Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 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

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for two children who have experienced childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

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Outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

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Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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Outstanding

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2023

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Outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2023 Full Good 06/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 3

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outstanding

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. The manager and staff provide excellent care, which is nurturing, warm and loving. The children feel loved and valued by the adults caring for them, which has boosted their self- esteem and confidence considerably. Because of the high-quality care they receive, children feel that they can achieve their career aspirations and have become more ambitious for themselves.

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outstanding

Children receive individualised care that meets all of their needs. Staff work with children and look at what the children can do without help, what they can do with help and what they have not yet achieved. Together, they set small, achievable goals, which they then review.

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outstanding

Both children have made exceptional progress in different areas of their lives, which they are proud of and eager to share. Parents, teachers, health professionals and social workers echo these sentiments.

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outstanding

Both children are in education and doing amazingly well, despite previously experiencing some gaps in their learning. One of the children has made outstanding progress with their independence skills and feels ready for their transition into adult life. The child can now manage, monitor and review their medication, they travel independently, have a job that they have maintained and have a healthy social life that they enjoy.

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outstanding

Children have lots of positive experiences. They enjoy overnight stays with their friends, friends visit the home and the children have regular family time. Staff also help children to experience new things. For example, one child wanted a holiday in a country where he could experience eating at a fast-food restaurant and where his dietary needs linked to his religion could be met. Staff took him on holiday, and he made some amazing memories that he will cherish for a long time.

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outstanding

Staff offer children various opportunities to express their wishes and feelings. This is through individual and group conversations, key-work sessions and children’s meetings. Staff act on what children say, and when this is not possible, staff take the time to explain this to the children and outline the reasons why. The children feel listened to and valued.

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outstanding

The home is warm, welcoming and beautifully decorated. One of the children has a pet rabbit, which she absolutely adores and looks after well. Both children have personalised their bedrooms and made them their own. Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 4

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

The manager and staff role model positive behaviours and offer the children consistent boundaries. Staff use restorative practice and incentives to reinforce positive behaviours. Children are learning to self-regulate their emotions better and can keep themselves safe.

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

Staff know the children exceptionally well and so can pre-empt, manage and reduce risks to children. They work collaboratively with partner agencies, and risks to children have been reduced. On the rare occasions when safeguarding incidents occur, the manager and staff follow safeguarding policies and procedures to keep children safe. They inform relevant agencies, including Ofsted.

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

The manager encourages the children to voice their worries. When they do, the manager listens, investigates, takes action when needed and gives feedback to the children. This good practice helps children to feel safe and cared for.

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

The manager and staff enable children to take age-appropriate risks and have appropriate freedoms. For example, one of the children, who is soon to move on to supported accommodation, spends more time out with his friends and stays out later, in line with his age and stage of development. This decision was made together with the child and his social worker.

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

Safer recruitment processes are thorough and robust. This helps to ensure that safe adults care for the children.

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

The manager promotes equality and diversity in the home through formal and informal discussions with staff and the children. The staff team is diverse, and the children are from different cultural and religious backgrounds. They are supported to respect each other and so enjoy living together.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led and managed by an extremely ambitious, driven, skilled and knowledgeable manager. She is nurturing, patient, caring, loving and empathetic. Partner agencies described the manager as warm and affectionate towards the children. She is child-focused and aspirational for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has highly effective monitoring tools, some of which she has devised herself and are now being used across the organisation. She is extremely organised and knows her staff and children well. Shortfalls are swiftly identified and promptly addressed, with minimal impact on children’s experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff practice constantly evolves, so they continue to meet the children’s needs at various stages of their development. They consistently review children’s care and use reflective learning, looking at what has gone well and what has not, and what they can do differently. Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 5 Staff meetings take place regularly. The manager uses this platform to discuss with staff children’s care plans and risk assessments and to look at what progress the children are making and what support is required. Team dynamics are discussed, and the importance of working with each other and following the organisation’s code of conduct is discussed. Any issues arising are dealt with promptly to prevent escalation. This means that children receive consistent care from a stable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Parents speak highly of the manager, staff and the excellent quality of care that they give to the children. One parent described the positive differences in their child, who is now happy, settled and looking forward to the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have confidence in the manager. They say that she has brought positive changes to the home. They feel listened to and valued, and they are eager to look after the children and keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager, staff and clinical team place significant emphasis on supporting the children’s emotional and mental well-being. Staff have received extensive training from the clinical team to enable them to better understand children’s emotional and mental health needs.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2634698 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hexagon Care, 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton- on-Ribble, Preston PR2 2YQ

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Shannon Thomas-smith

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2634698 7 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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