Children's home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1254840 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a residential children’s home which provides high-quality care and substitute parenting for up to three young people who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has managed the home since January 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 24 to 25 September 2018

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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 good

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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: first inspection

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1254840 2

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Regulation 40(4) requires the registered person to notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)–(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)  When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to

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Recommendations

meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report children’s home: 1254840 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

This is the first inspection of this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people enjoy exceptionally individualised care and support from staff who know them well. As a result, staff can act as advocates to ensure that young people’s voices are heard. One young person told the inspector: ‘The manager is outstanding. She fights for me to stay here until I am 18. I want to be here until I’m 19 and older… I know I can’t, but I would if I could.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive all the necessary help and support that they need to optimise their well-being at every stage of their placement. For example, when some young people arrive at the home they have no confidence or pride in their identity. Staff work carefully and skilfully with young people to help them to become proud of who they are. This initial help leads to young people enjoying positive and rewarding experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s academic attainment improves due to the dedication of the staff. This involves staff driving some distance to ensure that one young person can attend a college that meets their needs. Staff spend time with young people to help them to develop their reading and writing skills. They have a well-stocked library area and a book club, and staff are clear about their expectations in relation to learning and achieving. One young person told the inspector, ‘When I came here I couldn’t read or write – I can now.’ Staff work closely with schools and colleges. They routinely attend meetings with teachers and have set up a ‘home and school book’ for each young person to ensure that all information is shared. As a result, young people’s outcomes improve. For example, one young person has been calmer at school, and this has reduced the need for a high level of supervision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The health needs of the young people are identified at the earliest opportunity. Referrals are made promptly, and necessary medical support is put in place without delay. This has enabled one young person to improve her walking skills. Young people can also see the day-to-day progress that they are making with their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff help each young person to achieve their hopes and dreams. For instance, one young person is engaged in voluntary work and is developing her skills in beauty work. She then comes back to the home and practises these new-found skills on the staff, who have embraced this. This has helped to develop the young person’s self- esteem, as well as giving her the basis for a future career.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make positive memories at this home. For example, one young person told the inspector that he had asked to go abroad and how he had been on an aeroplane for the first time with the staff from the home. The young person was extremely excited and delighted when recalling these memories. Other young people have also had their own, holiday experiences. Inspection report children’s home: 1254840 4 The home is welcoming and is personalised to an excellent standard. Young people were excited to tell the inspector about their bedrooms. Personal touches, such as having customised wall clocks, bring great pleasure to the young people. This extra attention to detail makes the young people feel highly valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home benefits further from having an art room, a sensory room and a gym. The young people have started to grow their own vegetables, and have sampled fresh mint tea as a result. One young person told the inspector, ‘We asked for a gym; they listened to us because we are the best – I feel important!’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are encouraged to develop their independence skills. One social worker told the inspector, ‘My young person is very at home within the placement and is truly treated as an individual. An example of this is staff supporting and enabling him to have a paper round.’

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

Young people are happy and feel safe in the home. As a result, they have drastically reduced their instances of going missing from care. Young people have stopped their involvement in alcohol and substance misuse. They are clear that the boundaries in place are there to keep them safe, as the staff care about the young people and want the best for them.

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

Excellent interagency working strengthens young people’s safety. Safeguarding agencies value the proactive action of the staff highly. This approach has a positive impact, because young people are also encouraged to build their own relationships with all professionals. For example, young people work directly with the police and other services. The local police officer reports good standards of informal and formal information-sharing and that the manager regards the safeguarding of the young people as paramount.

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

On one occasion, the manager missed the opportunity to follow required processes by sharing an allegation with the local designated officer and the regulator. However, the matter was shared promptly with the appropriate local authority and police. As a result, the young person was not placed at unnecessary risk and was safeguarded.

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

Staff see the use of physical intervention as a last resort. They focus on using de- escalation techniques. There is a strong emphasis on good post-restraint practice, and the written comments of young people show that there is meaningful reflection about events. These sessions are well timed and enable young people to participate constructively. However, on two occasions when the manager has been involved in a restraint an independent review of the restraint practice has not been untaken, meaning that the practice could not be fully scrutinised.

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

Although staff are extremely knowledgeable about the risks associated with the location of the home and the area it is set in, these are not all captured by the location risk assessment. Inspection report children’s home: 1254840 5 The environment is safe, as regular health and safety and fire checks and audits are undertaken. Staff are recruited safely, with all necessary checks being carried out

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a strong commitment by the manager and the whole staff team to deliver an excellent service that changes young people’s lives for the better. The manager is passionate and inspirational. She wants the very best for each young person and staff member. Her enthusiasm influences the staff, who share her passion and drive for achieving the best possible outcomes for young people. The manager uses practice research to help to identify each member of staff’s strengths and weaknesses, and then acts to support any identified weaknesses to improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are taking part in regular learning from carefully selected research to help them to fully understand the young people’s individualised needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff, social workers and the police speak positively about the manager, her respect for young people and the high levels of professionalism that she demonstrates. One social worker told the inspector, ‘I have genuinely been very impressed with how well all of the staff at (the home) have worked with both my allocated young person and the local authority.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people’s opinions are taken into account when planning the daily running of the home. This makes young people feel empowered and highly valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has an accurate view of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She has a clear and aspirational plan for further development of the home. The manager is also keen to share her practice with other homes within the provider organisation so that other young people can benefit from high-quality staff practice and care . Inspection report children’s home: 1254840 6

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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 difference 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

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 children’s home: 1254840 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1254840 8 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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