Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home 2614506 1 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

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 two children with social and emotional needs, and/or children with sensory impairment.

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Information about this children's home

Two children are currently living in this home. They both spoke to the inspector during the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since 26 February 2021.

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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: 27 September 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 2614506 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/09/2023 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Good 18/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home 2614506 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they are happy living in the home. One child said, ‘It’s about the best place you could live.’ Children live in the home for a long time and have positive relationships with staff. The staff team is stable, and children build trusting relationships with the adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well decorated and well maintained. Staff work hard to ensure that the home is tidy, and support children to keep their personal spaces clean. Children personalise their bedrooms according to their tastes and interests. The environment is homely, and children are relaxed in their space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to give children positive experiences, such as holidays abroad to Lanzarote and Lapland. Staff display photos of these memories throughout the home. This ensures that children are helped to build happy memories of their childhood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek children’s views daily. Staff also sit with children to share their plans and encourage children to contribute to them. Before children’s statutory reviews, staff ensure that they have the children’s views and incorporate them into the reports that they share with professionals. This ensures that children’s views are included and at the forefront of decision-making. Children feel listened to and cared about.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have a suitable school place, although they are receiving less education than their peers. When children are struggling in the school environment, staff liaise frequently with schools to ensure that all professionals are working together and the right support is in place. Staff facilitate part-time tutoring in the home and take children to and from their provisions. Children maintain their education, even when there are changes to timetables, settings and methods of delivery.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage healthy routines. Children get up in the morning and go to bed at an appropriate time, ensuring that they are well rested for the day ahead. The children have healthy diets and are involved in lots of physical activity, such as football and bike riding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are being prepared for their adult lives. Staff assess the needs of children according to their age and capability and then teach them skills for independence in line with this. Staff work alongside the clinical team to prepare children emotionally for moving out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff work hard to build positive relationships with children’s families. These relationships have allowed them to contribute their knowledge to planning meetings. Families share information with staff to keep children safe. All the important people in children’s lives work together, and children experience joined-up care as a result. Inspection report for children's home 2614506 4

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

Children do not complain about the staff or the home. Children know how to complain if they wish to and are confident that the manager and staff would respond to their concerns.

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

Children do not go missing from this home. However, staff know the children's individual missing plans and what to do in the event they go missing.

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

Children’s risk plans are clear and contain strategies for staff to follow. They are updated regularly, and children are encouraged to contribute their views.

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

Staff understand how to keep children safe. Any incidents are dealt with appropriately and promptly, and children are protected from harm. Staff use incidents as opportunities to teach children about risk. They ensure that children are fully informed about the dangers of their behaviour, such as alcohol use.

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

Staff and the organisation’s clinical team formulate plans for discussions with children about important things in their lives. The areas of work are prioritised according to risk and need. This ensures that key areas for each child are addressed in a coordinated way. Discussions with children are thorough and relate directly to their individual needs.

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

Staff are trained to hold children safely, and use their skills to help children manage their own behaviour. Consequently, children are rarely held by staff. When children are held, this is a last resort and proportionate to the risk faced. The manager speaks with staff and the child following a hold to reflect and gain their views. The manager's oversight is thorough and considers the practice, recording and underlying issues that may be affecting the child.

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

Staff rarely use consequences to manage negative behaviour. When consequences are used, they are proportionate and related to the behaviour. Staff take opportunities to speak with children about the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. Children are learning to make social and positive choices.

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

Staff manage children’s behaviour through their relationships with children and mutual respect. The manager promotes positive reinforcement in the home, and children are rewarded by staff when they behave well. Staff meet with the clinical team regularly to discuss children’s evolving needs and their plans, which enables them to have consistent approaches and boundaries. Children know what is expected of them and feel secure as a result. Inspection report for children's home 2614506 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is actively involved in the care of children and has positive relationships with the children. Children identify the manager as someone who they trust and would approach with any worries or concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are strong advocates for children and contribute greatly to the progression of children’s plans. Both children are having increased time with their families as a result of the manager’s efforts. The manager understands the progress that children are making in relation to their plans, and takes effective action when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has several systems in place to ensure that they have clear oversight of the home. The manager ensures that any concerns are addressed in a timely way, and has robust oversight of practice and the progress that children make. The manager takes each opportunity to consider the quality of recording and seeks to understand patterns and trends in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel that the manager is approachable and development-focused. The manager takes the time to meet with individual staff to support their development needs. Staff feel that they benefit from the manager's vast experience and associated knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are regularly supervised by qualified senior staff. Casual staff also have supervision at appropriate intervals. Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended and contributed to by staff. The clinical team attends some of these meetings to discuss the children individually, consider their progress and reflect on practice. Staff have many opportunities to consider and improve their practice, both individually and as a group.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have timely appraisals. The appraisals consider all areas of practice and are detailed in their review of these areas. They contain views from other professionals that have worked with the staff member, and the children themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete all training available to them. The manager offers training in areas that are specific to the children they care for, such as teenagers and sexual health, and specific medical issues. Staff are well prepared to provide the best possible care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor comes to the home regularly. The visitor is thorough in their review of the home, and speaks with children and staff. The manager responds proportionately and promptly to any recommendations made by the visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager completes a review of the quality of care regularly. However, the most recent review did not evaluate some key areas in the home, and the identified actions did not relate to shortfalls. This limited the effectiveness of the review as a tool to improve the service. A recommendation has been made in relation to this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have positive relationships with other professionals. They communicate regularly and other professionals report that staff are responsive to queries. Staff are prepared for meetings and contribute well to them. They share their Inspection report for children's home 2614506 6 expertise of the child in professional forums, allowing well-informed decisions to be made. This allows for children to experience the best possible joined-up care. Inspection report for children's home 2614506 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should complete a review of the quality of care that identifies the areas of strength and possible weakness in the home. Actions identified should seek to address areas of weakness, and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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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 2614506 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 PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home 2614506 9 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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