Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2807906 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

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities. The home is made up of four buildings under a single registration.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in November 2024. The manager registered at the same time.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were six children living in the four settings.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2807906 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspectors spoke to five of the children about their experiences of living in the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they feel happy and enjoy living at the home. They are supported to develop a strong sense of belonging. Some children describe staff as being like family. Children benefit from warm and supportive relationships with staff. Staff know children well and the relationships give children a strong sense of security and well-being. One child said, ‘Living at this home is perfect, 10 out of 10.’

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress across all areas of their lives. The staff team has enabled children to reach their potential, through tailored support which is specific to their needs. Children have well-established daily routines which provide structure and predictability in their lives.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered opportunities to engage in activities and experiences that create positive memories for them. There are photos of the children displayed throughout the home, enabling them to develop a sense of pride.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend routine and specialist health appointments. However, one child did not have access to sun cream during a heatwave. This does not ensure that children are supported to understand the importance of protecting themselves from the sun.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers champion children’s rights to have the same opportunities as their peers, and they have challenged when children have been without education provision. This challenge has resulted in positive progress, to ensure that all children have access to the support and resources they need to achieve academically.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions into the home are carefully planned and thoughtfully managed to ensure that they are as smooth and positive as possible for each child. The needs of children moving in are carefully considered alongside the needs of those children already living there and of staff skills. Processes are thorough, taking into account the individual needs and personalities of the children, to create and promote a sense of stability for them.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are actively supported to continue seeing family and friends who are significant in their lives. This commitment to maintaining meaningful relationships contributes to the children’s emotional well-being and sense of identity.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular conversations with children to enable them to express their views and opinions. The management team actively reviews children’s feedback, and no concerns have been raised by any children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2807906 3 At the time of the inspection, tools and paint had been left in two of the buildings where children could access them. The manager took swift action to address this.

p.2

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

Children say that they feel safe in the home. Staff prioritise their safety and well-being. There is a strong safeguarding culture in the home, but this does not detract from the homely atmosphere.

p.3

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s individual risks and use strategies to ensure children’s safety. Staff have sound knowledge of safeguarding procedures and confidently apply positive behaviour management techniques that help to keep children safe.

p.3

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

Behaviour management in the home is well understood. Staff demonstrate positive role modelling when faced with challenging behaviours. This proactive approach helps to create a calm atmosphere, and physical intervention has been used only once since the home was registered.

p.3

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

No child has been missing from the home since it opened. This demonstrates the positive relationships staff and children have. Staff understand the home’s missing policy and clearly understand the necessary procedures to follow should children go missing.

p.3

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

The staff actively encourage children to develop independence skills. They provide appropriate levels of support and guidance, which encourages children to take on increasing responsibility and develop essential life skills that will help them in the future. This empowers children and prepares them for becoming more independent.

p.3

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

Staff in one of the buildings were not aware that one child was playing online games not suitable for their age. They do not ensure that children can only have access to age- appropriate games and are not subjected to potentially harmful content that could negatively impact their well-being.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and his deputies work hard to ensure that the well-being of children is a priority for the team. This clear vision creates a positive environment throughout the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular and reflective supervision sessions that include active participation from members of the management team, to enhance their oversight of the home. The ongoing support and development ensure that staff feel valued, have opportunities to discuss their practice and are equipped to provide the best possible care to the children.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and the areas identified for further development. This awareness enables them to plan for Inspection report for children’s home: 2807906 4 continuous improvement and ensure that the home consistently provides a good standard of care for the children. This includes actively responding to children’s feedback.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective partnerships between staff and external professionals and family members. This approach ensures that plans for children are well coordinated and support is in place that prioritises children’s best interests.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive targeted and ongoing training to ensure that they are equipped to meet the diverse needs of the children in their care. Staff are supported well in their professional development so that they can continue to provide effective support to all the children living in the home. However, the home’s therapeutic approach is not embedded in practice in the home. In addition, the regularity of training and details of when staff should have refresher training was not clearly recorded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2807906 5

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a homely, domestic environment and that tools and hazardous substances are stored securely. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that security settings are in place on the home’s internet-enabled devices to prevent streaming of content that is not suitable for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that children’s health needs are understood, including children having access to sun cream. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)  The registered person should ensure that the team provides high-quality care for all children living in the home and that the therapeutic approach outlines in the home’s

p.5

Recommendations

statement of purpose is home’s therapeutic approach is embedded in practice in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s workforce development plan and training matrix reflect how often the training is required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

p.5

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: 2807906 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspectors

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2807906 7 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.6

Inspectors

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 . 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.7

Inspectors

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

p.7

Inspectors

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

p.7