Children's Home run by Hexagon Care Services Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children’s home: 1269215 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

This home is privately operated. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living in the home. All children were spoken with during the 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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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: 1269215 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full good 10/07/2024 Full good 04/07/2023 Full requires improvement to be good 10/08/2022 Full good Inspection report for children’s home: 1269215 3

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Summary of findings

Children have positive relationships with staff and feel well cared for. Parents and professionals are positive about the care children receive. Managers advocate for children and challenge professionals when children’s needs are not being met.

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Summary of findings

However, safeguarding practice has not always been effective. Inconsistencies in staff’s behaviour management and safeguarding practice resulted in children not always being protected as well as they should. Additionally, staff did not seek medical attention in a timely manner when there were serious concerns for a child.

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Summary of findings

After an unsettled period, the manager has led the team well to ensure that staff have the guidance and support needed to meet the children’s needs. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff and say they that feel listened to and well supported. Staff spend time with children and do things children enjoy. For example, children spend time gardening, doing arts and crafts and baking, and this helps to enrich positive relationships through shared and enjoyable experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are achieving in their education. Staff ensure that children are given help when it is needed, particularly when children experience difficulties with school life. As a result, children’s attendance is positive, and for some children their attendance has improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move out of the home, they do so positively. Staff ensure that all children leave with positive memories and a group photo, where all staff come into the home to say goodbye. This intentional practice allows children to have positive endings. Children who have moved out all say how much they enjoyed living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to develop skills in readiness to live more independently. Children learn how to use public transport, how to keep a home clean and tidy and how to cook for themselves. Furthermore, children have been helped to understand where they can seek help and support when living independently. One child who has moved out has been helped to understand their medical conditions and the importance of attending appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents speak positively about the care their children receive. They say that staff keep them updated and make them feel welcome when they visit the home. One parent described staff as ‘brilliant’. Professionals are equally positive about the quality of care Inspection report for children’s home: 1269215 4 children experience. They describe staff as approachable and recognise how staff tailor their support to the children’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to share their views. One child was involved in a recent recruitment process and asked questions of new prospective staff. This helped the child to feel valued and involved in decisions about who cares for them.

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improvement to be good

Responses to serious incidents are inconsistent. On one occasion, medical attention was not sought promptly when there was a significant change in a child’s health needs, raising serious concern for the child’s wellbeing. This delay could have placed the child at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s management of behavioural incidents has not been consistent or always effective. Staff’s recording of incidents is not clear and does not accurately describe the behaviours that have occurred leading to incidents. Furthermore, discussions with staff after incidents are not routinely carried out, reducing opportunities for managers and staff to reflect on and improve safeguarding practice.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans do not reflect the most current risks for children. Displayed identified behaviours that have caused significant concerns for children were not fully assessed. This means staff did not always have clear strategies in how to manage these behaviours.

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improvement to be good

The manager notifies Ofsted about serious incidents. However, on one occasion, a notification did not include significant information that was part of the incident. This means that Ofsted did not have all the information needed to monitor the actions taken in response to a serious concern.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint, and responses to these complaints by staff help children to understand they have been listened to. This allows children to feel safe in raising things they are not happy about. Furthermore, the manager consults with relevant professionals when concerns are raised, and communication is maintained throughout to ensure that everyone is kept informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been staffing changes after some staff left following a difficult period in the home. However, the manager has ensured that the child-focused culture remained the same for the core group of staff, helping to minimise the effect on children. Consequently, any new staff coming to work at the home fully understand what is expected from them in their roles. Additionally, the manager understands the team’s strengths and areas of development, which helps to ensure that most areas in need of development are recognised and addressed. Inspection report for children’s home: 1269215 5 The manager recognised that staff needed time to reflect after a difficult period in the home. The manager prioritised staff’s wellbeing and brought in support from the in- house therapy team. An organised team awayday gave staff the time and space to reflect on incidents and the challenges they had experienced in meeting children’s

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

needs. This gave staff a safe place in which to share their concerns and reflect on practice, which allowed them to feel valued and listened to. The team is now more stable, and staff say that they are happy working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates for children effectively. The manager challenges professionals when there are concerns that children’s needs are not being met. Concerns are escalated to the relevant people effectively. Before one child moved into the home, the manager challenged professionals about inconsistencies in paperwork and decision- making. This helped to make sure that the child’s needs and risks were considered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the manager and say that they feel supported. Children also have meaningful relationships with the manager. Children who leave the home stay in touch, and name the manager as someone who has been important in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training for staff is extensive and helps them to meet the needs of children. When new behaviour and health needs are identified for children, the manager actively seeks out training to improve staff’s knowledge and ability to meet the children’s specific needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 1269215 6

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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 (1) 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 make arrangements to reduce the risk of 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

that the home’s day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

- children’s risk assessments are up to date with the children’s current risks - staff take appropriate action when there are serious concerns for a child’s wellbeing - staff follow clear strategies consistently that keep children safe from harm. 5 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation must include details of— 5 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1269215 7 the matter;

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations, if any, who have been notified;

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; and

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Requirement Due date

any further actions which the registered person proposes to take as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(e) (5)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive support after any incident to reflect on their practice and help them understand and meet the needs of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills to complete children’s records factually to ensure that they provide an accurate account of any event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 1269215 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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Inspectors

Gary Smithson, Social Care Inspector (lead) Saira Rafiq, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1269215 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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