Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Preston

Inspection report for children’s home: SC480847 1 SC480847 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 is a privately owned and managed children’s home. It provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021.

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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: SC480847 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2023 Full Good 09/02/2022 Full Good 24/09/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC480847 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time a lot of time with the children, which helps build positive relationships. Staff support the children to share their views about their daily care and activities. Some children are settled and have a sense of belonging. One child has not yet established a daily care routine, despite the proactive efforts of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to supporting the children. They work with parents and professionals to explore how best to develop children’s care routines. Staff use pictorial ‘social story’ support to help children develop their independence skills, such as doing their laundry and making their bed. Staff support the children to share their views and contribute to decisions about their daily care and activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can attend the on-site school. The school is small and therefore helps to reduce children’s anxieties around education. Staff work closely with education and therapeutic services to assist children who find it difficult attending school. Staff use incentives and listen to children to support them through any challenges. Staff are proud of the positive academic and social progress children are making because of the consistent support from the home’s staff and education staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage children to access individual and group activities. The children enjoy trips out in the local area and are encouraged to complete activity planners. Some children decline activities and prefer to spend time in their bedrooms or playing computer games. Staff support the children to enjoy the activities available in the home, such as games with staff, the cinema room and the games room.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have positive transitions into and from the home. Staff give children photos of events and activities they have enjoyed while living in the home, to provide them with memories of their time living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to understand their emotions, and they refer children to specialist services when appropriate. Currently, the home is without an allocated psychologist. This means that there is a delay in children developing a relationship with a therapist and accessing direct support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have their health needs met and to attend routine health appointments. Staff have been unable to support some children to take prescribed medication and advice has not been sought regarding any potential health implications that this may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, the home is well presented but repairs to the kitchen cupboards and worktops remain outstanding from the last inspection. This detracts from the overall presentation of the home and is not always a pleasant environment for children to spend time in. Inspection report for children’s home: SC480847 4

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

Overall, staff know the children well and understand children’s associated risks. Staff respond appropriately to significant incidents and offer children direct support to understand their emotions. This approach has led to a reduction in significant incidents and helps the children to become increasingly safe.

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

Staff hold children as a last resort to prevent them hurting themselves or others. Children and staff are provided with opportunities to reflect on events when this happens. The registered manager reviews the use of physical interventions and takes action to ensure that staff receive updated training in line with children’s individual needs.

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

Staff support children to understand associated risks around internet safety and exploitation. Staff take action to reduce risks associated with social media and frequently check children’s internet access, in line with their individual safety plans. Staff ensure that relevant parties are updated regarding events, and weekly meetings take place to review children’s care plans.

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

Staff carry out room searches to ensure children’s safety. When appropriate, children’s consent is sought. Searches are carried out sensitively. Children rarely go missing from the home. In the event of this happening, staff understand the risks and the home’s procedures and respond appropriately.

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

Staff are aware of the whistle-blowing policy. Leaders and managers ensure that procedures are in place to independently explore any concerns regarding staff practice. Staff, parents and social workers spoke positively about the open communication they have with the home. One social worker said, ‘Communication with the staff in the home is great. They respond quickly to any requests I make and are very knowledgeable about the children.’

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

Children’s risk assessments are updated after significant incidents. They are detailed and give staff actions to take to keep children safe. Children’s plans are written from the child’s perspective and offer staff a clear understanding of actions to take to reduce risks to the children. However, one behaviour plan did not include associated risks and some staff did not know the associated risks and required actions to take to safeguard the child.

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

The registered manager has not taken all required steps to ensure that the premises are free from apparent hazards that could cause harm to children. Leaders and managers took immediate steps to address this issue during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has relevant experience and knowledge and is aware of the strengths of the home and areas for development. Leaders and managers ensure that concerns regarding staff practice are explored and they take forward any required Inspection report for children’s home: SC480847 5 actions. The registered manager is reflective and accesses additional training to help support their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoke about having positive working relationships with the registered manager and said that they feel well supported. Staff have regular supervision, focusing on the children’s needs and their own individual support and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have monthly team meetings, which provide them with the opportunity to reflect as a team. This helps staff to provide consistency of care to children. Staff also share essential information to inform their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager understands children’s plans and works with staff to drive actions forward. Staff and professionals spoke about the registered manager being a strong advocate for children. This helps children to have access to appropriate support, make progress and achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have audit tools in place that support them to monitor and review systems and strengthen the quality of care provided to children. The registered manager welcomes the critical feedback from the independent visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that staff access mandatory training. However, some staff have not yet received specialised training that is essential to develop their knowledge regarding children’s specific needs. This leaves a gap in staff’s ability to meet children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC480847 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children’s plans clearly record any associated risks and any support needed to reduce these risks. 14 February 2024

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff receive all the relevant support and training to help them meet the individual needs of the children. 24 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC480847 7 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

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s medical needs are reviewed appropriately, and that specialist staff are available to offer children and staff the required therapeutic support to meet children’s needs. 24 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 24 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC480847 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when they review the home’s location, they include all relevant information that assists the identification of any risks, and that they formulate strategies for managing the presenting risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 66, paragraph 15.1)

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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: SC480847 9

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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

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC480847 10 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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