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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC482411 1 SC482411 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 privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is currently away and not in day-to-day charge of the home. The home is led by an interim manager.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2023

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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: SC482411 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2023 Full Good 14/04/2021 Full Outstanding 06/08/2019 Full Good 22/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC482411 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child likes living at this home. She speaks highly of the staff and knows who she can go to for help and support. The child said, ‘[Name of staff member] is amazing and understands me. I can talk to her about anything.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s placement plan is clear and detailed. It is informed by the child’s local authority plan. It records how care staff should work with the child with regards to all aspects of her life. Therefore, staff are aware of how to meet the needs of the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are met. All medical appointments are supported and recorded by staff. The child is helped to receive specialist mental healthcare when required. The child is encouraged to eat healthily and take part in activities that provide exercise. This helps the child to remain healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made recent progress with regards to her education. She has found established education provision very difficult. Therefore, home tutoring is now provided alongside the child being supported to learn by staff. This increases the child’s opportunities to make progress with regards to her education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to stay in touch with their family. This includes telephone calls and visits. This ensures that the child maintains relationships with the people who are important in her life.

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

Risks to the child are appropriately identified. Known and potential risks are assessed. Plans are reviewed regularly. How the staff recognise triggers are recorded well. Therefore, staff know the specific risks affecting the child and how best to respond.

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

Children’s allegations and complaints are taken seriously. They are responded to and investigated appropriately. Safeguarding agencies have been involved when necessary.

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

The current child has not gone missing from the home. When previously placed children have gone missing from the home, staff have made efforts to locate them. When children have returned home after being missing, staff have held a one-to-one session to explore with the child the reason behind their decision. This helps staff to know the reasons why children go missing and how to respond.

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

If children exhibit self-injurious behaviour, appropriate care is taken. This is identified in the child’s risk assessment. This includes how to support the child if it Inspection report for children’s home: SC482411 4 occurs. Training is provided to staff on this issue. This ensures that staff know how to help children to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff ensure that the environment is safe for children. Assessments and checks are carried out to identify any potential dangers. Substances and sharp items are stored safely. An assessment of the location has identified risks in the local area. There is a developing relationship with the local community police officers. As a result, staff are aware of local dangers to children and how to minimise these risks.

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good

The registered manager has not met the requirements from the last inspection. These have been repeated and need to be addressed. One recommendation has been repeated. This lack of response means that staff remain unsupported and monitoring of the home remains weak.

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good

The registered manager has not ensured that staff receive regular supervision. New starters have not had the level of supervision expected by the provider. Therefore, staff have not been able to reflect and develop their practice with their manager.

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good

The registered manager has not consistently held staff team meetings. The staff team is currently depleted. Some staff expressed that the impact of lower staff numbers has been significant on their morale. Because of this, staff have had limited opportunities for peer support and their development.

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good

The responsible individual and other senior managers have carried out thorough checks and identified many shortfalls. Clear plans of actions have been made. However, the registered manager has not acted on these identified shortfalls. As a result, the home has not been appropriately monitored by the manager and the required improvements have not been made. Inspection report for children’s home: SC482411 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 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that robust quality assurance and monitoring systems are in place, used regularly and recorded. 17 November

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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 work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the frequency of team meetings. 17 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 17 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC482411 6 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to the frequency of staff supervision sessions.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC482411 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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Inspectors

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC482411 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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