Children's home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Preston

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 1 SC480854 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider runs this home. The home offers care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this monitoring visit, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2019.

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This monitoring visit

At an assurance visit in March 2025, serious shortfalls were found in safeguarding practice and in the leadership and management arrangements in the home. As a result, Ofsted issued compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the steps in the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and responsible individual have completed a detailed overview of the home. The changes implemented by leaders and managers have been effective in improving the quality of care for the children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

One child has moved from the home since the last visit. Two children continue to live in the home. The children have been provided with improved structures and routines in their day-to-day life. Staff have supported the children to make progress and attend education. There have been no incidents where it is been necessary to hold the children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 2 Since the last inspection, there have been two safeguarding incidents. These have been well managed, with clear management oversight and an analysis of each incident. Staff have been provided with opportunities to talk following the incidents. The records of the incidents are detailed and provide a full overview of the incident and action taken by staff.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans have been amended to ensure that they contain all the children’s known risks. The written plans also contain clear strategies for staff to follow to ensure that children are safe. There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. However, staff understand what action to take if there was an incident.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last visit, staff have received additional training. This has focused on important areas of care, including autism, bullying and substance misuse. There are plans for staff to receive training on attachment theory and child development. Staff said the training has been useful and valuable. Managers have provided staff with a reflective journal to ensure that staff can consider the learning from the training and how to embed this in their practice. The training has helped to increase staff confidence and knowledge.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are supported by managers and receive regular supervision. Staff feel able to ask the manager and responsible individual for additional support if required. Managers have improved oversight in the home and have been part of the daily meetings between staff. In addition, the deputy manager has completed discussions with staff to ensure that all tasks have been completed to the expected standard.

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This monitoring visit

Therefore, the provider has taken sufficient action to meet the steps identified in the compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The additional requirements issued at the last visit were not considered as part of this monitoring visit and will be considered as part of the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/09/2024 Full Good 09/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/09/2022 Full Good 24/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they are able to meet all the needs of children who are moving into the home.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must consider the timing of children’s transitions into the home as part of the decision- making processes about when children should move into the home. 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 5 The registered person must ensure that—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is a clear record in place of all incidents when it has been necessary to hold a child. 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 6 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to understand the impact of their behaviour on other children, and manage relationships between children to prevent harm. 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 7

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under The Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 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, Lancashire PR2 2YQ

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Inspector

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC480854 9 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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