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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC484247 1 SC484247

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Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were five children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC484247 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2023 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Outstanding 01/12/2021 Full Good 11/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC484247 3

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outstanding

The children who live at this home receive a high standard of consistent and nurturing care. Staff know the children well, and they understand how individual children’s experiences impact on their lives. Staff hold children in high regard. They want the best for all children and are committed to helping children achieve in all areas of their lives. Children are settled, happy and are making progress.

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outstanding

Staff understand the importance of building open and honest relationships with children, and they are committed to providing children with unconditional care. Children enjoy secure and trusting relationships with staff. Children said that they can talk to staff about how they are feeling, and they said that staff help them. One child said that the staff team is like a family. Children describe feeling loved and cared about in cards they sent to staff when they moved out of the home. One child wrote, ‘I felt loved, appreciated, cared for, listened to and safe. You taught me how to let people in when I needed to the most.’ Another child wrote, ‘Thank you for all you have done for me.’

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outstanding

Children are provided with outstanding help and support to prepare them to live independently when they reach adulthood. Outcomes for children who have moved out of this home have been highly positive. The children who have recently moved on have engaged in further education, training or full-time employment. Some children have learned to drive, and some children have secured their own private tenancies. Children continue their friendships, and they keep in touch with staff and the other children who currently live at the home. One child wrote, ‘Thank you for helping me have a better understanding of life and helping me turn from a teenager into a young adult. I will never forget what you have done for me.’

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outstanding

Children enjoy a healthy lifestyle, and they are in good physical health. Staff support children to attend their health appointments. When children have additional needs, staff ensure that they have access to the right treatment and support. Staff work collaboratively with therapeutic services to ensure that they are equipped to provide children with care that benefits their emotional and mental health. One professional said, ‘Children receive good-quality care because the staff are trauma-informed.’

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outstanding

Staff understand the barriers to children’s education, and they advocate for children to ensure that they are receiving the right support. Some children, who have previously not attended school, are now accessing education, making progress and have achieved formal qualifications. Two children have received awards for exceptional progress in their education. Staff have high aspirations for children, which means that children are aspirational about their own education and future employment. Staff provide children with individual support with their learning, which Inspection report for children’s home: SC484247 4 has helped one child to improve their reading skills and other children to gain skills, which has helped them to secure training and paid employment.

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outstanding

Children are consulted with regularly about the care they are receiving, and they are involved in decisions made about the home. Staff ensure that children are heard and that their wishes and views are listened to and considered. Some children are involved with the children’s council, which provides them with the opportunity to share their opinions and influence the care that children receive.

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outstanding

Family time is promoted in line with children’s plans, and children are supported to spend time with their friends. Staff build positive and supportive relationships with children’s families, and they help children to maintain positive relationships with people who are important in their lives. For some children, this has meant that they are now staying overnight with their families.

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outstanding

Staff talk to children about a range of topics specific to children’s individual needs, and they help children to build their self-esteem. This positive approach has helped some children to overcome their anxieties and to have improved confidence in social situations. Children’s identity, cultural and religious needs are understood and being met.

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outstanding

Children are provided with a variety of activities that reflect their individual hobbies and interests, such as horse-riding, art and crafts and swimming. Children enjoy lots of fun days out to the seaside, theme parks, picnics and to see the animals at the farm and zoo. They take part in lots of new experiences such as scuba diving, boat excursions and driving on a jeep safari while on a holiday abroad with staff.

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outstanding

Children’s experiences and memories are captured in photos, videos and memorabilia that they can take with them when they leave the home. One child, who has now moved out of the home, wrote, ‘I appreciate the memories and I will treasure them forever, because you have shown me how much there is to life.’

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outstanding

The risks to children have reduced since they moved into this home. For some children, risks relating to self-harm have reduced remarkably. Staff are naturally curious about how children are feeling; they have open and honest conversations with children, and they respond sensitively when children are experiencing difficult emotions. Staff talk to children about their experiences, and they are committed to helping children make sense of their emotions and develop better coping strategies. Children said that they feel safe and cared for.

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outstanding

Risk assessments and behaviour plans identify all known risks to the children. They are detailed and kept under review by the manager. Staff are clear about the steps to follow to reduce some of those risks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC484247 5 Staff ensure that there are safeguards to protect children when they are using devices and accessing the internet. Staff are imaginative in their approach when they talk to the child about risks. They use various activities to engage children. Records show that they use research-based material to inform the direct work that they do with the children.

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outstanding

Children rarely go missing from home. There are clear procedures in place for staff to follow should this happen, and staff understand their responsibilities to children who go missing. There has been just one occasion when a child has been missing from home. Staff were proactive in reporting the child as missing and searching for the child until they were found. The child was provided with the opportunity to speak to an independent person when they returned home to help staff better understand and respond to future concerns.

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outstanding

Children are provided with structure and consistent boundaries, and they enjoy secure relationships with staff. This predictability provides children with a sense of stability and security, which has helped them to be settled. Holds and restraints on the children have not been used, and staff rarely apply consequences in response to children’s behaviour.

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outstanding

Allegations and complaints are taken seriously, investigated and shared with safeguarding professionals. An allegation was shared with the inspector during this inspection. This information has been shared with senior managers to allow them to investigate the concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior staff have a wealth of experience in caring for children. The manager is ambitious about the quality of care children experience, and they are committed to ensuring that children have positive outcomes and achieve their full potential. These aspirations are the goals of the whole staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager values his staff and provides them with effective leadership and support. Staff receive regular supervision that is reflective and provides them with the opportunity to discuss the children’s plans. Team meetings happen regularly and are well attended. Staff said they are happy and feel supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective internal and external monitoring and auditing systems. The manager has good oversight of the quality of care and staff development, and any shortfalls are swiftly addressed. This ensures that the children continue to receive a high standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is promoted at this home. There is thorough induction provided to new staff, and all staff’s performance is reviewed regularly by the manager. Staff receive a wide range of training, which includes training in areas specific to the children’s needs. Team meetings are used as a training opportunity to refresh staff’s safeguarding knowledge. Inspection report for children’s home: SC484247 6 The manager embraces a multi-agency approach to ensure that children receive the right help. He is a strong advocate for the children and appropriately challenges and escalates concerns, ensuring that children’s needs are met. For some children, this has meant that the barriers to their education have been removed, and they are now attending education with the right support in place. Inspection report for children’s home: SC484247 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: SC484247 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: Unit 1 Tustin Court, Riversway, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC484247 9 regulates and inspects 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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