Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care on a medium- or long-term basis for up to two children, aged between 11 and 17 years, with social and emotional difficulties.

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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: 2509365 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2023 Full Good 05/01/2022 Full Good 11/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have secure relationships with the staff, whom they trust. The manager and staff have been at the home since the children started living there. The staff know the children well and advocate for things that are important to them. This has created a sense of belonging for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are supported and encouraged to communicate in their own way. The staff help and support children to recognise and understand their emotions. This has helped reduce anxiety and incidents of crisis for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is excelling from their starting point within education. The manager and the staff have motivated the child to engage in reading. Incentives are used relating to books linked to the child’s interests, which have increased their participation in educational learning. This has increased their confidence, social skills and educational attainment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help and support children to understand and manage their health conditions. This has resulted in a decrease in symptoms and medications. The children know how to access health services and gain support to achieve good health outcomes. This means that the children develop resilience to manage their own health needs when they are independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child did not have their immunisations kept up to date. The related action raised in their health assessment was not added to the child’s health plan. The action was raised again in the next annual health assessment in July 2023. The omission from the child’s health plan meant there was a delay of up to 12 months before it was addressed.’

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

Children feel safe in the home. Children can identify staff they trust to take their concerns seriously. The positive relationships enable the children and the staff to discuss concerns effectively. This helps children understand the reasons why measures are taken to keep them safe from harm.

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

The children’s plans are reviewed regularly to inform staff about how to manage children’s individual risks The staff understand the risks that the children are exposed to. The staff take effective action to educate, monitor and help the children so they can navigate their world safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 4 The children can recognise and resolve conflict effectively. The staff support the children to regularly use their own de-escalation strategies to maintain relationships. This means that children experience positive interactions with the staff and each other.

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

The children do not know how to make a complaint. The manager and staff have not ensured that the children understand the procedure. This means the children do not know how to raise a complaint if they are unhappy with the care they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leaders and managers conduct effective audits of the home. Shortfalls in practice, reporting, and recording are identified quickly and regularly. This gives leaders and managers good oversight of the level of care provided by the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The culture of the home and its ethos are set out in the statement of purpose. The model of care is integrated into practice and promotes how children’s lives are recorded. The manager and most of the staff have been working together since before the children moved into the home. This means that the manager and staff are familiar with each other, the home and the model of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff receive regular and effective supervision. The staff say they are supported by their manager and their colleagues. ‘During supervision sessions, staff discuss the children and reflect on practice. The staff roles and responsibilities are also discussed, and practice issues are addressed when needed.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have insight into the children and their needs. They discuss the children monthly with the consulting psychologist to increase their understanding. The children’s plans are reviewed and updated to reflect any new information. This means the children receive a consistent therapeutic response based on the most up- to-date understanding of their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor’s oversight is limited. The children, their families and professionals are not consulted regularly. This makes it difficult for the independent visitor to assess whether the manager and staff safeguard children and promote their well-being effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One child who is worried about their GCSE outcomes is not in full-time education. The manager’s relationships with professionals’ have not been effective in achieving educational progress. The manager and the school have been following different plans for some time. One child’s educational attainment has declined after receiving online education only for more than 12 months. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 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 registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)) 20 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the leaders and managers should work with the wider system to progress children’s education achievement. 20 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each child— 20 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 6 The children's views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children's care and welfare and their lives.

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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

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with. (Regulation 7 (1)©(2)(b)(ii)(c)(d)(ii))

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to— 20 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 7 achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, actions that are recorded in the children’s health assessments must be recorded and addressed as soon as possible.

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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: 2509365 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: 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton-on-ribble, Preston PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 9 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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