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

Inspection report children’s home: 2608195 1 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025.

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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for the children’s home: 2608195 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2024 Full Good 19/09/2023 Full Good 15/03/2023 Full Good 09/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for the children’s home: 2608195 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living at the home and are making good progress. Children say, ‘it feels like home and the staff feel like family’. When they have a problem, they seek guidance and support from staff. Children feel safe and have a strong sense of stability.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents speak highly of staff skills and dedication to the children’s needs. They say children are now more able to express their feelings positively because they receive calm and nurturing support from staff. Children live at a home where staff provide genuine and unconditional care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children raise complaints, staff listen without judgement and respond promptly. Managers investigate complaints objectively and provide children with a clear response. Children feel listened to and are confident in communicating their needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff prioritise and support children’s education. Neither child was attending school at the time of the last inspection. However, one child is now attending school, and the other child has progressed from school to college. Both children are pursuing their interests and have clear ambitions for their future careers.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to spend time with the people who are important to them. When one child asked to spend more time with their family more, the staff advocated on their behalf. As a result, the child’s time with family increased, and the child said this would not have happened without staff support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The downstairs area of the home is modern and immaculately presented. Staff encourage children to be involved in decorating the home to reflect the different school term holidays. Following consultation with the children, the conservatory is now a gym. However, some upstairs areas appear tired, with certain furniture and furnishings showing signs of age and wear. For example, there are areas of black mould in the bathroom and the carpet in one child’s bedroom is worn. This means that children do not have a consistently well maintained and homely environment to live in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to learn everyday tasks to develop their independence. For example, staff encourage children to cook their own meals, change fuses and do their own washing. However, managers do not ensure that the children’s most recent pathway plans are available. This means that staff support is not always well planned and does not consistently involve children in setting clear goals.

p.3

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

Staff know how to keep children safe. They follow guidance that is regularly updated to meet each child’s individual needs. This targeted approach has reduced the risks for both children. Inspection report for the children’s home: 2608195 4 Incidents of children going missing from the home have reduced. When children go missing, staff respond promptly and ensure their safe return. Staff use professional curiosity to understand why a child went missing, helping the child find ways to prevent it from happening again.

p.3

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

Safer recruitment checks are carried out with all new staff. This ensures that children are cared for by a skilled and safe staff team.

p.4

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

Managers and staff have not effectively addressed the risks of both children using e cigarettes. Children are not allowed to have e cigarettes in their bedrooms, but staff do not consistently uphold this policy. Additionally, staff do not regularly talk with children to help them understand the health risks associated with e cigarettes and how to reduce their use.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change of registered manager since the last inspection. The new registered manager knows the children well. having previously been the deputy manager. She encourages feedback to help improve the care of the children. Staff say they feel supported by her, and the children describe her as a great manager.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers challenge professionals respectfully and escalate concerns effectively. When one child was unhappy with a decision about their care, managers supported them to make a complaint. This ensured that the child’s voice was central to their care planning.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision and team meetings take place regularly. They provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and receive constructive feedback from managers. Staff are motivated to develop in their roles while keeping children at the centre of their practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive support from a therapist employed by the provider. This helps them reflect and make positive changes to how they support the children. However, staff have not received training specific to children’s needs, including e cigarettes and substance misuse. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to meet children’s individual needs and ensure their safety. Inspection report for the children’s home: 2608195 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that copies of the children’s most recent pathway plan are available. Additionally, children must be consulted with to produce clear independence plans to help them prepare for their transition out of the home. 11 February 2026

p.5

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.5

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and 11 February 2026 Inspection report for the children’s home: 2608195 6 children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) and (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to understand the risks of using e cigarettes and help them to reduce their use. Additionally, staff must ensure that the policy prohibiting e-cigarettes and lighters in bedrooms is clearly communicated to children and consistently enforced, with action taken if this is not followed to keep children safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 11 February 2026 Inspection report for the children’s home: 2608195 7 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is decorated, furnished, cleaned and maintained to a good standard throughout. Furniture in children’s bedrooms should be of good quality.

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff engage in training specific to the children’s individual needs in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

p.7

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 the children’s home: 2608195 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for the children’s home: 2608195 9 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.8

Inspector

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9