Children's Home run by Compass Children‟s Homes Limited in Solihull

Inspection report children’s home: 1232657 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children aged seven to 17. Children may have faced adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and placement and family breakdown.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home has an experienced and qualified registered manager.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 12 December 2018

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1232657 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 03/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1232657 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(e)) 30/08/2019

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff support children to make positive progress in their lives. All children have access to education and are actively encouraged to attend. The routine and structure that staff provide have had a positive impact on children’s behaviour and there has been a reduction in incidents in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have the relevant skills and training to meet children’s complex needs. Staff support children in a positive and nurturing way. When incidents occur, staff help children to reflect and learn. At the end of each day, staff spend time with children and discuss what has gone well and what could have been better. This helps children to think about their day and provides an opportunity for positive experiences to be shared and recognised.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager completes detailed assessments before children move into the home. These also examine the needs of the other children living in the home and the ability of staff to meet every child’s needs. The registered manager actively challenges social workers if information is lacking or documentation is poor, and appropriately escalates her concerns. This ensures that staff have accurate information.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s physical and mental health and have a good awareness of children’s individual needs. Staff are diligent in arranging health appointments and encourage children to attend. This helps to improve children’s health and well-being. Inspection report children’s home: 1232657 4 Children enjoy a good range of positive activities. These include going to the gym and attending a weekly football club. These improve children’s fitness and promote their self- esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have involved children in decisions about decorating the home. Children have picked the colours and soft furnishings for the living room, and each child has personalised their bedroom to their own individual taste.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their family and keep in contact with them by phone. Staff provide parents with a weekly update about their child’s progress. This encourages positive relationships and helps families to be involved in their child’s life when this is appropriate.

p.4

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

Children’s safety is consistently prioritised. Staff respond swiftly and effectively to all concerns raised by children. Children are listened to and their views are taken seriously.

p.4

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

Children rarely go missing, and effective protocols are in place to respond to such an event. These include thorough local searches and liaison with the police.

p.4

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

Staff challenge children’s poor behaviour effectively. Children are encouraged to behave well and are rewarded when they do so. Staff also support children to reflect on their behaviour and explore why incidents have happened and what they could have done differently. Consequently, children learn about socially acceptable behaviour and take responsibility for their actions.

p.4

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

Staff appropriately challenge any bullying and are trained and skilled in identifying such behaviour. They support children who are being bullied and those who are instigating this negative behaviour. Staff carry out work with children through key-work sessions, and children also participate in ‘bullying workshops’. Sanctions are used when necessary. These approaches have resulted in a reduction in incidents, and children have learned to build more positive relationships with each other.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new registered manager is appropriately qualified and has significant residential experience. She has a strong understanding of the home and how she wants the service to develop. The home’s development plan is detailed and shows how this vision is to be achieved.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s recording system helps the registered manager and staff to monitor records and examine trends. Regular audits are completed by the management team to examine the effectiveness of behaviour management approaches and therapeutic input. The six- monthly quality of care review shows key trends and helps to support further development. The home has recently employed a new independent visitor to improve the quality of external monitoring. Inspection report children’s home: 1232657 5 The registered manager challenges other professionals when she feels that children are not getting the best service. This has included contacting a director of children’s services to examine the appropriateness of a child’s placement and secure educational provision for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported through regular supervision and effective appraisals. Staff feel supported by the management team and are confident to raise any concerns or issues that they may have. The home has a good training system. Staff enjoy a range of courses which equip them with the skills that they need to meet the needs of the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is sufficiently staffed. However, the staffing structure relies heavily on the company’s sessional workers. If core staff are off sick or on holiday, staff from other homes or sessional staff provide cover. This does not provide children with consistent care. The registered manager has taken steps to minimise the impact that this has on children. However, some factors have been outside of her control. Despite this shortfall, the registered manager strives for effective communication and a team approach when caring for children. As a result, children receive good-quality care.

p.5

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.

p.5

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: 1232657 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1232657 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7