Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Cheshire East

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 1 SC481152

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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

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to six children with emotional, behavioural and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children were living in the home. The children spoke to the inspector about their experiences living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The home shares the site with a school that is run by the provider. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Information about this children’s home

Dates of last inspection: 6 and 7 June 2023

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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 these inspections, 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: SC481152 2

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Outcome 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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Findings from the inspection

Children like living in the home. They are making progress in most areas of their lives and have been supported to develop trusting relationships with staff, who care about them.

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Findings from the inspection

All children attend the on-site school, and care staff support children at break and lunchtime. There is regular dialogue between the care and education staff, which is helpful for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s interests are well supported. Staff help children to get involved in local clubs. One child who has recently moved in to the home is being helped to pursue their interest in music. This helps children to learn new skills and develop positive relationships with their peers.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s bedrooms are personalised. Since the last inspection, one child’s bedroom has been completely refurbished and they are very happy with the result. Staff are proactive in supporting children to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy through an incentive scheme. This helps children to take responsibility for their personal space.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is large and requires improvements to make it look and feel more modern and homely. Improvements have started to be made and there is a plan in place to continue this throughout the home. However, the plans lack pace.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand children’s individual needs and support them well. There are clear, well-structured risk plans in place, which highlight the strategies that staff should use to help children to better understand and manage their emotions.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has updated the location risk assessment and has developed good relationships in the community. There are developing relationships between the home staff and local statutory and voluntary services. These arrangements support staff to keep children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s bedroom doors are fitted with alarms to ensure that children’s welfare is safeguarded. However, their use is not regularly reviewed. This limits opportunities to ensure that they do not unnecessarily limit children’s privacy.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been a number of staffing changes since the last inspection. These have been managed well and have not had a significant impact on the care of the children. The registered manager is in the process of retiring. Interim arrangements Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 3 are in place for the responsible individual to manage the home while recruitment for a new manager is ongoing.

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Findings from the inspection

The ‘team around the child’ meetings continue to ensure that the care, education and therapy teams are working together to meet children’s needs.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a new monitoring system in place, which is used by the management team to oversee practice and support continued development in the home. Managers regularly use feedback from the independent visitor to improve practice in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff hold regular meetings with the children. This is a recent introduction, which ensures that children have input into the home. The manager reads the minutes and gives feedback to children so they know that they are being listened to. This is a recent introduction and is not yet embedded into practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff feel well supported by the manager and are now benefiting from access to relevant training, regular team meetings and supervision. However, supervision is not always reflective, and annual appraisals of practice have not been completed in line with the organisation’s supervision policy. This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2022 Full Good 21/08/2019 Full Outstanding 03/01/2019 Full Outstanding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 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, 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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Requirements Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirements Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirements Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirements Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirements Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are supervised and appraised in line with the organisation’s policy.

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Requirements Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 19 January 2024

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Requirements Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirements Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirements Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirements Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 19 January 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 6 In particular, ensure that the home is decorated and furnished to a high standard throughout.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any limits to children’s privacy and access in the home, such as the use of bedroom door alarms, are for safeguarding purposes only. Any limits should be subject to a rigorous assessment of each child’s needs and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 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

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC481152 8 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 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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