Children's home run by Compass Children‟s Homes Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and provides care for up to seven children who have experienced childhood trauma and may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 31 January 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2024 Full Good 03/01/2023 Full Outstanding 01/03/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 3

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improvement to be good

The inspector spoke to all the children living at the home during the inspection. Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and one child has moved in. These moves were well supported by the manager and her staff team. A social worker commended the staff for the sensitive way the child was moved into the home.

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improvement to be good

The home is large and has been decorated in a manner that provides a homely environment for children. Children are encouraged to decorate their rooms in a way that reflects their interests and gives them a sense of belonging. However, two of the three bedrooms were extremely untidy on the day of the inspection. Clothes were all over the floor, making it difficult to walk freely in the bedrooms. In addition, empty drinks cans and food packets were on the floor, and used plates left in the room.

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improvement to be good

Children are cared for by a staff team who understand children’s adverse experiences and how these may impact on their behaviour. Staff receive guidance from the home’s therapist to ensure that they are able to respond sensitively to children’s individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s relationships with people who are important to them are nurtured by the staff team. Staff listen to children’s views about the time they want to spend with their family and support them to do so. This helps children to build and maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged and supported to go to school. When they come to the end of their formal education, they are encouraged to continue in post-16 education or to seek employment. However, one child has not accessed education or employment for several months. In addition, despite the child being at the age to move on from the home to semi-independence, leaders and managers have not demonstrated that they have supported them to be prepared for this move and to develop independent living skills.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to make decisions about the day-to-day care they receive. Staff ensure that children have opportunities to share their views on the food they want to eat and activities that they want to take part in. This helps children to understand that their wishes and feelings are important.

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improvement to be good

Children say they feel safe. However, there are shortfalls in safeguarding practice that compromise the safety and well-being of children. For example, leaders and managers do not always ensure that relevant checks are carried out before children spend time Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 4 with people who are important to them. As a result of this, one child was allowed to visit the home of a friend, even though there was known concerns about this address.

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improvement to be good

Safety plans for children do not always accurately identify children’s risks and how staff should respond to them. Furthermore, not all plans are signed to confirm that staff have read changes to the plans following significant incidents.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not demonstrated that children are consistently supported to learn what is unacceptable behaviour. For example, there are inconsistencies in key work carried out with children, particularly around physical aggression by children towards staff in the home.

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improvement to be good

Allegations made by children are handled well by leaders and managers. These are investigated thoroughly to ensure that children are safeguarded from harm. However, leaders and managers do not always ensure that investigation outcomes are shared with children, so that they are assured that their concerns have been taken seriously.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home incidents are generally well managed. Staff search for children and seek support from the police to ensure that children are located quickly. In addition, leaders and managers work closely with other professionals to understand why children go missing from home, to reduce the number of incidents. However, on one occasion, there was a delay in searching for one child when they went missing in the community. Additionally, children do not always have the opportunity to speak to someone independent when they return home after being missing.

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improvement to be good

Restraint practice is used as a last resort and is reasonable and proportionate. Children and staff are supported to take part in debriefs after each incident and incidents are reviewed by the manager. This helps with learning from incidents and ensures that children are supported.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment practice to ensure that the children are cared for by adults who are unlikely to harm them.

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

The home is run by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who has a good understanding of the children and their needs. However, changes in the management team since the last inspection have limited the management oversight. The responsible individual has identified additional management support to improve this.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been a high number of staff changes. Leaders and managers have recruited some staff, who are able to provide consistent care to the children. However, there are still vacancies in the staff team. Staff say that they have confidence in the manager and acknowledge her willingness to cover shifts when there are staff shortages. Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 5 Staff have access to training that supports them to carry out their roles. Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. The manager uses these meetings to share expectations about the home and how it should operate. However, the meetings do not provide an opportunity for staff to reflect on significant incidents or provide a forum for collective learning for staff.

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

Not all systems to support staff are being used effectively. For example, staff are not receiving regular supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose. When supervision does take place and practice issues are identified, gaps between supervision sessions mean that leaders and managers are unable to demonstrate that follow-up actions to support staff have been addressed.

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

Despite many staff being new to the home, leaders and managers have not ensured that when there is not an effective response to incidents, reflective discussions take place with staff to ensure that there is improvement in staff practice, to keep children safe.

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

The manager does not always use monitoring systems effectively. For example, the manager’s monthly audit of the home was last completed in September 2024. In addition, the manager was unaware of shortfalls in safeguarding practice until they were identified during the inspection.

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

Leaders and managers have established strong connections with partner agencies. Social workers for the children praised the way leaders, managers and staff ensure that they are kept informed of children’s progress. In addition, the home’s therapist regularly communicates with staff at the children’s school to share strategies for managing children’s behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 6

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)) 1 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 7 Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children are consistently supported to learn about behaviour that is unacceptable, such as violence towards others.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that risk management plans accurately reflect children’s risks and support staff to understand how to manage these.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that they are satisfied that staff are aware of children’s emerging risks and how to respond.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that when there are shortfalls in safeguarding practice, staff are helped to reflect and learn from incidents.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that when children go missing from home, they have an opportunity to take part in an independent return home interview within 72 hours of returning to the home. 1 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 8 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that monitoring is regularly completed to ensure that shortfalls in practice are identified.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff have access to regular supervision in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. 1 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged and supported to keep their bedrooms clean. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure that when children are not participating in education or training, they are supported and encouraged to take part in alternative learning, such as developing independence skills. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.16) Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 9

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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: 2587047 10

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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: Compass Community Ltd, 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Bowker

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Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2587047 11 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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