Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in North Yorkshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 1 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left their role in August 2025. The responsible individual has provided oversight of the home in the absence of a manager. An acting manager started during the same week of this inspection. They have yet to apply to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. Inspectors spoke with the child.

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Inspection date: 6 October 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 2

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection was undertaken after Ofsted was notified about serious concerns for a child’s safety and well-being. We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff have not responded effectively when managing behaviour.

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Findings from the inspection

 A child has been removed from the home due to unexplained injuries, and the safeguarding response from leaders and managers has been poor.

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff have failed to follow procedures relating to safeguarding concerns.

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Findings from the inspection

 Leaders and managers have not provided effective oversight of incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

 Leaders and managers have not notified external agencies in a timely manner.

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Findings from the inspection

A local authority removed a child from the home after being concerned for the child’s safety and welfare. On visiting the child after there was a breakdown in communication with staff at the home, a social worker observed several unexplained bruises. This was after a period of unsettled behaviour and struggles for staff to keep the child safe and manage their behaviour effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

Incident reports lack detail and do not give a clear and accurate account of the physical interventions that have been used with one child. Reports have not been completed promptly, and there was disjointed information about significant incidents. Additional documents, such as body maps and accident logs, do not match details described in incident records. This means that the child’s injuries cannot be accounted for.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not follow safeguarding procedures. When the child sustained visible injuries and concerns were present about struggles to keep the child safe, these concerns were not escalated to management. Furthermore, in the absence of the responsible individual, who was on a period of leave, other leaders and managers offering support to the home neglected to explore the child’s care effectively or take any action. They did not act when records of incidents were incoherent and their response to staff when on-call managers were contacted was poor, leaving staff unsupported. This left the child at risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are not spoken to about their feelings when incidents occur. One child has had a lack of support to help them cope with difficult emotions and to try and find better ways of communicating. This means that children are not learning how to manage their feelings safely. Due to these shortfalls in practice, a child was not given opportunities to discuss behaviours that may have harmed them. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 3 When incidents have occurred, these have not been communicated to the local authority within the appropriate timescales. Professionals have raised concerns about ineffective communication.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders did not escalate concerns about staff practice to the local authority designated officer appropriately. This was done retrospectively during the inspection. Furthermore, leaders had not taken effective action to ensure that those staff working in the home continued to be safe to work with children. When these significant concerns were shared by inspectors with senior leaders, appropriate action was taken, and a satisfactory plan of action was provided about how concerns were going to be addressed.

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Findings from the inspection

One child stated that they like living in the home. This child was able to identify staff who they would go to if they had worries or concerns. Since arriving at the home, the child has settled and made steady progress.

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted held a case review on 7 October 2025. A decision was made to issue a notice of restriction to prevent children moving into the home at this time. Ofsted issued compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/06/2025 Full Good 22/10/2024 Full Good 07/11/2023 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 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 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)) 30 November

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Requirement Due date

* The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 6 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hexagon Care, 1 Tustin Court, Port Way, Ashton- on-Ribble, Preston PR2 2YQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Holly Illingworth

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Inspector

Gary Smithson, Social Care Inspector (lead) Jo Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509365 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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