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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263129 1

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Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company and was registered in November 2017. The statement of purpose says the home provides a residential therapeutic community which provides high-quality care and substitute parenting for children who display problematic behaviour. The organisation operates a registered school on the same site.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in March 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken in response to safeguarding notifications submitted by the registered manager to Ofsted during November 2019. These notifications indicated that children at the home may have been exposed to the risk of significant harm as the result of the actions of some members of staff working at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors identified that over a period of months there has been a gradual erosion of the professional boundaries between some children and some staff. A culture has been allowed to develop where some staff have shown disregard for the organisation’s policies and procedures, and have interacted with children in an unprofessional manner. As a result, the behaviour of some staff at a social event left some of the children feeling anxious and confused. There are also indications that some staff have engaged with a young person outside of the work environment.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not consistently demonstrated sufficient professional curiosity when there have been indicators that children could be at risk of harm. This is particularly the case in terms of monitoring the potential for inappropriate relationships to develop between children and staff. Consequently, in recent weeks information has come to light which suggests that some children may have been Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263129 2 harmed. At the time of this monitoring visit, four internal investigations and one external investigation were being undertaken into the conduct of staff members.

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This monitoring visit

The standards of some risk assessments and risk management strategies are not sufficient to promote the safety and well-being of children. Significant shortfalls were identified in the risk management process pertaining to allegations made against staff. The risk assessment completed in relation to a summer holiday failed to identify potential risks to children and staff. No risk assessment was completed in relation to the social event referred to earlier in this report.

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This monitoring visit

There have been occasions when staff have failed to act in accordance with the home’s safeguarding policy and report safeguarding matters in a timely way. Consequently, prompt action has not always been taken to ensure that children are safe. When managers have identified these shortfalls, they have not always taken swift and effective action to minimise the potential for mistakes to reoccur. Senior managers have not always been made aware of the times when staff did not respond to safeguarding matters appropriately.

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This monitoring visit

There are procedures in place to promote safe recruitment practice and ensure that unsuitable adults are not employed at the home. However, on one occasion the process for assessing an applicant’s knowledge of safeguarding practice was not fully utilised. The applicant’s verbal responses at her recruitment interview were poorly recorded, making it difficult to establish why the individual was deemed suitable for a senior care-worker role.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers in the organisation have commenced a full investigation into the safeguarding concerns that have arisen in recent weeks. However, this investigation does not currently place enough emphasis on how it was possible for a culture of poor safeguarding practice to become established, and how the monitoring and quality assurance systems failed to identify that children could be at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

The shortfalls identified at this home during this monitoring visit are serious and widespread. Ofsted has issued a restriction of accommodation notice and one compliance notice. The organisation’s response to this enforcement action will continue to be monitored.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/07/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263129 3

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to ensuring that children are not harmed as a result of managers failing to ensure that staff maintain professional boundaries. 19/01/2020

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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— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; 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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) 19/01/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263129 4 The leadership and management standard is that the

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 19/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) This is with specific reference to ensuring that safeguarding matters are explored fully at recruitment interviews, and a detailed record of the interviewee’s responses are kept.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263129 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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Inspectors

Stephen Collett, social care compliance inspector Lee Kirwin, regulatory inspection manager Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263129 6 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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