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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482517 1 SC482517

p.1

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The privately run home provides care for up to four children aged between 11 and 17 years old with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since February 2024.

p.1

Inspection date: 20 March 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Inspection date: 20 March 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

p.1

Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: SC482517 2

p.1

Findings 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.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. They have formed positive relationships with staff and said that staff have taken time to get to know them, which makes them feel cared for and valued. Staff supported three children to move on from the home in a planned way, which helped them to settle in their new homes.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The children do not have good routines. The children were all still in their bedrooms at the start of this inspection and were not ready for the school day. A lack of routines and boundaries affects children’s engagement with their learning. It is not clear that staff are working consistently and effectively with children to ensure that children are well prepared for, and supported, to engage with their tutors and lessons each day.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Managers have requested meetings with teachers and other relevant education professionals to look at how best they can support the children to re-engage with their learning.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

The home environment is not warm and welcoming. Most rooms in the home are in need of redecoration, as they look tired, and some carpets looked dirty. Senior managers were aware of this and were already in the process of addressing this shortfall.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

One child is living in the annexe attached to the home. Staff and managers have supported them to develop good independence skills such as budgeting, cooking and finding a job. However, there have been occasions when staff and managers excluded the child from socialising with peers and staff. For example, they did not allow him to take part in joint activities and give him access to the main house. This has left the child feeling lonely and isolated at times. Senior managers have intervened and rectified this.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

On some occasions, staff have struggled to manage the children’s behaviour despite some of the behaviours being quite low level. For example, there was an incident which lasted for several hours during the night which meant that the children did not sleep. Senior managers have now introduced incentive systems which the children are engaging with, and incidents are slowly reducing.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

When children go missing from home, staff follow children’s missing-from-home protocols. They work well with other professionals such as social workers and the police to support the children to return home safely. They exercise professional curiosity to find out why the children went missing and how they can support them to keep them safe. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482517 3 At the time of the inspection, the manager post was vacant. A new manager has been recruited and was due to start work in April 2024. The monitoring and reviewing of the home are poor and are not leading to sustained improvement, which is impacting on the quality of care given to children. Senior managers are aware of this and have put in place an action plan to address all shortfalls.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/12/2021 Full Good 11/03/2020 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482517 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff—

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.4

Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

p.4

Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

p.4

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

p.4

Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(vii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii)) 31 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482517 5 The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 31 May 2024

p.5

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.5

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.5

Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 31 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482517 6 communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.5

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

p.6

Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi))

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(e)(h)) 31/05/2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482517 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1 Tustin Court, Riversway, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

p.7

Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC482517 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8