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

Inspection report children’s home: SC483220 1 SC483220 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is a residential therapeutic community, which provides high-quality care for up to five children and young people, aged between 10 and 17. The fundamental objective of the home is to provide ongoing intensive therapeutic, personalised care and education.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the service has been employed by the organisation since 2015 and in post from April 2019. She holds the relevant qualification in leadership and management of a residential childcare provision.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 February 2020

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC483220 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2018 Full Outstanding 10/10/2017 Full Outstanding 06/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC483220 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people are living in a vibrant and fun house where they have developed positive and strong relationships with the staff team. This has contributed to helping the young people feel safe and secure. One young person said, ‘If I wasn’t here I don’t know what would have happened to me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A dedicated staff team supports all the young people. Exceptionally high standards of individualised care are given to young people, which is nurturing and providing stability, routines and boundaries in a family environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have made significant and sustained progress since their arrival at the home. Each young person engages with bespoke therapeutic sessions. This helps them to have a clearer understanding of their behaviour and to be able to regulate their emotions safely and improve their overall emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are proactive with supporting young people in meeting all aspects of their health needs by attending any medical appointments. Young people are supported and encouraged to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A strength of the home is that young people and staff prepare and sit together for evening meals where open discussions take place. This supports young people with healthy eating and developing communication and life skills, which have built their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have been supported in attending structured education at the on-site school by the staff team, whose members have high aspirations for each young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

For some young people who have not been in education for a considerable amount of time prior to arrival at the home, the staff have worked in partnership with the school to create a bespoke education package. Attendance, engagement, progression and achievements have been excellent for young people, including gaining functional skills, along with qualifications through the home’s AQA safe programme.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people participate in a variety of activities, both in the home and the wider community, which have led to them having new experiences and opportunities, such as fencing, cycling and Thai boxing. The young people have also taken part in a Harry Potter-inspired summer fair, fun days and local charitable events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff talk with the young people daily. They also hold weekly community meetings where young people influence the care they receive. Young people make suggestions for changes they wish to see in their home environment. This gives the young people a real sense of belonging, and they feel respected and listened too. Inspection report children’s home: SC483220 4 Young people’s family time is actively promoted and supported. This has built positive relationships with families and increased the quality and length of time young people spend with their families. One parent said, ‘They have built the foundations for my son’s future.’ Another parent said, ‘My son speaks to me positively; our relationship has improved.’

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

There are appropriate staffing levels, which allows the staff to support the young people exceptionally well. The young people receive consistently high-quality care in a safe and secure environment.

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

The manager and staff have an excellent understanding of the risks associated with each young person. They have behavioural support risk assessments, which clearly identify the risks and the strategies to support and protect each young person. The young people rarely go missing, although when they do wander off from the home, staff are effective in their response and follow the individual protocols to ensure the safe return of the young person.

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

The home works with a restorative approach, where open and honest conversations take place with young people, and when required staff challenge negative behaviours. Staff use their skills to de-escalate and support young people to manage their behaviours to give them a sense of safety and well-being. The home uses incentives to promote positive behaviours and relationships.

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

The young people engage in themed workshops and discussions covering a variety of topics, such as online safety, bullying, racism, child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation. The information provided to young people helps them make well-informed choices along with how to keep themselves safe.

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

Where allegations have been made, managers have implemented their safeguarding policies, allegation review and risk assessments, which have kept young people and staff safe while a full investigation has been followed.

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

Robust safer recruitment process are in place, which means that staff are thoroughly vetted before employment. They then receive a well-structured, three-month induction to give them a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are aspirational for the young people. They are highly motivated and committed to ensuring that young people have the best experiences and opportunities while living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s quality assurance systems ensure that she has a comprehensive oversight of the home. She is aware of the home’s strengths and areas for continuous Inspection report children’s home: SC483220 5 development to ensure that the young people receive an exceptionally high quality of care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff are strong advocates for the young people. They appropriately challenge professionals to ensure that children receive the best service to meet their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager works closely with all external professionals; they have confidence in her and the staff team. She has developed twice-daily meetings with education and weekly triangulation meetings with the lead teacher and the psychologist to identify areas of support and strategies for consistency and sharing of best practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. These allow the staff to reflect on their practice and also contribute to them feeling supported by the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that the staff team members access mandatory training, along with a range of professional development workshops and programmes to enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff also work closely with the onsite psychologist to develop their skills in therapeutic approaches. This enables them to provide the highest standard of care and support to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has developed individual positive books, in which each day staff write a positive comment to the young person, which is shared with them and saved for when they have completed their programme and they move on from the home. This is for young people to be able to view in the future.

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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: SC483220 6

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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

Sue Hatton: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC483220 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 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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