Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2771122 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

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024. This is the first inspection of the home following its registration.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke to the two children who were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2771122 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living at this home. The manager and staff have created a friendly and homely atmosphere. There are strong and positive relationships between children and staff. The staff and manager speak very highly of the children. Interaction between the staff and the children is warm and affectionate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is an important focus for staff. Children attend school on a full-time basis. Staff understand children’s educational needs and promote learning in the home. Children’s educational achievements are widely recognised and celebrated. Children are also supported to learn independence skills in accordance with their ability and understanding. As a result, children are helped to prepare for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children. Children, including those who communicate nonverbally, are supported to actively take part in decisions that affect their day-to-day living arrangements. They are helped to use the most appropriate communication methods to express their views, wishes and feelings. This means that children are fully involved in the decisions made about their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative in helping children to have positive experiences. As a result, the children enjoy a wide range of varied activities, for example going on holiday. For one child, this is a new and valuable experience. This promotes children’s emotional development and enriches their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to maintain relationships with the important people in their lives. Staff support children to spend time with family members in the community. When appropriate, parents receive weekly written updates about their children and are encouraged to be an active part of their child’s life. This helps to preserve these lifelong relationships for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into and on from the home, the managers ensure that these moves are well planned. This involves working closely with families, social workers and other external professionals. Children’s involvement is specific to their individual needs and understanding. Therefore, children are supported throughout this period of change. One child had moved out of the home earlier than expected, and the manager did not complete a lesson learned exercise to identify learning. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to improve practice.

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

The children’s care plans are detailed and updated regularly. Clear guidance is embedded in the care plans to ensure that staff have a consistent approach to supporting the children. Staff know the risks for the children and have a good understanding of the strategies required to mitigate these. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771122 3 When there are safeguarding concerns, there is a swift and effective response from managers and staff. Staff at all levels take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously, working together to ensure that safeguarding responses are thorough. This creates a culture where safeguarding children is central to staff’s practice.

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

The children have a clear understanding of their routine and what their day entails. Children are helped to understand the rules in the home, and staff maintain consistent expectations. There is an emphasis on praise and encouragement. This provides a sense of security for the children and helps promote their well-being.

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

Staff hold children as a last resort to keep everyone safe. Staff keep professionals and families informed following any incidents. However, the manager has missed an opportunity to demonstrate that they have reviewed the effectiveness of this practice in a timely manner, as some incidents were recorded and reviewed outside of the required timescale.

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

Complaints received are dealt with as appropriate by an independent investigator in the organisation. However, the manager does not keep a record of the complaint, the action taken in response or the outcome of any investigation. This has hindered the manager’s ability to implement the learning identified from the complaint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At the time of the inspection, the registered manager was on planned leave. The responsible individual and the deputy manager have taken on the role of supporting the staff and overseeing the running of the home. This has ensured that the quality of care remains consistent when the manager is not at work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leaders provide clear leadership and guidance to the staff. They have extensive knowledge of the needs of children with SEND use this to provide them with good care. The responsible individual conducts a monthly audit of the home to assist the managers in improving the management oversight of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers ensure that all staff receive training to meet the individual needs of the children. Bespoke training helps the staff to better understand the children’s specific needs. This has provided staff with the skills and knowledge to care for the children safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff have positive working relationships with partner agencies, schools and family members. This ensures that the children are at the centre of a network of support. Feedback from professionals has been positive about the care provided to the children by the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2771122 4

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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 registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 30 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2771122 5 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3)) 30 October 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2771122 6

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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

Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2771122 7 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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