables staff to complete direct work with children. This means skilled and knowledgeable practitioners provide consistent emotional support to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with opportunities to promote their social and emotional needs. This means children develop hobbies and interests. Staff encourage children to develop friendships outside the home. Children enjoy attending clubs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated to a high standard and children are supported to personalise and decorate their bedrooms. Pictures, accessories and soft furnishings provide a homely feel.

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

Detailed risk and behaviour plans provide clarity to staff about how to support children. The strategies are sensitive to children’s negative childhood experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2608195 4 This approach has led to improved emotional and behavioural outcomes for children. For example, staff have used physical interventions only twice since the last inspection. On each occasion, the use of holds was appropriate and proportionate to the risk of harm.

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

There have not been any incidents of children going missing from home. Staff are aware of what action to take if a child was missing from the home. Staff are alert to vulnerable children’s risks of criminal and sexual exploitation. Staff keep up to date with their knowledge of local risks.

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

Staff undertake a range of safeguarding training. Children learn about risks. This includes learning about building positive relationships, online safety and the risks of exploitation. This means children’s awareness of risks and how to stay safe has improved.

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

A strength of the home is the approach to behaviour management. Staff use a system of rewarding children for making the right choices. They reinforce good behaviours. Negative consequences are rarely used; if they are required, they are appropriate and proportionate.

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

The provider follows safer recruitment guidelines. Recruitment checks are undertaken before staff start work in the home. This promotes safe working practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home continues to provide good standards of care. This is because it has a consistent, experienced management team. The manager and deputy manager show a passion for their work. They have high expectations for the level of support delivered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from team meetings and regular supervision. Staff have opportunities to reflect on their practice and recent training. Staff discuss aspirations for children. This helps improve the experience and outcomes for children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Arrangements for children moving into the home are good. Before a child moves into the home, the manager and the home’s psychologist assess the child’s needs. This assessment ensures that staff have the skills to meet the child’s needs. It also considers whether the child is compatible with children already living in the home. This assessment includes detailed consultation with all relevant professionals. This ensures robust plans to support children to manage transitions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff training programme is extensive. The committed manager works on the development of the staff team. However, not all staff are up to date with fire safety training. The manager put plans in place to address this during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring systems used by leaders and managers need improvement. Leaders and managers had not identified the weaknesses found during this inspection. For Inspection report for children’s home: 2608195 5 example, an up-to-date personal education plan was missing for one child. Some records had incorrect information, such as dates. The manager took immediate action to resolve this during the inspection. These weaknesses do not impact on the progress and experiences of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s actual hours spent in the home are not recorded on the rota. This does not ensure an accurate picture of staffing arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2608195 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 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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff complete fire safety training.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must also ensure that they have oversight of all work being completed to identify shortfalls in recording and documentation in order to make continuous improvements. 3 November 2023

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that actual hours spent in the home are accurately recorded on the staff rota. 3 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2608195 7

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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: 2608195 8

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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

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2608195 9 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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