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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Full inspection 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 spectrum disorder, 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

At the time of this inspection, five children were living in the home. All the children were seen as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since November 2023. Service managers are overseeing the day-to-day management of the home, with support from deputy managers and the responsible individual. A new manager has been appointed. They have not yet made their application to register with Ofsted.

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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. Only the social care provision on this site was inspected.

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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: inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 2

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A full inspection on 21 to 23 May 2024 resulted in the home being judged inadequate. Following this inspection, Ofsted issued requirements under regulations 12, 13, 35, 20 and 7.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit took place on 4 July 2024. Ofsted determined that the provider had made sufficient progress to meet the requirements raised at the last inspection. No further requirements or recommendations were raised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2024 Full Inadequate 06/06/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Good 23/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy living in the home. They experience positive and trusting relationships with staff who know them well. Staff support children to have opportunities to explore and enjoy their individual interests. This includes going for drives, watching their favourite television programmes, yoga and dancing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The on-site school provides education for the children. All children attend regularly, and their individual learning needs are met well. One child, who had been out of school for a long time before moving to the home, benefited from a sensitive approach to help them return to school. This good work helps children to make progress in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s evolving health needs. Children attend routine and specialist health appointments. They are encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle. Staff seek guidance from medical professionals promptly when children display new behaviours. When one child struggled to take their medication, staff advocated for an alternative. They also helped the child to understand this change via a social story. This has led to the child accepting and taking their medication more often.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s communication needs are clearly captured in their individual communication pack. Staff use a variety of communication tools. This helps children understand developments and changes in the home. This also encourages children to share their feelings and make choices about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Diversity and the identity needs of children are well promoted by staff. There are regular cultural events at the home where children are encouraged to enjoy new experiences, including a variety of food. The diverse staff team helps children to follow their religious beliefs and access specialist hairdressers as needed. Children also spend time with people who are important to them. This helps children to maintain their identity and respect difference.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large, with lots of space for children to enjoy. Children’s bedrooms are adapted to meet their individual needs. Children are encouraged to personalise their rooms when they feel ready for this. One child’s bedroom is decorated in pink, and they have pink furniture in line with their wishes. There are a few areas of the home that require painting and repair. Some of this work was completed during the inspection, while the remaining work is part of the home’s ongoing maintenance plan. This work is scheduled to be completed over the next few weeks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 5

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

Children’s behaviours are managed confidently by staff. Thorough risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance about the risks to children. There is also information about actions they are to take to manage and reduce these risks. Staff have a good understanding about the restrictions in place for children, which are appropriate. These plans and restrictions are regularly reviewed in a timely manner to ensure they remain necessary and safe for children.

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

Staff are better skilled at distracting children and de-escalating situations following more training. When staff physically intervene to keep children safe, this is done as a last resort and recorded in a timely manner. Staff speak to children following these incidents to understand their experiences of being held and what they can do to help children avoid such situations in the future. Social stories are also used to support children’s understanding. This has led to a reduction in the number of physical interventions.

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

There have been no complaints or allegations made by children against staff. There have also been no incidents of children going missing from home. Routines, boundaries and regular conversations by staff help children to feel safe and stay safe. One child’s social worker was complimentary about safeguarding processes in the home and the positive impact these have had on the child’s development.

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

The recruitment of staff is thorough, and managers undertake all necessary checks. This helps managers to make considered decisions about the suitability of staff.

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

There has been one medication error since the last inspection. There was no impact on the child’s health. Managers identified this error, and staff completed additional training to increase their knowledge. This proactive approach has helped to minimise the risk of further errors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management structure in the home remains effective. Managers have steered the home towards positive change and development that benefits children. Monitoring systems provide managers with a clear picture of children’s care and staff practice, including areas of development. There is also a clear plan in place to support the new manager to sustain and build on these changes in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have continued to prioritise the recruitment and development of staff. There is less reliance on the use of temporary staff to care for children. The temporary staff who work in the home are familiar to the children. This helps children to feel comfortable and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported and valued by managers. There is a supportive working environment, and this has helped to improve staff morale since the last inspection. New staff have a clear induction and probation period. There is a clear commitment Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 6 by managers to build a skilled staff team to continue to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff have good relationships with partner agencies. They also work closely with parents to make sure children’s progress and achievements are shared and celebrated. A parent of a child who is due to move out of the home in line with their plan praised the staff. They said, ‘I would class them as friends; they have given us brilliant support. I cannot ask any more of them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations have been raised during this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 7

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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 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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Inspectors

Nurul Kabir, Social Care Inspector Charlotte Love, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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