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

Inspection report for children’s home for 1223501 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

This home is owned and operated by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

It is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional needs who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children are currently living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since February 2016.

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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 outstanding

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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: 10 January 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home for 1223501 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/01/2023 Full Outstanding 15/03/2022 Full Outstanding 02/10/2019 Full Good 27/11/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home for 1223501 3

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outstanding

Children have excellent relationships with staff. Professional practice is consistently of a high standard, and children are well cared for. Children remain living in the home for long periods of time when it is in their plan to do so. Staff know the children extremely well and develop secure relationships built on trust. Children have a well-developed sense of belonging to the home.

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outstanding

Staff celebrate children’s individual talents. Staff provide opportunities for children to pursue their individual interests. Staff take children to and from their activities, such as yoga and karate. Staff provide space in the home for children to develop their skills and complete projects, such as joinery and cooking. Staff and children feel proud of their skills and achievements.

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outstanding

Children have excellent relationships with each other. Staff encourage children to spend time together at mealtimes and by going on trips and holidays. There are lots of photos around the home of children enjoying activities and spending time together. Staff support children to support one another, such as by taking them all to an LGBTQ+ celebration event. Children feel valued and make happy memories of their time in the home.

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outstanding

Children make exceptional progress from their individual starting points. Staff liaise effectively with education professionals to ensure that appropriate education is in place for all children without delay. Staff provide detailed information to schools and other education professionals to ensure that children are well supported in school. Children who have struggled with school make significant progress in their attendance and attainment.

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outstanding

Staff understand children’s health needs. Staff complete training to ensure that they can provide the best possible care for conditions such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and diabetes. Staff use research and training to adapt their practice to meet children’s individual needs, such as using visual schedules and structuring morning routines. Staff teach children about their own health needs and how they can manage them in adulthood.

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outstanding

Staff support children to be involved in decisions about their own lives. Staff share information with other key agencies involved in children’s lives to ensure that the views of children are heard. Staff spend time with children before any meetings to ensure that children understand the purpose of the meetings and that their views are known, so that they can contribute meaningfully to their own plans.

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outstanding

Children spend time with their families and others who are important to them. All children have spent more time with their families because of the support offered by staff. Children’s family and friends are welcome in the home and visit often. Staff Inspection report for children’s home for 1223501 4 build positive and effective relationships with families. One parent said, ‘They’re not just [name of child]’s family; they’re my family too.’

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outstanding

Children are safe. Children trust the adults that care for them, and they feel comfortable talking to them about any of their concerns. Children are confident in how staff support them.

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outstanding

Children are helped to develop skills and strategies to manage difficult feelings through their positive relationships with staff. Staff know and use their research- informed model to provide consistency for children. Children have clear and appropriate boundaries. Children make significant progress in regulating their own emotions and managing their own behaviour.

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outstanding

Incidents are rare in the home; this is because staff know the children well and know what non-verbal cues they may show when they need help. Staff understand and use their therapeutic model to intervene at an early stage and prevent escalating risk.

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outstanding

When children are new to the home or when new risks emerge, staff spend time together to understand the risks and develop plans to mitigate them. Staff plans to reduce the risks for children are effective. Risk assessments are detailed and contain strategies for staff to use. Staff discuss changes to risk assessments as a group to ensure that they all understand the changes.

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outstanding

Risks for all children have significantly reduced. Staff have had training to ensure that they can respond appropriately to concerns, such as self-harm. Staff know how to respond to an incident of self-harm and show emotional warmth to children when they are in distress. Staff know the children well and when it is safe to leave them. Staff use research to provide children with items to help them self-soothe in times of emotional distress. Items provided to children are tailored to their individual needs.

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outstanding

Children have detailed individual missing-from-home plans. When children go missing from home, staff make every effort to locate them. Staff liaise effectively with other agencies to ensure that children return to the home quickly. Staff work hard to understand the reasons behind missing-from-home episodes and seek to reduce the risk, for example, by increasing invitations for children’s siblings to attend the home. Missing-from-home episodes have significantly reduced as a result.

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outstanding

Children are rarely held by staff. On the one occasion a child was held, it was to prevent harm to the child and was proportionate to the risk faced. The manager’s review of the incident was thorough and focused on the needs and feelings of the child. The manager spoke to staff following the incident and encouraged them to analyse and reflect on their practice. The manager directed additional training for all staff following this incident, with a view to effectively diverting behaviour at an Inspection report for children’s home for 1223501 5 earlier stage. There have been no further incidents of restraint for this child or any other.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent relationships with the children. Children identify the manager as someone they would approach to resolve any issues or concerns. Children are relaxed in the manager’s company and see them as someone important in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and leaders show ambitious vision for children. The manager advocates strongly for opportunities for children in line with their peers. This has led to the successful placement of a child in a mainstream school. Managers and leaders are professional, committed and care about the welfare of children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are well supported and developed. Staff have regular supervision with someone who is trained to deliver it. Staff supervision sessions incorporate the therapeutic model and focus on staff understanding and the use of it. Staff use the model to analyse their own practice and how to make improvements. The manager has successfully embedded the model in the home, and children receive consistent care as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has high standards of practice in the home and supports staff to achieve them. The manager has thorough oversight of incidents and focuses on practice improvement. The manager encourages team discussions to ensure that solutions and strategies are formulated to best support children using staff’s knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager nurtures staff to develop their skills beyond their roles. The manager identifies and provides training courses in specific areas of interest, such as aspiring leadership and counselling. The manager ensures that the skills are used creatively in the home. For example, the staff member with a counselling qualification provides support to staff in their practice with the children, as well as taking a lead on staff well-being in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager encourages accountability in the staff team. They have identified individual staff to be champions of specific areas. The manager shares responsibility for other tasks with the staff, such as chairing team meetings. This encourages staff to have ownership of the practice in the home; consequently, they are committed to providing the best possible care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The manager completes a review of the quality of care regularly. The review is evaluative, focuses on key issues and provides direction for the staff. The manager seeks to identify patterns and trends by analysing information and creating charts and visual aids. Inspection report for children’s home for 1223501 6 The manager and staff have excellent relationships with partner agencies. One professional said the home was ‘the most reliable, the most trustworthy and the most responsive of all the agencies I work with’. The effectiveness of relationships with other agencies enables children to have the best possible care and experiences. Inspection report for children’s home for 1223501 7

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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 for 1223501 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: Hexagon Care, 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton- on-Ribble, Preston PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home for 1223501 9 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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