Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2779606 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

The home is owned by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in May 2024. There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first full 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: 2779606 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a welcoming feel and is well furnished and decorated to a good standard. Each child has a bedroom that is personalised with their own things. There are photos of the children on display along with their artwork. This helps the children to feel settled and have a sense of belonging in their home. The home offers a real family atmosphere.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff start building relationships with children before they come to live in the home. They arrange to visit children and introduce themselves before children move in. Children are developing positive and meaningful relationships with staff. Positive and caring interactions were observed between the staff members and children. This helps children to feel more at ease when coming to a new environment with new people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend education. Where there are challenges for children, staff and managers will advocate on their behalf. Staff will attend school to support children in their lessons. When this cannot be achieved, staff will support children with home learning. This ensures that all children have access to education and work towards meeting their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children take part in a range of hobbies, activities and days out. Children are encouraged to try new things and attend clubs such as football and boxing. This helps children to learn new skills, supports their social development and encourages them to explore their talents and interests. This provides children with a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to explore their heritage. One child is being supported by staff to learn their family’s native language. This helps children to connect with their culture and develop their own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their family. These are important relationships to children, and it makes a difference to know that their families are still part of their lives. Where there are concerns around family time, staff will advocate on behalf of children. This helps children to maintain important relationships and feel safe.

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improvement to be good

Children who go missing from home are at an increased risk of harm due to their young age. For example, on one occasion, both children left the home in the early hours of the morning without staff being aware. The failure of the door alarm system meant that staff were not alerted to the children leaving their rooms. The children were quickly returned to the home by police before staff were aware they had left. This could have had serious consequences for both children had they not been found so promptly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2779606 3 Children are of a young age, and on one occasion staff chose not to intervene during an incident. This meant that the child remained at risk of harm until staff contacted police to manage the child’s behaviour. This lack of action left a vulnerable child without support and exposed them to unnecessary police involvement.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and care plans are clear and individualised to each child. Plans include ways in which staff can support children to manage risks when they arise. All the relevant documents are on the children’s files. There are checklists in place for important documents to ensure staff members are kept up to date and fully aware of the children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to behave positively using a rewards system. Children can earn certificates, and there is a record of their achievements. When consequences are imposed, they are restorative in nature and help children to understand the impact of their behaviour and learn from their mistakes. This helps children to feel supported by staff and encourages their good behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that all new staff are checked and vetted before working in the home. Safer recruitment checks are completed. This helps to ensure that the adults working in the home are suitable to do so, thus keeping the children safer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and has high aspirations for both children. The manager knows the children well and has a good understanding of their early experiences and how these may impact them. The manager has a strong focus on providing therapeutic care to children and speaks warmly about each of them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works collaboratively with partnership agencies. When difficulties arise with partnership agencies, the manager shows strong leadership skills in advocating for children. The manager challenges decision-making to ensure that the well-being of the children is central and that their needs are being fully met. This helps children’s voices to be heard and influence important decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When staff come to work at the home, they are provided with an induction and complete a probationary period. Staff have commented that they feel well supported by the manager and the team. One staff member commented that it was the best team of staff they have ever worked with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains good oversight of the needs of staff and their development. This is achieved through regular supervision that focuses on their strengths and areas for development. Supervision is reflective in nature and helps staff to feel supported in their role. Inspection report for children’s home: 2779606 4 All staff members have completed the organisation’s mandatory training and some additional training linked to the children’s specific needs. However, staff have not completed training to support one child in relation to their complex behaviour. Consequently, the needs of one child may not be fully understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff sometimes use stigmatising language in children’s documents; for example, referring to the children's behaviour as being 'dysregulated'. This is not helpful to the child and is not child-friendly language. Inspection report for children’s home: 2779606 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)) 6 January 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. In particular that training is available to support staff with the specific needs of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third- party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2779606 6

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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: 2779606 7

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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

Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2779606 8 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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