Children's home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 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

A private company operates this home. The home is registered to provide care for up to six children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2019. The manager has a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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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: 14 February 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2023 Full Outstanding 14/12/2021 Full Outstanding 20/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 3

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outstanding

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home and one child has moved in. At the time of this inspection, six children were living in the home.

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outstanding

Children receive exceptional care from a nurturing and dedicated staff team. Staff are knowledgeable and attuned to each child’s needs. Staff provide children with a stable and loving home. Staff speak about the children with warmth and enthusiasm. They demonstrate unwavering commitment to them.

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outstanding

The staff and clinical team are united in their partnership and commitment to promoting children’s well-being and aspirations. As a result, children make sustained progress, both socially and emotionally, from their original starting points.

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outstanding

The inspector observed highly trusting relationships between children and staff. Staff and children are proud to celebrate their individual and shared successes. There is an abundance of children’s photos, awards, certificates, and memory books on display throughout the home. Staff also complete daily group discussions with children, where they are encouraged to share their days’ positive and negative experiences. These discussions support children to build relationships with their peers and recognise their achievements. It also helps children to feel safe and secure and develop a sense of belonging.

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outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for children in respect of their education and ensure that they have access to education that is appropriate to meet their individual needs. Staff work tirelessly to overcome children’s barriers to learning. When children are unable to attend school, staff help children to complete education in the home. The manager is tenacious in helping secure alternative provisions as soon as possible, to reduce gaps in children’s learning. In addition, the manager has used ‘emotional based school avoidance’ research in practice to support staff to understand why children may refuse school. This has been highly effective in significantly increasing one child’s attendance. These practices have supported children to be successful and make considerable progress in their learning.

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outstanding

Children are flourishing socially because of the range of opportunities and experiences they have. For example, children have participated in their first overnight camping trip, day trips to different cities, and have helped to raise £600 for charity by participating in a charity walk. Staff promote children’s individual skills. Children are members of local clubs and are encouraged to pursue their interests such as parkour (free running), air cadets, netball, drama and dance. This encourages the learning of new skills while also building children’s confidence.

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outstanding

Children’s health needs are well managed. The support that staff provide to children to maintain their physical and emotional health is excellent. Staff work with external Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 4 agencies to meet all children’s care and health needs. Staff receive regular research- based guidance from the clinical team, which supports their trauma-based approach with children. This allows staff to be more responsive to children’s changing needs. Health plans are comprehensive, detail key information and provide staff with clear guidance on how to support children’s physical and emotional well-being. This approach enhances positive health outcomes for children.

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outstanding

Children are prepared well when moving into or from the home. The manager is a strong advocate for children. This ensures that children’s voices are heard and that their transitions are in line with their needs. This helps to minimise disruption and, consequently, children settle quickly.

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outstanding

Children feel happy and safe living in this home. One child said, ‘It’s outstanding. Ten out of ten.’

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outstanding

Highly trained, knowledgeable and competent staff support children. They have an exceptional understanding of the children’s risks and behaviours. In-house therapists are based in the home to support staff and complete weekly one-to-one and group therapy sessions with children in line with the organisation’s therapy programme. The high level of support the staff provide to children increases children’s resilience and awareness of their behaviours and risks. As a result, children are safer, and risks have significantly reduced since they moved into this home.

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outstanding

Staff are clear about their responsibilities to protect children. When there are safeguarding concerns, staff and managers take immediate action. They are diligent and follow robust safeguarding policies and procedures to keep children safe. Collaborative working with professionals is highly effective. Information is shared swiftly to avoid delay and ensures that children are protected from harm. Safeguarding records are thorough. They detail the outcome of any concern as well as any further action needed. The local authority designated officer told the inspector, ‘The manager and staff are really scrupulous at checking things out.’

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outstanding

Incidents where children go missing from care are extremely rare. When children are missing, the staff follow the missing-from-home protocols. When children return, they are warmly welcomed back, and they understand that staff worry for their safety. This means that children can talk to staff about what happened while they were missing and feel reassured. Staff work with children extensively to understand the dangers associated with going missing from home.

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outstanding

Restraint is used as a last resort to safeguard children. The use of physical intervention is proportionate, comprehensively recorded, and statutory procedures are consistently followed. The manager is extremely diligent in her oversight of incidents and ensures that staff and children reflect on all incidents. This approach creates a culture of reflection and learning for all. It supports children to feel safe, secure and more confident in their relationships with staff. In addition, the manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 5 has been proactive in exploring alternative strategies to keep children safe and reduce the need for staff to physically intervene. She has completed a thorough analysis of incidents, collaborating with other professionals, including social workers and restraint trainers, and has implemented risk reduction plans. As a result, incidents of physical intervention are reducing.

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outstanding

Staff help children to understand the consequences of their negative behaviours and reward them when their behaviour is positive. This restorative approach helps children to feel valued and supports them to learn more socially acceptable behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered in July 2019. The manager has created an open and inclusive culture that places children at the centre of practice. She has excellent knowledge of the children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an ambitious and inspirational leader. She leads by example providing highly effective leadership. She has created an environment where everyone can succeed. She has high aspirations for children and staff and will go above and beyond to support them to reach their potential. This leadership inspires staff to provide exceptional care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has exceptional oversight of the quality of care that children receive. There are highly effective monitoring systems in place. The manager completes regular audits to scrutinise the performance of the home and children’s outcomes. She also uses external audits, independent person assessments and comprehensive development plans to continuously develop the service and ensure that staff’s practice consistently exceeds the standard of good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that children have a stable and skilled team of staff that can meet the needs of the children. She supports the staff team extremely well, valuing the importance of staff development. Staff receive high-quality supervision and annual appraisal. Team meetings are regular and reflective. The manager ensures that staff have personal development plans in place to help them achieve. There is high staff morale and staff report they are well supported by management and happy in their work. One staff member said, ‘The management has been amazing and provides a level of support unprecedented to any other job I’ve worked in, always going above and beyond for young people and staff alike.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager takes responsibility for her own learning and development, including keeping up to date with new initiatives. She understands the importance of children’s voices being heard and that being included in the decisions that impact on their lives is integral to the progress children make. She has researched and introduced the ‘Community of communities’ approach to support this and help children to build positive relationships in a group living environment. This has made an exceptional difference to the lives of the children. They are now benefiting from Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 6 improved relationships with staff, peers and the wider community, feeling a valued member of society.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff and the manager work closely with other professionals to ensure that the care provided to children is well coordinated. The manager will challenge those who are not meeting children’s needs, or when she feels decisions are not in the best interests of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from professionals is excellent. Social workers were positive about the progress that children have made since living in the home. Everyone who spoke to the inspector said that the communication is of a high standard. The care afforded to children is exceptional. One social worker told the inspector, ‘It’s honestly the best residential home I have worked with. I would want my child to go there. [Name of child] has made real progress.’ A foster carer said, ‘Staff are brilliant. [Name of child] has done so well since being there.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Two staff have not completed their level 3 qualification within the timescales stipulated in regulation 32. The manager is aware and is monitoring this monthly to ensure that the staff complete this as soon as possible. While this is a shortfall, it has not had an impact on the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 7

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, have the level 3 diploma or equivalent qualification within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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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: 2523025 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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Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 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 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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