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

Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It provides care for up to six children with learning disabilities, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, specific language/communication difficulties and/or sensory integration difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since November 2023. The home’s current manager was the home’s registered manager until November 2023, and took over as the manager again in April 2024. She has applied to register with Ofsted, however, she has also submitted her resignation to leave the company and is due to leave her position in June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider also has a school on the same site, which provides education to children living at the home. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Good 23/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s overall experiences have been affected by some serious safeguarding failings, which at times have increased children’s vulnerabilities and left them at potential risk of harm. In addition, leadership and management systems in the home are not effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, six children were living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The quality of children’s day-to-day experiences is varied and dependent on which staff are supporting them. For example, some staff have developed good relationships with the children, they understand their complex needs and provide personalised care. However, other staff do not understand children’s needs and have not developed positive relationships with the children. Consequently, children do not always receive an individualised approach to their care, which has the potential to leave them vulnerable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Not all staff communicate effectively with children. For example, some staff help children by using social stories, pictures and symbols. This allows children to express themselves. However, on other occasions, leaders have failed to seek children’s views as part of investigations into safeguarding concerns. Furthermore, some staff do not understand children’s different communication needs and their wishes are not routinely listened to and considered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite the shortfalls identified, children make some progress and have some positive experiences. For example, the number of incidents for one child has significantly reduced since they moved into the home. Staff have supported another child to develop their independence and social skills. This has resulted in the child completing work experience outside of the home. As a result, the child’s self-confidence has improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children receive on-site education that meets their individual learning needs and staff support them to make some progress. Additionally, children enjoy a wide range of activities in the home and in the wider community. Staff take children swimming, on trips to parks and to community-based clubs such as trampolining.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support children’s complex health needs well. There are health plans in place for children, which help staff to understand each child’s health needs. Medication is stored safely and securely, and clear records are maintained of all medication dispensed.

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

Several shortfalls were identified in relation to physical restraint practice. On a number of occasions, staff have physically restrained one child on the floor using techniques which they are not trained to use. Leaders responded to this poor practice by reviewing these techniques and by providing further training for staff with the physical restraint trainer. As a result, a bespoke training session was delivered to staff and methods were Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 4 identified to keep the child and staff safe. However, five days after the training, five staff carried out a further restraint with the child on the floor for a significant period. This was not in line with the additional training provided. Also, some staff involved in these incidents had received no formal restraint training or were out of timescale for refresher training. These shortfalls place children at risk of harm and do not promote their well-

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

Leaders fail to ensure that restraint records are clear and accurate. Some records of incidents lack the required information and robust management evaluation. This prevents effective oversight of whether the intervention used was necessary, proportionate and effective. Furthermore, it is unclear when and how staff are spoken to after incidents, which limits the opportunity for reflection and learning.

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

Some safeguarding practices and leaders’ responses to managing safeguarding concerns are poor. When unsafe practice has been witnessed, it is not always addressed immediately and effectively, which leaves children at further risk of harm.

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

The home’s physical environment is not as safe for children as it should be. Assessments and checks have identified shortfalls in several fire doors. However, these issues were not fully addressed and some tasks have remained outstanding since June 2023. This lack of action leaves children and staff at unnecessary risk of harm. A company director did take action to address these ongoing shortfalls on the final day of the inspection.

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

Despite the safeguarding shortfalls, some of the home’s systems are effective. For example, children have not gone missing from the home and there are updated missing- from-home protocols in place. Children’s recorded risk assessments are improving and provide advice and guidance for staff to follow. Furthermore, the home’s responsible individual conducted a serious incident review of one safeguarding incident identified during the inspection and identified areas for staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Poor leadership and management and failure to take effective action to improve the quality of care in the home have compromised children’s safety, experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, the home has undergone several changes in the leadership team. For example, the registered manager was promoted to become the home’s responsible individual and the deputy manager became the home’s manager. However, after a short period, these individuals were asked to step down. The home’s manager has applied to re-register with Ofsted but has submitted her resignation and is due to leave the company in June 2024. Additionally, two other managers have been in the home supporting the manager. Inconsistent management arrangements and ineffective communication between leaders does not support the protection of children or improve the quality of care that they receive. Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 5 Management oversight and monitoring of the home are poor. The management team does not have effective systems to review the quality of care and fully understand children’s experiences. They do not review and evaluate significant incidents effectively,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

including physical restraint practice and staff practice concerns. Therefore, they do not understand the potential risks to children or consistently take steps to challenge poor practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Current staffing arrangements fail to provide children with consistent care. Staffing shortages have resulted in children being cared for by 35 different agency staff since the last inspection. In addition, training and development systems fail to adequately equip all staff with the knowledge and skills to provide good, consistent care to children. Staff said that they would benefit from communication and medication training which is more specific to the needs of children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders in the organisation have recently become more involved in the day-to-day running of the home. The company director developed an action plan during the inspection to offer reassurance that action will be taken to improve the care that children receive. Some immediate action was taken to safeguard children in response to the findings. Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 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, The 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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 action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(i)(iii)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff assess children’s risks effectively, recognise that children are at risk of harm and take action to keep children safe. This particularly relates to incidents involving physical restraint with children, and when there are identified concerns with staff safeguarding practice. 20 June 2024

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 20 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 7 (Regulation 12(1)(2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the home provides children with a safe environment and that urgent action is taken to ensure that fire doors on children’s bedrooms work correctly to keep children safe.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the home has suitably trained and skilled staff to provide consistent care to children and protect them from harm.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that they have effective oversight and monitoring of children’s risks and staff’s responses to significant incidents in the home. It further relates to the manager’s oversight of the quality of care children receive in the home. 20 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 8 Managers must also have clear monitoring and review systems in place to improve practice and understand children’s progress and experiences.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20(1)(a)(b)(c)(2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that appropriately trained staff are equipped with the skills to use physical restraint practice safely and proportionately to keep children safe when in crisis. 20 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; 20 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 9 help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings are gathered when carrying out investigations. When children are non-verbal, leaders should ensure that they communicate with children using children’s identified communication methods. Furthermore, leaders should ensure that all staff supporting children understand children’s communication needs and are able to work effectively to communicate with children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 20 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 10 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

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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all incidents requiring physical restraint with children are recorded factually and that they provide a clear overview of the incident, including which staff are involved, the specific location of the restraint and the duration of the measures used.

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Requirement Due date

Also, it relates to the manager’s oversight of incidents requiring physical restraint with children at the home and the need to ensure that the effectiveness of each measure is reviewed.

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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: 2620678 11

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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

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2620678 12 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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