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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home opened in 2016 and is owned by a large private company. It provides care for up to four children, who may have specific emotional needs and may have experienced trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since April 2020. Managers have been appointed since then but have not registered with Ofsted. The current manager has applied to be the registered manager and is awaiting his interview.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 2

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The care of children

Two children live in the home. Since the last inspection, two children have left the home. One child moved to another home in the organisation in line with their plans. Another child moved to a setting that was felt to be more suited to their needs. Staff supported them to move from the home and continued to support the child with four therapeutic sessions after they had left.

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The care of children

Children say that they have good relationships with staff and said that they feel like it is ‘one big family now’. One child said that staff are ‘kind, caring, loving and welcoming’. Children talk openly with staff and feel well supported. Staff support and embrace children’s individual identities and characteristics, and talk proudly about their journeys.

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The care of children

Children are now attending school full time and their attendance has improved to 100%. Children said that they like school. One child has raised a concern about travelling to school in a taxi. The manager has worked with them to come to a compromise that they have agreed to.

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The care of children

The home has been redecorated throughout. Children have been instrumental in picking out colour schemes, wallpaper, flooring and soft furnishings for the home. They are proud of the homely environment they have helped create. Children’s photos are displayed in the home and children are extremely pleased with the changes that have been made. Blown glass in one of the spare bedrooms has caused mould to form between the windowpanes. This window is due to be repaired.

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The care of children

While some of the redecoration took place, children went on holiday to a destination of their choice. Children are planning a holiday for the summer and are hoping to go abroad. Children’s views, wishes and feelings are now actively sought by staff and overseen by the manager. Children said that the manager will respond quickly and fairly to requests they make.

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The safety of children

Children told the inspectors that they feel ‘safe’ in their home and are ‘happy’. The staff are aware of children’s individual needs and risks that may arise. Children’s plans help staff understand how to minimise risk and respond to them should they occur.

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The safety of children

Since the new manager has been working at the home children have not gone missing, incidents have significantly reduced, and children have not required physical interventions. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 3 The previous manager did not ensure that they or staff took effective action to safeguard children. On one occasion, staff did not seek medical advice when they became aware that a child had used a Class A substance. Medical advice was only sought the following day at the request of school staff. The manager, who is no longer in post, spoke with a child about the reported substance use. However, the conversation recorded is not supportive, helpful or educational for the child. Furthermore, some of the records relating to the incident are missing. This is unhelpful to children who wish to view their records and help them make sense of their experiences in later life.

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The safety of children

Additionally, the manager at the time failed to review physical interventions adequately. This results in records failing to meet regulatory requirements regarding specific details, including the location and duration of restraints, and clarity about who was involved in debriefs after the restraint. The current manager has picked up on shortfalls and subsequently supported staff with targeted training to improve staff understanding and recording.

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The safety of children

The previous manager failed to act on an allegation against a member of staff. The allegation was not shared with the local authority designated officer, and internal protocols were not followed. The current manager has taken appropriate actions to follow up on the allegation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The current manager has been in day-to-day charge of the home since 1 January 2023. He has applied to be the registered manager of the home and is awaiting his interview. The manager already worked for the company in a more senior role but has taken over as registered manager to provide the children with stability and improve their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

He is highly experienced and is extremely child-centred in his practice. He has been dedicated to making significant improvements in the quality of care that children receive, and the support that staff receive to enable them in their roles. It is testament to his commitment and dedication that such vast improvements have been made. Children openly talked about the difference he has made since managing the home. One said that the home was 2 out of 10 prior to him managing the home and now both children have said that it is 10 out of 10 and would not change anything.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager knows children well. He understands their starting point, progress and their journeys. He talks proudly of them and the progress they are making. He is up to date on what is happening for them in their personal lives, with family members, education and health needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

One social worker said that since the new manager has been in post the home is now ‘much more homely’ and the child is a ‘lot happier’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 4 The manager has completed a robust review of the home’s location risk assessment. He has liaised with relevant people to gain information pertinent to safeguarding children. As a result of this, he has reconsidered the age range and behaviours of children that will be a better match for the home going forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has worked hard to meet the requirements and recommendation made at the previous inspection. Two requirements and one recommendation have been made at this inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/02/2022 Full Good 20/10/2021 Full Inadequate 26/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective actions whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates staff taking appropriate action when they consider that children may be at risk from substance use.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that allegations are responded to in the statutory time frame and appropriate actions are taken. 31 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 31 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 7 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that when incidents are recorded, every restraint is clearly described, the location and its duration included, and who was present at debriefs.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff make careful, objective and clear recordings that distinguish between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. Children should be able to access their records should they wish to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 8

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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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Inspectors

Jodie Lewis, Social Care Inspector Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1226397 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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