Children's Home run by Compass Children‟s Homes Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2679801 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s 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 home is owned by a private company and provides care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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: 23 January 2024

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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: 2679801 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2024 Full Outstanding 11/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2679801 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make exceptional progress taking into consideration their starting points when moving into the home. Children are supported to build trusted relationships with staff and benefit from the high-quality care and support they receive. Staff have a comprehensive knowledge of children’s individual needs and risk factors, meaning that children receive highly individualised care that meets their complex needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home’s psychologist provides invaluable support to both the children and the staff team. She leads and delivers therapeutic intervention to children which inspires a nurturing staff team. She regularly updates children’s plans to reflect their changing needs, ensuring that staff continue to meet their needs to a high standard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide children with opportunities that enhance their life chances and staff encourage children to experience a wide range of activities. The home’s therapeutic programme allows children to develop their skills to manage aspects of their life more independently while still ensuring their and others’ safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress in education. One child, who had not attended school for a significant period, has positively engaged in tutored education and is working towards qualifications. The child’s tutor said that working with the staff team is ‘refreshing’ as they have been impressed by their understanding and commitment to children. When children’s attendance has declined, managers have listened to children’s views and advocated for additional support and when appropriate alternative education provisions. Managers are creative and innovative in finding ways to support children’s education, especially when they have previously not attended.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff meet children’s health needs to a high standard. Managers work closely with health professionals to manage risks relating to children’s mental health. Staff follow children’s safety plans during times of crisis. Managers’ and staff’s compassion and commitment to children experiencing mental health crisis are commendable, going above and beyond to support children’s need to feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff deliver excellent key working which encompasses a wide range of topics relevant to children’s needs and risks. Staff deliver key work at a pace and style that supports children’s individual learning needs, giving the child meaningful learning and opportunities to reflect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers ensure that children see their families, including when they live long distances away. Staff help parents to meet their children’s needs and strengthen their relationships. One parent said that managers plan family time in advance to help prepare both themselves and their child. Managers have developed positive working relationships with children’s families. This was imperative for one child who went missing to return to Inspection report for children’s home: 2679801 4 their family. Managers’ development of these positive relationships has allowed staff to work with the child’s family to ensure their safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff provide children with positive endings to their time living at the home, even in times of crisis. The level of commitment shown to children is admirable, which has supported sustained positive relationships with children despite moving on under difficult circumstances. Managers and staff go above and beyond to maintain relationships with children by sustaining contact with their new home, providing support where needed and visiting children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers have reflected on how children moving into the home has impacted on children already living in the home.

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

Significant incidents have reduced in severity and frequency when measured from children’s individual starting points. Staff understand children’s needs and risks extremely well. Assessments and plans completed by managers are comprehensive, regularly reviewed and consistently implemented. Children’s views are included in risk assessments and plans. This strengthens the effectiveness of them.

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

The home’s psychologist delivers a therapeutic programme to assess and address children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. Managers ensure that staff receive comprehensive training to complement the psychologist’s work. This ensures that staff use their knowledge and understanding when responding to children’s behaviour.

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

Staff follow missing-from-home procedures very well. Managers ensure that there is a coordinated response when working with several safeguarding partners. Staff take extra measures to try and locate children and ensure their safety when they are missing from home.

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

Staff support children effectively to manage their emotions in times of crisis. They only use physical restraint when necessary to protect the child or others. There are very clear risk management plans in place to support this practice, with plans being specific to the child and their needs. Staff recordings of any incident is thorough. Management oversight of all incidents is detailed, robust and reflective. The manager promotes reflection and learning following incidents, which positively informs children’s care plans.

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

Staff and managers respond to and manage allegations well. Managers appropriately investigate allegations and ensure that children are informed of the outcome. The manager has created risk assessments specific to each child to ensure that staff respond to allegations appropriately and take actions to militate against risks of false allegations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679801 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and the staff team share high aspirations for children. Managers lead by example and support staff in their care and safeguarding of children. Staff report excellent levels of support from leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has experienced some turnover of staff during this inspection period. The manager has strived to provide children with consistency during uncertain times by ensuring that managers have had an increased presence in the home. Staff and children have said that having managers alongside them eased their anxieties during this time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and the home’s psychologist are very reflective in their practice and use research to inform children’s care. They disseminate their reflections and learning to the staff team, whose members value their approach. This provides staff with a deeper understanding of how children feel and their presenting needs, and with greater skill in meeting them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent oversight of the home, with her recordings being thorough and reflective of all aspects of children’s care. The manager’s presence in the home and the relationships she has developed with children further strengthen her oversight. The manager strives to improve practice and ensures that lessons are learned from significant events. Furthermore, the manager not only ensures reflection takes place, but acts on identified changes or improvements needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has developed and maintains systems to track children’s needs and behaviours. This highlights progress made by children and emerging themes of support and risks. This has given consistency in the care provided to children across all aspects of the home, which staff have said has been a positive improvement for both the team and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings and formal supervision are regular and reflective. Support for staff is ongoing and not restricted to formal supervision. The manager has created a culture where staff feel supported by one another and are able to speak openly about challenges. The manager is proactive in ensuring staff have the right training to meet children’s individual needs. Staff also have regular support and training from the home’s psychologist, who contributes to the development of the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679801 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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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: 2679801 7

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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: 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspector

Chloe Harvey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2679801 8 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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