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

Inspection report for children's home: SC479650 1 SC479650 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 operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to six children of the same gender who may experience social and emotional difficulties. Children living in the home also have access to the organisation’s school and therapy departments. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this site.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children were living in the home. They all spoke with the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 16 and 17 March 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: SC479650 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2023 Full Good 09/02/2022 Full Good 04/12/2019 Full Outstanding 12/12/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC479650 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in the home. They say they feel happy, safe and loved. One child said, ‘This is my home. It’s like a family here.’ Another child described the home as ‘good’ and the staff as ‘nice’. Staff provide a high standard of care and are committed to improving outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have lived in the home for several years and have been supported to develop trusting and positive relationships with staff. One child said that the best thing about living at the home is ‘how well everyone gets on’. Children enjoy spending time with staff both inside and outside of the home. They feel able to talk to staff about any worries or concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage children to make progress in education and are ambitious for them to do well. Children routinely attend either school or college, with some children attending the school on site. Staff have developed effective working relationships with school staff and are highly regarded. One educational professional said, ‘The home is fab. Their communication and involvement are absolutely brilliant.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s healthcare needs and support them to attend routine and specialist health appointments. Children are encouraged to be physically active and maintain a healthy diet. Staff provide children with healthy meals, which children help to plan and cook. One child said that staff helped him to lose weight, and this has improved his health, confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s interests are nurtured, and they are involved in a wide variety of activities, including day trips out, fishing, country walks and caravan holidays. Photos of these experiences are displayed throughout the home. Children are supported to develop their understanding of their own and other cultures. This helps children to develop their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large and spacious. It is comfortable, welcoming and personalised. Children’s bedrooms are furnished to meet their needs and decorated based on their choices. However, some areas appear tired, and it was identified during the inspection that loose blind cords on window fittings in a child’s bedroom, a bathroom and a conservatory pose a hazard to some children.

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

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are well understood. Their risk plans are thorough, individualised and clear. However, not all children had statutory plans on file. This is something that the manager took swift action to resolve during the inspection. Inspection report for children's home: SC479650 4 Children are encouraged to develop their skills in preparation for becoming more independent. Older children are helped to prepare for adult life. One child, who will leave the home this year, knows how to budget, shop and cook their own meals.

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

Children and staff are supported by an excellent in-house therapeutic team. Children receive individual weekly input from a psychologist. This helps them to understand and manage their feelings and behaviours safely. Staff supplement this learning by providing regular opportunities for children to explore relevant issues.

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

Staff are trained in a therapeutic model that is used in their day-to-day practice for the benefit of the children. Appropriate and consistent boundaries are in place, providing stability and a safe environment for the children. Positive behaviour is routinely encouraged and rewarded, which the children respond well to.

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

Children do not go missing from the home, and staff have not needed to hold children to keep them safe. This indicates that children feel settled and secure at the home.

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place to ensure that only adults who are safe to work with children are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and enthusiastic. He is supported by an experienced and knowledgeable deputy. Together, they provide clear leadership and guidance to the team and are committed to improving outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home and feel fully supported by managers. Staff are provided with regular opportunities to discuss and reflect on their practice, either as needed or during supervision and team meetings. New ways of working are regularly discussed at team meetings to help develop and improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff are up to date with training and development. Staff value the training opportunities on offer. New staff benefit from a thorough induction programme that equips them with the right skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager regularly monitors the quality of care provided to the children. The home’s rota is an accurate record of the hours all staff work in the home. However, the home’s statement of purpose has not been updated to reflect changes in the number of staff who regularly sleep over at the home. Inspection report for children's home: SC479650 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 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

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that window fittings do not present any hazards to children. 31 May 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all areas of the home are maintained to a high standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s statement of purpose is kept under review and that it accurately reflects the night-time staffing arrangements in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should liaise with children’s placing authorities to ensure that children’s plans are received in a timely manner and that any delays are escalated in accordance with the provider’s escalation policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3) Inspection report for children's home: SC479650 6

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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: SC479650 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: 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Zillah Brooks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC479650 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 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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