Children's Home run by Compass Children‟s Homes Limited in East Riding of Yorkshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2800607 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

A private company runs the home. The home may provide care for up to six children who have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection, and both children were spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection after it registered with Ofsted in October 2024. The manager is registered with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: Not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2800607 2

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improvement to be good

Children with risks relating to complex emotional and behavioural needs have not always received enough specialised support, which has resulted in children engaging in negative behaviours and relationships. Staff have not yet received enough training in specific needs to be confident in managing these behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Despite children stating that they are happy living at the home, staff have failed to prevent negative dynamics from forming between them. As a result, the local authorities have been served notice to move the children, despite the children's needs aligning with the home's ethos of care delivery as outlined in its statement of purpose.’

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improvement to be good

Managers and leaders are not always able to take children’s preferences or needs into account when children are moving on from the home because the transitions are in an unplanned way. Managers were unable to plan transitions in a way that caused the least disruption to children, resulting in some children having to live in temporary accommodation to avoid further negative dynamics and to manage behaviours. One professional felt that they were not always involved in a timely way when decisions were being made about children moving on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are making progress with their attendance and development in education. Children are all enrolled in full-time education and report that they are enjoying this. One child had recently carried out their mock exams and performed well in these. The staff at the home carry out a series of lifestyle skills with children to increase their understanding of themselves and their safety.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health is promoted and improving. They have access to all health services, such as GP and dentist, and both children have access to specialist therapeutic provision available in the home. Staff incentivise positive hygiene routines and promote hygiene sensitively.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to explore their likes and engage in daily activities that are based on these. Staff actively engage with children about these interests and upskill themselves with knowledge in these areas to try and create positive relationships with children. Children spoke positively about staff members, particularly those with whom they have common interests. Children are regularly encouraged to engage in activities that promote diversity.

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improvement to be good

The environment affords children a safe and homely feel and is well maintained. Children’s bedrooms do have a lock, but they do not have locked storage for personal items. This was sourced before the end of the inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2800607 3

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improvement to be good

There is insufficient staff who have the skills to identify and act on signs that a child is at risk of harm. Staff feedback states that they feel unable to deliver high-quality care to children due to the team’s infancy, not having enough experienced staff or not having time to complete qualifications and training. This has resulted in incidents of negative behaviour and, subsequently, children living in two locations. This has increased the staffing ratio with a high dependency on agency, which further escalated behaviours from the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not assessed the impact of children’s risks on each other effectively when moving into the home. Although children’s risks were identified, the risk assessment carried out lacked information on how these risks may escalate between children or how to manage them. This has resulted in children engaging in negative behaviour. However, children do have individualised risk assessments in place.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always implement consequences for children in line with policy. Consequences are not always supportive in enabling children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves. As negative consequences are not always recorded, their length and effectiveness cannot be reviewed.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s use of holds on children to protect them and those around them has increased. When children are held, it is proportionate, and incidents are recorded. However, several holds that have occurred are in response to negative consequences children have received. As consequences have not always been recorded, it is difficult to establish whether the escalation in behaviour could have been avoided. This was not identified in the management review of the use of the hold.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always address and educate children about active risks that have occurred during incidents or that apply to them. Children have raised in meetings that they would like to get on better with their peers. However, key-work sessions do not promote positive dynamics and behaviours between children.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not documented bedroom searches carried out to ensure children are kept safe, and therefore, it is not clear whether these are effective or consensual in nature. Staff conduct routine bedroom checks weekly, dependent on children’s risks, and these are successful in removing potentially dangerous items.

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improvement to be good

Staff administer, record and dispose of medications belonging to children in line with the given prescription and in a timely way. However, there are no systems in place to ensure that medications are stored within temperature ranges. Leaders ordered these by the end of the inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2800607 4

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

Staff do not always feel supported by leaders and managers. Supervision and team meetings take place regularly. However, there are repeat concerns from staff feedback regarding staffing levels and morale that have been raised via these forums, and there has been no response despite incidents occurring in the home.

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

Leaders recognise that the infancy of the staff team has made it difficult for staff to support the children, given the specialised nature of the service. Staff do receive mandatory training and training specific to children’s needs. Staff feedback collectively supports that they require experienced leadership to enable them to perform their roles. Leaders have plans in place to upskill the team before admitting any more children to the home.

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

There is an increased use of agency staff due to the nature of risk in the home and staff working across two locations. When agency staff are recruited, the registered manager attempts to use consistent staff, and there is a full induction in place. However, there is no management oversight of this process to ensure the induction is completed in full.

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

Leaders and managers did not always identify shortfalls in practice during quality assurance processes and, therefore, missed opportunities to improve practice. Quality assurance processes often take a long time to review, and therefore, the timeliness of notifications to Ofsted can be affected.

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

Leaders and managers do not always identify when the style and clarity of records are not personalised. Records do not always contain language that cares and inconsistently addresses children’s identities.

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

Leaders are aware of the areas for improvement in the service and have begun to take action to address these. An action plan was provided that captured improvement areas found during the inspection and plans to develop the service. Inspection report for children's home: 2800607 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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have sufficient understanding to carry out comprehensive risk assessments and the skills to respond if a child shows signs that the risk of harm may occur. Also, ensure that staff work regularly and consistently with children to enable them to understand how to keep them safe from these risks of harm. 1 April 2025

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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— 1 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2800607 6 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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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)(d) (h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there are sufficient numbers of staff on shift to meet the needs of children. Ensure that monitoring and review systems are used in a timely way and recognise learning from practice to drive improvement.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that children’s bedroom searches are recorded to ensure bedrooms are only searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure that suitable arrangements are in place to manage any medication to ensure medications are stored within temperature ranges. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: 2800607 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Gomersall

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Inspector

Vikki Thwaites, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2800607 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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