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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2528516 1 Registered provider: Compass Childrens Homes Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to six children aged between 10 and 17 with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in March 2024. An interim manager has been managing the home since this date. She applied to register with Ofsted as manager of this home in September 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2528516 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2024 Full Good 16/11/2022 Full Outstanding 14/04/2021 Full Good 05/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2528516 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out and one child has moved into the home. Three children were present during this inspection. Two children shared their views with inspectors.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. Staff consider education holistically. They encourage and incentivise school attendance and provide supplementary learning activities in the home. One child does not attend school. The staff are proactive in offering educational activities relevant to the child’s interests. This includes providing specialist hair and beauty equipment. This helps to provide daily structure and builds the child’s confidence to learn.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered stability and permanence. Moves into and out of the home are planned with children’s individual needs in mind. Children are consulted about who is coming to live with them, and they feel included in their plans. One child, who has since moved on, told inspectors that staff helped them to prepare for their move to a more independent setting, and this included practical support and emotional reassurance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make a complaint. Staff support children to have their voices heard and respond quickly to matters raised. When children experience turbulence in their relationships with peers, staff speak to each child and, when appropriate, help them to understand each other’s views. Children make progress with social and communication skills as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are comprehensively considered. Children take responsibility for their medical needs when it is safe to do so. This is regularly reviewed to ensure that children receive help that is proportionate to their needs. One child, who had previously experienced considerable discomfort and worry in relation to a health need, has been supported by staff to make progress in managing this condition to improve their quality of life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s daily lives are structured and planned according to their interests. Children have taken part in a variety of fun experiences, including police cadets, horse riding lessons, trips to London and short breaks to forest-based activity centres. Photos and fun captions relevant to these positive experiences are captured in large memory books.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warmly decorated; photos of children and staff feature on the walls. However, one room that is used as a snug area is routinely locked by a keypad entry system. This prevents children’s reasonable access and detracts from the homely environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2528516 4

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

When physical intervention is used, it is to keep children safe in line with agreed multi-agency plans. When children experience physical intervention, staff ensure that the children are offered medical attention and check on their physical and emotional well-being following incidents. Managers review each incident record and talk to children and staff about what happened. Any learning from these conversations is shared and used to inform plans.

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

A rewards and consequences system is understood by staff and used effectively to encourage children’s pro-social behaviour. Consequences are fair and proportionate and focus on repairing relationships. Rewards encourage children to develop independence skills and good personal hygiene. Rewards are individualised to each child. One child is working towards a special trip to watch an ice-skating show.

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

Children have, on occasion, been missing from the home for short periods of time. Staff follow children and act in accordance with plans to keep children safe. Records of these incidents are clear and accurate. This helps managers to identify any learning that can be taken from incidents. Staff work with other agencies, including the police and social workers, to ensure children’s safe return and that they receive return home interviews.

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

When children have made allegations of harm about staff, the allegations are taken seriously. Investigations take place quickly, are handled fairly and discussed with the relevant agencies. Children receive clear information about the outcome of their complaint.

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

Some children have complex emotional needs. They experience self-harm when distressed. When external professionals share worries about meeting these needs in their settings, leaders share ideas for good practice. This helps to ensure that the child receives consistent, well-coordinated support from all agencies and ensures that they do not miss out on opportunities. Children are supported to develop positive coping strategies and to talk about how they feel. Instances of self-harm have reduced in frequency.

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

Staff receive training relevant to supporting the needs of the children at the home. This includes training in specific medical conditions, neurodiversity and self-harm.

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good

The home has not had a registered manager since March 2024. Leaders’ attempts to recruit to this post were not successful. The interim manager, who has worked at the home since March 2024, has decided to register with Ofsted. Their application was submitted to Ofsted at the end of September 2024. Inspection report for children’s home: 2528516 5 Leaders and managers acknowledge that there was some instability at the home when the registered manager left. This is reflected in staff’s feedback. A child said that they felt that some staff would be leaving soon to work at another home that is being opened by the same organisation, so there was no point talking to them.

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good

The manager feels supported by the responsible individual and colleagues. The manager has ambitions for the home and is looking forward to the next stages in its development. A three-deputy model has been implemented, with the goal of offering full occupancy for children.

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good

Managers ensure that training is up to date and relevant. Level 3 and 5 qualifications are progressing. Managers source advice and guidance to ensure that their intervention is effective and in line with specific risks, such as ligature. Inductions are well planned and paced.

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good

Supervision is monthly. It is meaningful, encouraging and progressive and offers challenge. Newer staff have supervision twice monthly and say that it is a positive experience. Team meetings are child-centred, review risk planning and offer comprehensive guidance and expectations on how to progress with intervention with children.

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good

Managers have appropriate oversight of practice and deal with concerns effectively. They challenge the wider network of professionals, such as when education is not progressing as hoped. This has minimised the impact of the lack of registered manager on the children’s day-to-day lives and progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2528516 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children can access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: 2528516 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Childrens Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspectors

Natalie Day, Social Care Inspector Carrie Twinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2528516 8 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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