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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2688909 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 four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at 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 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2688909 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2688909 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress from their starting points due to the support they receive from the staff involved in their care. The parent of a child who previously lived in the home said that their child is flourishing and described the progress their child has made as ‘unbelievable’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff start to build relationships with children before they come to live in the home. Staff arrange to visit children and introduce themselves before children move in. This helps children to feel more at ease when coming to a new environment with new people. Transitions into and out of the home are well planned and individualised to the needs of the child. Staff use social stories to support children to understand their journeys and provide reassurance during this big change in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented and furnished to meet children’s needs. Each child has their own room, which includes personal items and decor of their choice. Photos of the children engaging in activities with staff members are displayed throughout the home. This helps to create a home with a family atmosphere.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress with their education. They are attending regularly and achieving academically. Professionals say that children are settled in their education setting and that the staff keep them well informed about any relevant information about the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to attend appointments and seek medical attention where necessary. There has been one occasion where routinely prescribed medication was not issued to a child. Medical advice was sought, and the manager ensured that staff received additional training. This helps to ensure that children’s health needs are being met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children take part in a range of activities and days out. They are encouraged to try new things, develop their social skills and explore their talents and interests. This gives children a sense of achievement and exposes them to new experiences. For example, one child experienced their first holiday abroad.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to share their views through weekly meetings and informal chats with staff. This provides children with the opportunity to share their ideas and contribute towards the plans in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their families and friends. These are important relationships to children, and it makes a difference to them to know that their families are still part of their lives. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688909 4

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

Risk assessments and care plans are clear and individualised to each child, and they are kept up to date. They include ways in which staff can support children to manage difficulties when they arise. This helps staff to maintain a consistent approach to responding to concerns involving children. When incidents occur, children’s plans are updated and reflect any changes to the care provided. This helps to ensure that children’s current needs are being met.

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

When children become distressed, staff support them by using effective de-escalation techniques. Sometimes, children need to be held by staff to keep themselves and others safe. When this occurs, holds are proportionate. Incidents are recorded and there is management oversight. This helps to ensure that practice is scrutinised and that the use of holds is in line with the age and needs of the children. The use of holds for some children has reduced significantly.

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

The manager ensures that all allegations against staff are fully investigated and information is shared with partnership agencies. Where practice issues are identified, the manager ensures that an action plan is in place. This helps to ensure that staff can appropriately care for children and reduce future concerns. Children are supported by staff to share their feelings when they make allegations. When children retract their allegation, this is managed well by staff, relationships are repaired, and children are not made to feel shame.

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

On one occasion, staff did not follow a child’s care plan. As a result, the child became distressed, which led to a physical intervention and subsequently an allegation was made by the child that they had been hurt. The manager carried out an investigation and addressed the practice issues with the staff involved. This demonstrates that the manager has children’s safety and well-being at the centre of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well and has a good understanding of their early experiences and how they affect them. The manager has a strong focus on providing therapeutic care to children and speaks warmly about each child. This is reflected in how staff nurture and care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established positive working relationships with partnership agencies. There is regular communication, and updates relating to the children are shared. The manager and staff attend meetings for children and contribute to their care planning. One professional commented that they are ‘blown away’ by the home and that it is a ‘joy’ to work with the staff who work there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains good oversight into the needs of staff and their development. This is done through regular supervision sessions with staff which focus on their practice and training needs. Supervision is reflective in nature and staff speak positively about the support they receive to enable them to care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688909 5 Leaders and managers have effective monitoring systems in place to oversee the running of the home. The manager carries out regular audits of children’s files and tracks the events that involve the children. This provides the manager with an overview of how the care that children receive impacts on their experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are an opportunity for staff to reflect on the needs of each child. Staff can discuss and develop the children’s plans. The manager is proactive in researching areas which will help staff to support children and raises these during team meetings. This helps staff to better meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has used several agency staff due to permanent staff leaving. The manager recognises the impact this has on the children and uses the same agency staff so that there is more consistency in care for the children. The manager has also prioritised recruitment to the vacant posts. This means that there is now a more stable staff team and an increased focus on staff retention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No members of staff hold the required qualification except for the manager and deputy. The manager has ensured that all staff have completed the organisation’s mandatory training to compensate for their lack of experience. All staff are also enrolled on the qualification, with some staff due to complete this soon. However, this means that children are cared for by adults who may have little experience of working in their role. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688909 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff consistently follow children’s care plans. Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities and what they are authorised to decide on their own initiative. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)  The registered person should ensure that any staff member in a supervisory role, such as shift leader, has substantial relevant experience of working in a children’s home and has successfully completed their induction for the home in which they are employed. This particularly relates to ensuring that there is a balance of staff who hold their qualification and those who are working towards it. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.21)

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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: 2688909 7

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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

Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2688909 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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