Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd in East Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 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

This home is registered to provide care for up to eight children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. It is owned and run by a private organisation. At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager position is vacant.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are widespread failures that mean the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2024 Full Good 31/08/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 3

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inadequate

This area has been judged as inadequate due to shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home and lack of appropriate management oversight of records and care practice. In addition, leaders have paid insufficient attention to understanding children’s needs. This has resulted in widespread shortfalls that have led to children achieving poor outcomes and having a poor experience of care.

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inadequate

Since the last inspection, the provider has served notice on five children’s placements due to concerns over the home’s capacity to keep children safe due to staff struggling to manage behaviours. In spite of this, leaders have placed two further children in the home who had a range of needs that indicated they would need a high level of support to manage behaviours safely. The care and support needs of these children have stretched staff resources and have meant that all children in the home have not had the support they need to feel safe, contained and cared for.

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inadequate

When children have needed to move on from the home in unplanned ways, they have not received the practical and emotional support to prepare for and understand the reason for their move.

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inadequate

Generally, the home is well furnished and bright. It is a large home with a range of communal spaces for children to enjoy time together. Children are involved in choosing how to decorate their personal spaces. There are some areas of the home that have been damaged and require redecoration, repair and maintenance. Budgetary processes have caused delays in action being taken to address this.

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inadequate

Children are supported to have positive experiences of education. The home engages well with other professionals to try and help children achieve the best from their education. When concerns are identified, staff offer practical support to try and help children and work through their challenges.

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inadequate

Children are supported to spend time with people that are important to them. They receive practical and emotional support to navigate relationships with their friends, families and previous carers. Staff understand the value of life-long links, encouraging children to keep in touch with individuals that will be available to them in adulthood.

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inadequate

Children’s health needs are met. They are supported to engage with relevant health services as required for their emotional and physical health. Children receive support and visits from a team of therapeutic practitioners, who help them to navigate their feelings and emotions safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 4

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

Leaders have failed to take effective action to reduce risks to children. When concerns have been identified in relation to technology use, self-harm and going missing from home, information has not been shared effectively with staff and external professionals. As such, children have not benefited from a joined-up approach to risk management. Staff are unable to identify and understand all known risks for children and do not receive appropriate guidance on how to keep them safe.

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

Records in relation to children going missing, restraint and incidents are unclear. Language used in incident reports is not child friendly and does not provide an accurate description of children’s presenting need. This has created difficulties for managers to maintain appropriate oversight of incidents and the use of physical restraints.

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

Records show that physical interventions have been used to support some children’s behaviour when they are distressed. Staff involved in incidents talk to each other and the child following the use of restraint in the home. However, children do not receive the opportunity to speak with someone independent of the incident. In addition to this, there have been occasions where the staff member using the restraint has been responsible for completing a review of the incident. As such, appropriate steps have not been taken to provide management oversight to ensure that the intervention is reasonable and proportionate.

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

When concerns in relation to staff practice have been identified, they have been appropriately raised to the local authority designated officer. However, leaders reviewing incidents have not appropriately identified or explored potential allegations or concerns in relation to staff practice. In addition to this, leaders have not always acted on the advice of external safeguarding partners. This has resulted in a delay in other agencies taking action in response to concerns that have been raised.

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

When children go missing, appropriate actions are taken to locate them and support their return to the home. Managers request return home interviews from placing authorities. However, they do not routinely consider information obtained in these reviews when reviewing children’s safety plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has had an unsettled period due to significant change in leaders and managers. The previously registered manager left his post in September 2024, and since then, there have been frequent changes to the interim arrangements for overseeing the home on a day-to-day basis. Decisions to move children into the home have been made by individuals who do not have a detailed understanding of the children currently residing in the home. This has had a detrimental impact on children and staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 5 Staff have not felt supported by senior leaders and, at times, have not felt safe while working in the home. Frequent changes to interim manager arrangements have made it difficult for children, staff and professionals to share information and concerns. Some staff have taken time off work, and there has been an increased use of agency staff and staff from the provider’s other children’s homes services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have been unable to provide a consistent and reassuring presence for children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

In more recent weeks, there has been a change in the organisational leadership and a newly appointed manager has been introduced to the home. There is an action plan in place to improve the support for staff and experiences of children. However, senior leaders have not yet established effective systems for the oversight and monitoring of the quality of care offered to children. Monitoring systems have not identified several shortfalls found in records viewed during the inspection. Weaknesses were found in the oversight of safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to take effective action to notify the regulator of several serious incidents. This has included incidents of police intervention and incidents of a serious safeguarding nature. Records in the home did not indicate that social workers and other safeguarding partners have been kept informed of concerns for children in appropriate timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are significant shortfalls in the recording of care, safety and protection of children. Leaders have been unable to locate and present required case records and evidence of other monitoring arrangements throughout the inspection. Due to this, leaders were unable to provide information about the number of complaints, restraints and incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 12 June 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—

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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; 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 7 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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(i)) 12 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 8 the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 12 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — 12 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 9 is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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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: 2644927 10

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

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Inspector

Georgia Carty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2644927 11 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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