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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2653835 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 provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection. Two other children have lived at the home since the last 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 outstanding

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good

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

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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: 2653835 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2024 Full Good 20/09/2023 Full Good 04/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2653835 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress while living at the home. Staff understand the areas children need support in and work creatively to help them develop. Staff monitor the progress of children to ensure that they have a detailed understanding of their current needs, which then informs targeted support for the child’s development. One parent said their child has been ‘100% supported by the staff’ to improve on many areas in their life, especially their personal hygiene, health and behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a diverse range of activities and clubs, which has positively impacted on their well-being and personal development. They have discovered new interests and talents that were previously inaccessible to them before moving into the home, such as cycling and hiking. Staff provide consistent support and encouragement to the children and actively participate alongside them. Children enjoy the participation of staff, which helps them to feel included and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support children to access education, acting as strong advocates and challenging other professionals where necessary. Staff have organised and facilitated virtual learning with one child’s school due to the distance from the home. This has provided continuity for the child, which they have engaged positively with. Education is highly valued within the home, with staff regularly enhancing children’s educational experiences through activities such as museum visits and charity work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When a child is due to leave the home, there is careful planning with the child’s welfare at the forefront of decision-making. The child is sensitively supported through inclusive discussions and preparation. Successful transitions reflect the staff’s strong understanding of the child and the consistent support they provide. The child is provided with a beautifully designed memory book to remember their time at the home. Children who leave the home often keep in touch with staff, which demonstrates the positive relationships that have been built.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support children in expressing their wishes and feelings through child- friendly means, including weekly meetings that capture the child’s voice. Weekly meetings also record staff responses to the child’s views and any actions taken to enhance their experiences in the home. Staff also use regular structured discussions with the child to address important issues. For example, when one child was reluctant to attend a health appointment, a targeted session helped to explore and ease their concerns, resulting in the child attending the appointment.

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

Children’s risks consistently decrease during their time in the home, often rapidly. This is partly due to staff’s strong understanding of the child’s comprehensive risk assessments. These include detailed strategies, which are aligned with the home’s Inspection report for children’s home: 2653835 4 therapeutic model of care. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the current needs and areas of progress that the child has made.

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

Staff actively assess a child’s vulnerabilities and work with the child to reduce risks through regular structured discussions. These sessions sometimes incorporate research to further educate the child around their risks. The child is encouraged to reflect on what they have learned and how to use this information to keep themselves safe. When a child’s risks decrease, they are supported to access further opportunities. For example, one child was subject to a court order, which put restrictions on them. These restrictions gradually reduced due to the progress that they had made. This eventually led to the child enjoying unsupervised time in the community in a safe and measured way.

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

Relationships between children and staff are built on trust and respect and play a key role in the consistent reduction of risk. Children feel safe, heard and supported, which contributes to a decrease in behaviours that could put them at risk. For example, one child held a negative, distrustful view of the police, contributing to some of their negative behaviours. Through trusting relationships with staff, the child engaged with visiting police community support officers and developed a more positive and balanced perception of the police.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been no missing-from-care incidents, physical interventions or police callouts to manage behaviour. Children genuinely enjoy spending time with the staff and respect and understand the boundaries that are put in place to protect them. Staff support children effectively in line with their care plans, without the reliance on police interventions, which protects the child from being criminalised unnecessarily.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff meetings are held regularly, with strong staff attendance. There is an emphasis on the child’s welfare and actions staff can take to improve areas in the child’s life. Staff are encouraged to create presentations based on their own research to share with the team. Staff’s knowledge of what they have learned is tested in the meeting, which supports their ongoing development. Actions are set at each meeting and reviewed in subsequent meetings to track and monitor progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive the home’s mandatory training to safeguard and support children effectively. Additional training is sourced to address the specific needs of each child coming to live at the home. This provides staff with a personalised understanding of how best to support the child in line with their care plan. Regular supervision sessions support staff to discuss training opportunities, which would benefit the child. This feedback from staff is quickly actioned by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is fully staffed to meet the child’s needs, which provides the child with consistent support and stability. There are robust recruitment checks in place to ensure that any individuals coming to work at the home are safe and suitable. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2653835 5 manager encourages applicants to visit the home and goes above and beyond to ensure candidates have the personal attributes to best meet the needs of the child. Staff work diligently to build positive relationships with the child through nurturing support and a detailed understanding of the child’s needs. Staff speak highly of the children they have cared for, with one member of staff describing it as a ‘privilege’ to be in this role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak highly of the management team and feel well supported. They value the autonomy provided by the manager, which fosters their learning and development. Staff say the manager is committed to their career growth and offers regular opportunities for them to engage in tasks that build their confidence and understanding. One staff member said there is a ‘culture of continuous improvement, which directly benefits the children who receive consistent, compassionate and well- informed care’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team is strong and works collaboratively to ensure effective oversight of the home, supported by a range of monitoring tools. The manager’s ability to delegate tasks with confidence has significantly benefited the home. It has enabled the management team to spend more quality time with the children, which they enjoy. This ability to delegate has also empowered the staff, who value the manager’s trust and confidence in their decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is transitioning to a new record-keeping system, which has presented challenges. The management team has proactively addressed these and has visited other children’s homes to see how they use the system, taking tips and ideas to inform their own effective use. The management team has also supported the staff through group training sessions, which has improved their confidence and knowledge. The manager places a strong emphasis on making sure the system is child friendly and personalised to meet the needs of individual children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is deeply committed to achieving the best outcomes for children, taking time to build relationships and engaging with them regularly, even on weekends when not scheduled to work. This dedication reflects his passion for ensuring that children feel safe, respected and cared for. This commitment is shared by the entire management and staff team, who consistently go above and beyond to demonstrate their care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2653835 6

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2653835 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

Ladean Wilson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2653835 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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