Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd in East Sussex

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1250931 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is one of several that the organisation operates. It accommodates six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The organisation re-registered this home in May 2017.

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Judgement at last inspection: outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make excellent progress. They like living here and are very fond of the adults who care for them. One young person said that the staff, ‘are the best thing about living here’.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Excellent matching is achieved as a result of insightful decisions being taken about young people’s needs, and how these might positively or negatively affect young people’s relationships.This, together with well-planned sensitive support, helps new young people to settle quickly and build positive relationships.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good links with education services support young people to achieve well and develop aspirations for their futures. In a short time, one young person has managed to return to full-time education after a two-year gap; she is making good educational progress and is Interim inspection report children’s home: 1250931 2 preparing to take a number of GCSEs. The staff have also helped teachers to understand how past life experiences have affected another young person. This support promotes the stability of the young person’s education placement by enhancing the teaching staff’s understanding of her behaviour.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Independence is promoted in line with young people’s ages. Young people are encouraged to take part in the daily life of the home and take pride in its appearance. Assessments of their self-help skills are conducted as part of their care plan. A full independence programme assists older young people to develop the skills they will need to live independently.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people and social workers were positive about how their views are listened to and inform the care provided. The staff explain to a young person any decisions they take which the young person does not agree with.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Complaints are managed appropriately and treated with respect. Records of complaints do not, however, provide a good chronology or explain how they are concluded.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Plans to assist young people to move out of the home reflect their particular circumstances well. The last two young people to leave returned to live with their families. Young people usually leave in a planned manner. For one young person who is moving on to another home there are clear plans about how this will be achieved. The plans assist the young person to retain appropriate levels of contact with the staff here, and to build relationships with the staff at their new home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff follow appropriate safeguarding procedures and work well with other agencies to investigate concerns. The quality of records kept about safeguarding concerns is variable. One did not clearly show the dates and times of all the actions taken. However, in other safeguarding records full accounts of the actions taken were available.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good behaviour is promoted and poor behaviour is dealt with well. The frequency of restraints for one young person has decreased over time. The staff continue to review their practice to help young people to behave well. For example, some young people find bedtimes particularly difficult. The registered manager has deployed the staff so that there are sufficient numbers of staff in all areas to support young people appropriately each night. For one young person, this has resulted in the staff spending more time helping the young person to settle. This change of staff practice is reducing the number of incidents that occur.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager understands young people’s needs and is a good role model for the staff. While there have been several changes to the make-up of the staff team, managers have supported the staff to continue to focus on young people’s needs and care for them well.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers continually consider how to improve the services provided. They regularly monitor the success of their development plans and write good six-monthly reviews of practice. The monthly independent person’s reports do not provide accurate and up-to- Interim inspection report children’s home: 1250931 3 date information relating to each visit. The reports contain information from the previous visit, rather than the most recent one. The records are not changed even if they are challenged by the manager, or if a recommended action has been completed. Senior managers already have plans to discuss the quality of the reports with the independent person.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnerships with other agencies are strong. The staff develop and maintain regular contact with a variety of professionals. The two social workers spoken to were very positive about how the staff work with them. They get regular updates and are told about things that happen in the home, even when these do not directly relate to the young person whom they support.

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the records in respect of complaints and safeguarding referrals always show a complete history of the actions taken.

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

In particular, the registered person should ensure that records are kept of the staff debrief completed following each restraint. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1250931 4

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mountfields House, Off Squirrel Way, Epinal Way, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3GE

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Inspector

Ruth Coler, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1250931 5 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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