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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2683690 1 Registered provider: Compass Childrens Homes Limited

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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 provider runs this home. It offers care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s statement of purpose highlights that the staff are trained to apply a specific model of care.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five 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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2683690 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2024 Full Good 21/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2683690 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the need to support children through periods of challenge and acute crisis. In doing so, all children have experienced stability. As a result, the children’s respective local authorities have been able to implement the children’s agreed care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the value and importance of creating and maintaining a homely environment. The interior of the home reflects the personalities of the children. Additionally, staff continue to be skilled at using mealtimes to connect with children and promote the joy of food.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is better connectivity between the therapy and care teams. This has had a positive influence on the children’s care. Fundamentally, the therapist’s interventions have been significant in supporting the children and staff through acute periods of crisis. In doing so, relationships in the home have become stronger.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school and have become more confident in their respective learning environments. This has enabled children to be successful at receiving conditional offers from college, as well as developing a sense of hope and direction for their future career goals. However, the manager does not consistently seek the input from the children’s respective virtual schools. For some children, this has limited their educational support network.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the value of using the children’s written records to capture important conversations and events that have occurred in the children’s lives. However, there are examples of language being vague and impersonal. This writing style risks distorting the child’s understanding and memory of their life in the home.

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

Staff work alongside children to explore worries and risks associated with the children’s behaviours or activities in the community. There is an educative approach to reinforce the child’s learning. Children have found these sessions helpful and have produced some quality work on several topical teenage issues. The child’s work is certificated through an accredited educational body. This gives children a sense of achievement.

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

The manager works collaboratively with the children’s respective local authorities. This has triggered multi-agency meetings to form a view on what needs to be done to better protect the child. This has been crucial for other professionals to assess and respond effectively to risk.

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

Staff will hold children when it is determined that this level of intervention is necessary to keep the child safer. Following these events, the staff and the manager reflect on the Inspection report for children’s home: 2683690 4 incident to reflect and learn what could or should have been done differently. This is good practice and decreases the likelihood of future situations escalating.

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

Some of the language in the children’s written risk assessments is vague and stigmatising. This has not undermined staff’s ability to manage risk effectively. The manager acknowledged this and has implemented steps to improve this area of practise.

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

There has been a chaotic and inconsistent approach in the management of the home. This resulted in recurring examples of poor staff practice through a specific period. The input of the responsible individual and the independent person has been crucial through this time of crisis. This has ensured that the children’s care has not been overly affected.

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

There are gaps in the manager’s knowledge of basic but important facts concerning a child’s circumstances. Although this has not had a negative impact on the child’s care, this has been fortuitous.

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

The manager’s review of the quality of care report relies heavily on third-party information concerning the children’s views about life in the home. This undermines the manager’s ability to have certainty in their evaluation and planning around the children’s care.

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

Leaders and managers have overlooked the need to give staff clear direction when their colleagues are suspended pending internal investigations. As a result, staff have needed to decide on a narrative so that children have some inclination as to why staff are away from the home for prolonged periods.

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

Staff acknowledge that they have worked through a chaotic period in the home. There is a cohort of staff who have shown credible commitment and desire to support children through this difficult time. Staff are now hopeful about the direction that leaders and managers are taking. This has instilled a revitalised focus on their role in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2683690 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(h)) 15 May 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that language that is written in the children’s written records is relatable to children and is non-stigmatising. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should collaborate with the children’s respective virtual schools and understand their value to the child’s educational support network. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.10) Inspection report for children’s home: 2683690 6  The registered person should undertake a review of the quality of care that incorporates the children’s views about their care. In particular, the manager should seek the children’s views directly as opposed to relying on third-party information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2683690 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Childrens Homes Limited

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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

Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2683690 8 and inspects to 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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