Children's home run by Compass Children’s Homes North East Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2594952 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes North East Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The interim manager’s application to register with Ofsted was approved following this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: 28 February 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: 2594952 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2024 Full Good 21/06/2022 Full Good 14/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2594952 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming home. The home has space for children to spend time together, and each child has their own bedroom that is personalised to their own taste. Children have contributed to how the home is decorated, which is something they say they are very proud of.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are all in education and making good progress. Staff value children’s education and advocate for the right placement for each child. Staff work with children to help them to understand the importance of attending school. As a result, a child who was previously out of education is now attending full time and enjoying it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in a wide range of activities together and individually. They enjoy new experiences, such as going on holiday for the first time. This allows the children the opportunity to learn new skills and explore their interests. Staff include children’s favourite activities in their day-to-day routine. This helps to give children a sense of achievement as well as the opportunity to lead active lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop good relationships with the children’s families. They support the family to understand the children’s needs for when they spend time together. Therefore, children are able to enjoy the time they spend with the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff gather children’s views using a variety of methods. This includes monthly visits from an independent advocate, who children are happy to talk to. This provides children with an opportunity to have input into their own care. A new system of feeding back to children has been implemented so that children can feel heard and see the value of sharing their views.

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

Staff consistently follow children’s individual care plans and risk assessments. These detail the risks to the child and what staff should do to reduce these. Assessments and plans are regularly reviewed by the manager to ensure that the level of supervision provided meets children’s needs. When appropriate, the manager advocates for an increase in supervision, which contributes to keeping children safe.

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

Staff support children to manage their emotions appropriately, such as when they are angry or upset. There is practical support and additional key-work sessions aimed at helping them to understand their feelings and the impact of behaviours that emerge as a result. One professional said that a child has made progress in being able to manage their feelings and remain calm.

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

Staff only hold children as a last resort to safeguard the child and others. The use of physical intervention is carefully considered and proportionate to the situation. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2594952 4 manager tracks patterns in children’s behaviour and has implemented strategies which have significantly helped to reduce the need to use physical intervention techniques.

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

Allegations and complaints made by children are taken seriously by the manager and staff. The manager follows a robust investigation process and appropriate action is taken to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that the children are being cared for by staff who have the required level of qualification and experience for the role. Currently, only one member of staff holds the necessary qualification. This has impacted on the judgement for leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been a change in the ownership of the home and some changes in the staff team, which has been an unsettling time for the children. The manager is new to the role and is developing a team to provide stability in caring for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is motivated to ensure that children in his care have their needs met well and feel valued. The manager responds to the scrutiny of the independent person and has implemented an action plan to improve the quality of children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings are well attended and provide a safe space for staff to identify practice learning and discuss the changing needs of the children. Staff also benefit from specialist support from therapeutic practitioners. These are focused meetings which help staff to better understand the context of children’s behaviour and how staff can contribute to children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff record children’s information in a way that is helpful to the children. The style of writing helps children to understand their life story and their time in the home. This is also a record of the children’s achievements that provides a valuable narrative of their everyday lives. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594952 5

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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 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that there is a suitable ratio of qualified staff caring for children. 1 December 2024

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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: 2594952 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes North East Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2594952 7 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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