Children's home run by Compass Children‟s Homes Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2591431 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

This home is registered to provide care for up to eight children who have experienced trauma and family breakdown. This is one of several children’s homes operated by this private company.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a school on site run by the organisation. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 10 September 2021.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2591431 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2591431 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, six children were living at this home. The children are settled, have a strong sense of belonging and enjoy living at the home. Several of the children have lived together for more than a year. This creates a family feeling and offers long-term stability. Since the last inspection, two children have moved in and one child has moved out to supported accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff have good relationships and enjoy spending time together. The children are happy. They benefit from a broad range of fun and invigorating experiences such as horse riding, roller-skating, army cadets and days out. A summer holiday enabled some of the children to experience sea swimming. This encourages children to take appropriate risks and try new experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A therapist works at this home full time and is an integral part of the team. The therapist works positively with the team to improve every child’s emotional well- being and mental health. All children attend therapy sessions. Personalised meetings with the therapist help children to reflect on their experiences and to develop a range of skills. This support has been successful in helping them to manage difficult feelings and emotions. Group meetings help children to empathise and encourage children to accept one another.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is an on-site school; however, most children are enrolled in schools or colleges away from the home. The staff communicate well with other agencies and encourage the children to attend lessons. The staff are aspirational for each child. The staff sometimes help the children to gain vocational qualifications and encourage the children to take part in online learning. Nonetheless, the staff efforts do not result in most children attending or engaging in education consistently enough. This does not help children to overcome barriers to learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage children to get involved in jobs around the house such as cooking and laundry. This helps to encourage responsibility. An independence programme has been introduced for older children. However, their progress is slow because staff do not implement the plans regularly enough. This does not consistently ensure that independence goals help children to prepare for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and appointed to a high standard and provides each child with sufficient space to relax. The staff actively consult with the children about the running of the home, and encourage them to get involved in choosing the decor and furniture. This helps children to feel proud of their environment.

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

Children say that they feel safe and well cared for. The children can identify a number of people to talk about any concerns or worries that they have. Inspection report for children's home: 2591431 4 Every child participates in planned and structured conversations with the therapist and the staff. This helps to build individual children’s confidence and resilience. These discussions include relationships and safe internet and social media use. This helps to reduce risks and encourages the children to talk freely to the staff about their lives and what matters to them.

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

The incidents of children going missing from the home have reduced significantly. The children trust the staff enough to contact them when they are out with friends but may be feeling unsafe. Children are involved in creating strategies to keep them safe, including using safe code words. This ensures that staff are able to respond quickly and purposefully when children need help. This helps the staff to manage incidents well.

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

Staff only use physical intervention to keep children safe from harm. Staff and children develop targets and identify incentives to help the children to work towards personalised goals. This helps children to manage their behaviour and builds their self-esteem.

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

Managers take allegations against staff seriously. They consult with the local authority designated officer and share information appropriately with safeguarding professionals. Lessons from internal investigations are shared with the staff team.

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

Staff recruitment processes are shared between the manager and a central team. This helps the managers to identify gaps in employment and to align dates of actual employment. However, when there are discrepancies, these are not effectively monitored or addressed by the manager. This does not ensure rigorous employment practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is working towards the required level 5 qualification. The manager and deputy manager work well together. They are supported well by the responsible individual. Overall, the managers offer continuity to the children and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Roles and areas of accountability are clearly defined across the team. Regular team meetings, child-focused team discussions and working with the therapist help the managers to provide a therapeutic approach to children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some staff have achieved the required level 3 qualification and others are working towards this within the required time frame. All staff undertake a broad range of training. This includes attachment theory, trauma, and loss. The therapist offers additional staff training targeted to address the needs of individual children. This helps to ensure that all staff are equipped with the skills to fulfil their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff use a combination of electronic and written records to capture information about children. Regular audits help external managers to identify shortfalls. Although the manager has encouraged staff to improve the quality of records, this has not Inspection report for children's home: 2591431 5 been effective. Children’s records continue to have gaps and some risk assessments are not kept up to date. This means that staff may not have current information in relation to children’s risks. This shortfall was raised at the last inspection and has been raised again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which enables them to reflect on their own feelings and behaviour. Staff supervision is shared between the managers. The staff team feels safe to raise any concerns with the managers about the running of the home. However, staff supervision is not sufficiently focused on children’s progress to demonstrate a direct link to the development of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leaders and managers carefully consider the suitability and circumstances of the children most likely to benefit from the therapy programme while living at this home. Inspection report for children's home: 2591431 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(x)) 16 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)) 16 January 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s home’s staff help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. In particular, to implement independence plans more consistently. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  The registered person should ensure that, as set out in regulations 31-33, they are responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. In particular, they must ensure

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Recommendations

that any discrepancies in dates from previous employment are discussed with the Inspection report for children's home: 2591431 7 prospective employee. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that the systems in place for all staff to receive supervision of their practice allow them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. In particular, ensure that supervision focuses on the progress of individual children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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 for children's home: 2591431 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 Raynes Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspector

Rosie Davie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2591431 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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