Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home: 1227869 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a large privately owned company with over 30 children’s homes across England. The home is registered to provide care for up to five children aged between seven and 17. Children are likely to have experienced trauma, which has led to social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in 2016.

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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

Date of last inspection: 8 February 2022

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1227869 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2022 Full Good 04/12/2019 Full Outstanding 12/09/2018 Full Good 21/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1227869 3

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outstanding

There are five children currently living at the home. Since the last inspection, three children have moved on from the home and three children have moved in. All children’s transitions were managed exceptionally well by staff and managers.

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outstanding

The children have settled extremely well in their new home. Children who moved on from the home have either been reunited with family or moved into live with foster carers or into an adult provision in line with their plans. Where appropriate, staff provide them with outreach support, such as signposting them to additional services and taking them out on planned activities, which provides them with an additional support network. Most children who moved on from the home still visit to celebrate special events.

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outstanding

Children receive high-quality support in line with the home’s model of care. Staff and managers are patient, warm and nurturing towards the children. Through peer reviews, staff continuously reflect on their practice and evolve with the needs of the children.

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outstanding

Children receive excellent, individualised care and achieve outstanding outcomes in different areas of their lives, such as education, emotional and physical health, social and family relationships, independence skills, self-esteem and confidence. For example, some children have managed to attain qualifications, progressed to college and have clear career pathways. Children who were not attending education are now doing so, and they are meeting their set academic targets.

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outstanding

Children who have previously experienced multiple moves have been extremely settled at the home as they feel safe, valued and well cared for. Staff and managers attended two weeks of specialist training facilitated by hospital staff to enable them to meet one child’s complex health needs. This enabled them to support his recovery journey exceptionally well.

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outstanding

The home is beautifully decorated and provides the children with a lovely, warm family environment. The children proudly gave the inspector a tour of their home, including of their personalised bedrooms. The home has ample space for children to relax and unwind after a busy day. All children are involved in age-appropriate household chores which they enjoy, and they take ownership of the home. They are also developing amazing independent living skills.

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outstanding

The children are involved in making decisions about their day-to-day care. They attend their care planning meetings and have one-to-one quality time with staff. The children chair daily meetings where they discuss what has gone well for each person and any issues or conflicts, and resolutions are sought. The children expressed that Inspection report for children’s home: 1227869 4 this helps them to go to bed without any worries. These meetings foster positive relationships among the children and with staff.

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outstanding

Staff support children with spending quality time with close friends and family. When families face difficulties that prevent them from seeing the children, staff are proactive in liaising with social workers to find alternative arrangements so that children can enjoy time with their loved ones. The children can see that staff are fully invested in them and want them to be happy and content. Some children have lived at the home for several years.

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outstanding

Children enjoy a range of hobbies and activities in the home and the community. The children have enjoyed holidays abroad and within the United Kingdom. They have been to theme parks, swimming, horse riding and have gone on bicycle rides and attended friends’ parties. The children have made wonderful memories that they will treasure.

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outstanding

Staff and managers know the children very well and have positive relationships with them. They take time to understand the children’s lived trauma and any subsequent behaviours that are linked to this. Staff undertake a lot of proactive educational work to help children learn how to keep themselves safe in the home and in the community.

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outstanding

The children have completed ‘safe programmes’, where they have learned about keeping safe while using electronic devices, accessing the internet, anti-bullying, accessing the community and their own emotional well-being. They have done some amazing independence work, such as travelling independently, doing chores and learning to self-administer medication when this is appropriate. The children told the inspector that they feel safe living at the home.

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outstanding

Sometimes, staff use physical intervention to keep children safe. Records show that staff speak with children and de-escalate situations quickly. Children and staff are spoken with after an incident of restraint, which gives them the opportunity to raise any worries they might have.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing from home often. When they do, staff follow children’s missing-from-home protocols. They look for children in the local area and contact all the relevant agencies. A lot of reflective practice is used by staff and the children whenever incidents of concern arise. They look at what has happened, why it happened and what can be done differently. This helps to reduce incidents.

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outstanding

Staff and managers promote positive behaviours through the use of consequences and incentives. Children work with staff to identify what targets they are working towards, and once achieved, they receive a reward, and new targets are identified and agreed. Children are learning from their behaviours, and incidents of concern are very few. Inspection report for children’s home: 1227869 5 Excellent partnership working promotes children’s safety. For example, the police visit the home and undertake some educational work with the children linked to grooming, exploitation and any concerns within the local community. This equips children with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe.

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outstanding

The home is located in a multicultural city, and managers and staff advocate for children to celebrate differences. The children have visited the local mosque, and for Black History Month they learned about tribes in Africa and about Martin Luther King. They have completed educational work about the Holocaust, Buddhism, Lent, St David’s Day, Remembrance Day, Chinese New Year, World Mental Health Day and Diwali. The children are accepting and tolerant of differences, which helps them to live in harmony despite all of them being from diverse backgrounds. They feel loved and valued for who they are.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has extensive experience and is highly knowledgeable. She role models positive and therapeutic parenting to staff and children. She is an exceptional leader who invests in the staff and the children. Subsequently, staff retention is extremely good, and children benefit from consistent care. The children’s transitions into and from the home are managed tremendously well. All children who have lived at the home since the last inspection have made phenomenal progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff and managers advocate for the children to ensure that partner agencies fulfil their obligations to them. Children receive the right level of support, which helps them to achieve their goals and aspirations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s monitoring and reviewing systems are highly effective, and she is fully aware of the strengths of the home and areas for development. She promptly addresses any shortfalls identified in the home. This helps to maintain excellent standards of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have completed specialist training in a range of areas. This provides them with knowledge and confidence to meet children’s complex needs and keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff report that they have very positive working relationships with the manager and feel well supported by her. They have high-quality supervision sessions, where continual professional development and effective practice are discussed and promoted. Inspection report for children’s home: 1227869 6

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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: 1227869 7

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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: Compass Community Ltd, 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1227869 8 regulates and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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