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

Inspection report children’s home: 2539587 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

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to eight children aged between 10 and 17 years who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is experienced and appropriately qualified for the role. She registered with Ofsted in March 2020.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 20 October 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2539587 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2539587 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thrive due to the high levels of nurture and protection from caring staff. The staff treat the children with respect and value them as individuals. The children settle quickly in the pleasant, homely environment. The staff have developed trusting relationships with the children over time. The children speak highly about their care, and they can see how living at the home is changing their lives. One child said, ‘It’s like a family home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Five children have left the home since the last inspection. The moves were sensitively handled, and the children were supported to move in a positive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience new things for first time, which enriches their day-to-day lives. They have attended their first prom and were chauffeured there in a stylish vehicle. Children have enjoyed their first holiday and day trips. They are participating in sporting activities, cultural events, shopping trips and expressing themselves through art. One child shows a flair for baking. Photos are displayed of the children enjoying the activities, which provides lasting memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s school attendance is good. Children who have not engaged in education for a long time are achieving beyond expectations. This is developing the children’s self-worth and enabling them to develop aspirations for the future. The praise and recognition that the children receive motivate them to feel proud of their achievements and want to reach their goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are valued and respected. One child said, ‘Show respect and you get respect.’ The staff discuss a variety of topics with the children, individually and as a group, that are relevant to their needs, behaviours and interests. Children gain valuable insight into the world around them through the discussions, which provides informal educational opportunities. Consultations with the children also allow them to have a say in the running of the home and their plans. Catch-up meetings with the registered manager offer children further opportunities to talk with her over a meal away from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend medical appointments to ensure that their health needs are met. Children’s access to therapeutic services contributes to them understanding their situations, experiences, presenting behaviours and triggers. It also offers children a safe environment to reflect on ways of managing their emotions differently. The therapist provides a comprehensive training programme for care and education staff, which is adapted according to the children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children seeing their family and friends and facilitate these meetings. This helps children to develop a positive self-image and sense of belonging. Inspection report children’s home: 2539587 4

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

Children’s safety and welfare are safeguarded effectively. The staff understand the children’s vulnerabilities and behaviours and act accordingly. Children’s risk assessments are thorough, and they are kept under review. They inform the staff about the children’s known risks and the strategies to mitigate these. Children rate their safety highly. Child exploitation, substance and alcohol misuse are not known to affect the children living at the home.

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

The staff promote good parental routines and boundaries, which improves children’s sense of safety. Incidents of aggression are well managed and are decreasing as the dynamics of the group change.

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

Staff use physical intervention to prevent children from harming themselves or others or damaging property. They are proportionate and happen only when de-escalation strategies have not been successful. The debriefs with children often involve reflections and apologies. One child said, ‘They help us to do the right thing.’

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

Incidents of bullying have decreased significantly recently. Children who have been bullied confirm that staff have intervened, and the matter is taken seriously. This ensures that children do not live in fear.

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

Staff make every effort to find the children to ensure their safety when they have gone missing. The discussions that staff have with the children when they return home ensure their safety and help to reduce any further missing-from-care incidents. Leaders and managers are persistent with the local authority to ensure that return home interviews take place within timescales. Although challenges have arisen, leaders and managers have persevered to ensure that children have return home interviews.

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

Allegations that children have made against staff have been managed in an appropriate and timely manner and the relationships have been restored. The interim local authority designated officer said, ‘I have no concerns whatsoever that [name of the provider] are not fulfilling their responsibilities regarding safeguarding the young people in their care.’

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

Regular health and safety checks ensure that the home is safe and free from hazards. The extensive fire awareness work with the children has prevented further incidents. These have been notified to Ofsted at the time.

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good

The registered manager is dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for the children. She knows the children well and is proud of their achievements. The registered manager advocates for the children and escalates her concerns to the relevant local authority. This ensures that children get the best possible care. Inspection report children’s home: 2539587 5 Improvements in practice are due to the continued developments and lessons learned. However, the management monitoring has not identified and addressed all of the gaps. The registered manager has not consistently evaluated the incidents to ensure that there is a clear written audit trail and an accurate record of events and the action taken. This prevents Ofsted from having clear oversight of the safeguarding practice.

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good

The statement of purpose has not been sent to Ofsted since May 2022. This does not provide Ofsted with the most up-to-date details of the staffing in the home and the staff team’s credentials to care for children.

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good

The review of the quality of care report provides a comprehensive appraisal of events in the home. The manager has not shown her efforts to consult with parents and staff to inform any improvements. The independent person’s report has not been scrutinised to ensure that it is consistently accurate.

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good

Although recruitment processes are followed in relation to permanent staff, the registered manager has not gone back as far as possible when verifying agency staff’s references. While the induction process for new staff is comprehensive, the induction booklets are not routinely checked as some have not always been completed and signed off by new staff members.

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good

The changes in the staff team, due to leavers and starters, has revived the staff team and the morale is high. Care and education staff, along with therapists, continue to meet regularly to discuss the children’s plans, and this stimulates consistent practice. Team meetings, handovers and ad-hoc discussions also ensure that the staff are up to date with the children’s progress.

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good

The staff take pride in caring for the children and they act as positive role models. Staff feel supported and valued by the managers and colleagues within a supportive, learning culture.

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good

The recommendation that was made at the last inspection about return home interviews is met. The requirement regarding the door alarms on children’s bedroom doors has not been suitably met. The current group of children does not present with the type of risks that need door alarms. This continues to be an unnecessary restriction for the children.

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good

Placing social workers speak positively about the quality of care and communication from the home. They indicate that they would place children at the home again in the future. Inspection report children’s home: 2539587 6

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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 enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they strengthen the monitoring systems to ensure that records are clear and up to date and accurately reflect significant incidents and the actions taken.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that induction booklets for new staff are completed and signed off in a timely manner. Ensure that all agency staff’s references are promptly verified as far back as possible. 7 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 7 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)) 7 October 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2539587 7 This requirement is repeated.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they scrutinise the contents of the independent person’s report to ensure that it is consistently accurate. 7 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they include the outcome of consultations with parents and staff in the review report and make it clear when the views are not received. 7 October 2022

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 2539587 8

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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: 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspectors

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Louise Walker, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2539587 9 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

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Inspectors

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