Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd in Herefordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1247764 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a privately owned children’s home registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people who have complex emotional and behavioural needs. The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2018, and is in the process of undertaking her level 5 qualification.

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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 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

Date of last inspection: 26 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1247764 2

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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, 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person ensures that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(2)(c)) 30/11/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care from staff who have a clear understanding of their individual needs. Staff support children well, and work closely with parents, social workers and health professionals to obtain the best possible care for children. As a result, children are making good progress in many areas of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has made excellent progress during his time at the home, culminating in a successful move into a new placement. Staff worked well with social workers and foster parents to support him in his move to his new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaging in education. Where children are not in school, the manager and staff are active in ensuring that they have access to alternative educational provisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities outside of the home. Both children currently living in the home have an interest in horse riding. They regularly enjoy riding at the local stables. This has helped them to increase their self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. One child has significantly reduced the number of cigarettes they smoke, while another child has stopped altogether since living in the home. This is excellent progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have regular contact with their family and friends. Staff work closely with parents and others to enable children to maintain those relationships that are important to them. Inspection report children’s home: 1247764 3 The home is comfortable, clean and child friendly. It is currently undergoing a refurbishment. Children have been actively involved in choosing the wallpaper and colour schemes for the home.

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

Staff understand children’s behaviour and the risks that they may encounter. This is because risk assessments are clear and reflect children’s current risks.

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

The risks of child exploitation and of children going missing from the home have continued to reduce. When children do go missing, staff respond appropriately and swiftly to ensure their safe return. Staff receive training in a variety of safeguarding matters, and are clear about the measures they need to take to safeguard children.

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

Children feel safe and secure in the home. This is because staff are consistent in setting boundaries for children. Behaviour management plans are clear and individual to each child. As a result, physical interventions are minimal.

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

Safe recruitment practice ensures that everyone employed in the home is safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring and quality assurance systems ensure that managers have a good understanding of the running of the home. Consequently, they have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses, and of the progress children are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are adequate staff to safely provide care for the existing numbers of children in the home. Staff are motivated and feel well supported by the new manager. One member of staff commented, ‘The manager is brilliant, you can go to her if you need anything.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good training opportunities. Managers supplement this training with workshops and team discussions. These develop the staff’s knowledge of the issues that affect the children who they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, there is a shortfall in staff training. This relates to the company’s physical intervention techniques. New staff working in the home are yet to receive this training. This has the potential for staff to hold children incorrectly and inadvertently cause injury.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work well with parents and other professionals to help ensure the best possible all-round support for the children in their care. They advocate well on behalf of children and actively challenge when the responses from other services are not effective. Inspection report children’s home: 1247764 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

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: 1247764 5

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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, Epinal Way, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3GE

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Inspector

Sue Young: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1247764 6 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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