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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2603286 1 Registered provider: Hexagon Care Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 4 children who have learning disabilities and additional learning needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager who is experienced and holds the required qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 4 children were living at the home. All were spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 11 February 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2603286 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2025 Full Outstanding 20/02/2024 Full Outstanding 01/03/2023 Full Outstanding 28/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2603286 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff ensure that the home is furnished to a high standard and truly feels like a family home. Children’s achievements are celebrated, and photos of important memories are displayed throughout, creating a sense of pride and belonging. Both staff and children say it genuinely feels like their home. Staff provide an exceptionally nurturing, family-centred environment, and the warm, welcoming atmosphere is rooted in the strong, trusting relationships they have with the children. Everyday life is embraced and enjoyed together, helping children to develop a deep sense of belonging, security, and stability. One child said, [management and staff] ‘became my family, they mean everything to me. I honestly don’t know where I would be without them’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children who are new to the home are welcomed with sensitivity, thoughtful planning, and genuine care. Moves into the home are meticulously organised, ensuring that each child’s needs are fully understood and met. The team remain committed to children even when they move on, recognising the significance of such life-changing transitions and striving to secure the best outcomes. Children enjoy long-term stability and meaningful connections, often living in the home for extended periods. They are cared for by staff who know them exceptionally well and who understand their individual needs. Children consistently express how much they enjoy living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make exceptional progress across all areas of their development. This is a direct result of the highly personalised care that is thoughtfully adapted to meet each child’s individual needs. Children show clear improvements in communication, social interaction, emotional regulation and independence. They are increasingly confident, engaged and able to access learning opportunities. One child presented with select mutism at the point of moving to the home. However, because of staff’s non-judgemental approach, continued support and unwavering commitment the child’s confidence in communicating grew and they are now able to speak in sentences to make their needs and wishes known.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are in very good health. Staff support them to attend medical appointments and maintain a healthy lifestyle, ensuring that they eat a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. When children have not wanted to attend appointments, staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure that children understand the importance of looking after their health and support them to address associated phobias and fears. One social worker said, `The manager is a strong advocate for children. She questioned the medication regime for [child name] when she identified adverse side effects, challenging health professionals to ensure the best outcome for them’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are making excellent progress in their education. Staff work closely with education providers to overcome barriers to school attendance. One child, who had been out of education for five years, was sensitively supported to re-engage and gradually attend the organisation’s school. With clear routines and consistent encouragement, they Inspection report for children’s home: 2603286 4 have grown in confidence and sat their exams this year. This is a remarkable achievement. Another child who recently moved to the home is now attending education three days a week, and the manager continues to advocate strongly to the local authority for a full-time education package.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff actively encourage children to take part in a wide range of activities, both within the home and in the wider community. Opportunities include going to the gym, youth clubs, trampolining, go-karting and swimming, and one child has even completed a sky dive. Children are also supported to socialise with peers, helping them build positive relationships, develop independence and experience a strong sense of achievement and self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Family time is prioritised in the home, with particular emphasis on maintaining meaningful relationships that are important to each child’s sense of identity and belonging. Friends are also welcomed and encouraged to visit, with opportunities to share meals, participate in activities and spend quality time together at the home. These moments are thoughtfully planned and sensitively facilitated by staff, who understand the emotional significance of maintaining connections.

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

Safeguarding practice is firmly embedded within the culture of the home. Staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of each child’s individual risks, ensuring that behaviour support plans and risk assessments are not only well-developed but also regularly reviewed and adapted as children’s needs evolve. The leadership team provides strong oversight of these plans, ensuring they remain dynamic, responsive, and effective in keeping children safe.

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

Staff actively engage children in thoughtful conversations about potential risks, through planned and unplanned discussions. Topics such as vaping, healthy relationships and managing feelings and emotions are approached with sensitivity and clarity. Children feel safe and confident raising personal or sensitive health concerns, including their mental health, which fosters open, honest dialogue. As a result, children experience an exceptional level of support and guidance. The manager also makes references to appropriate services when more specialist services are required to further educate children on risks and supporting them to understand their own vulnerabilities.

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

Incidents of missing from home have reduced significantly for children. This is a result of the strong, trusting relationships they have built with staff. When a child does go missing, staff respond immediately and in a well-coordinated manner, actively searching for them and working closely with external professionals to ensure their safe and swift return. On their return, children are offered meaningful debriefs that allow the staff and the child to reflect on the reasons behind the absence and identify any additional support that may be needed. This trauma-informed approach strengthens relationships and helps reduce the likelihood of future missing episodes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2603286 5 Children thrive in an exceptionally safe and nurturing environment where their well-being is consistently prioritised. Staff are highly attuned to each child’s emotional and behavioural needs, responding proactively to early signs of distress and preventing

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

situations from escalating. This intuitive and skilled practice significantly reduces the need for de-escalation strategies, which is reflected in the low number of restraints that have been used.

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

Children are supported to take age-appropriate risks, depending on their age and stage of development. They are encouraged to make good decisions for their safety and welfare. They respond to consistent behavioural boundaries. There are arrangements for children to engage in age-appropriate activities in the community and with friends. Children have phones and communicate regularly with staff, in line with their safety plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership and management of the home is exceptional. The registered manager has an in-depth understanding of each child, including their history, needs and aspirations. Her passion for improving outcomes is clear in her unwavering commitment to children ensuring they experience warmth, love and a strong sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team’s dedication is evident in the way they speaks about every child who has lived at the home, showing a genuine investment in their past, present and future well-being. They also maintain positive relationships with children who have moved on from the home. One child who has recently moved on from the home said, `They have been with me for the biggest moments in my life and helped me to be the best version of myself. I couldn’t have done it without them. They’ve always gone above and beyond for me, had my back and understood me’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team shows an exceptional level of commitment to the children. They take the time to truly understand each child, listen to them, and prioritise their well-being in every aspect of their work. Their enthusiasm for supporting children is clear in every interaction, with staff consistently placing each child’s needs at the heart of their practice. They respond proactively to children’s risks and take pride in recognising and celebrating their successes, helping to build a culture where aspiration, encouragement and positive growth are central.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has exceptional oversight of the home. Monitoring systems are robust, and she maintains a thorough understanding of daily practice. Comprehensive internal and external audits are used effectively to identify and address shortfalls. Learning from incidents and behaviours is monitored, analysed and incorporated into practice to enhance children’s safety and quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are highly trained and demonstrate strong competence in their roles. The manager has worked with the team to fully embed a trauma-informed approach. This is strengthened by the expertise of the senior forensic psychologist who works closely with the team and leads weekly reflective practice sessions. Staff receive specialist training Inspection report for children’s home: 2603286 6 aligned with children’s individual needs, including Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD], Autism Spectrum Disorder, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and Catatonia. The manager places a strong emphasis on developing the team, offering structured learning pathways that upskill staff and support progression.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from regular, reflective and purposeful team meetings. These meetings cover a wide range of topics relevant to the children living in the home and provide an important forum for communication, idea-sharing, and constructive challenge. Supervision for staff is conducted on a monthly basis, with sessions being clearly recorded. These supervision sessions are structured, with actions and targets being set for each staff member. The manager also actively encourages the staff to challenge themselves and each other through reflective practice discussions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is highly effective partnership working with external agencies. The manager recognises the importance of collaborative practice and consistently prioritises joint working to ensure the best outcomes for children. The manager ensures that regular meetings with professionals take place when needed. Professionals speak unanimously positively about the staff and management team, highlighting the significant role they have played in helping children make progress. One professional said, `I don’t really give much credit and don’t do this lightly, but they are excellent. I wish there were more homes like this one. The child from their starting point is now almost unrecognisable and is like a different young man’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2603286 7

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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: 2603286 8

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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: First Floor, Harbour House, Portway, Preston Lancashire PR2 2DW

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Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2603286 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 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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