Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It offers care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living in the home, and they were all spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted their application to register 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

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: 2646001 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Good 21/08/2023 Full Good 30/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 3

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improvement to be good

Children are happy in the home. They trust that the manager and staff listen to them if they have any worries. They enjoy being given the opportunity to choose what activities they do and how they can spend their free time. One child said, ‘I love it here.’

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improvement to be good

Children have good relationships with staff and enjoy spending time with them. One child said that staff ‘care for them’ and ‘try to help them’. Regular key-work sessions provide an opportunity for staff to talk with children about their progress and needs. The voice of the child is evident in the records of these sessions.

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improvement to be good

Identities and cultures are important to everyone in the home and are respected and celebrated. Children are supported to be themselves and explore their own identity and culture. Children are helped to spend time with their families, and staff acknowledge the importance of this for children. Everyone’s identity and culture are.

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improvement to be good

The use of door alarms affects children’s privacy and dignity. The monitoring of children’s movements through the alarm system does not reflect the children’s needs or risks. This measure of monitoring is not evident in children’s risk assessments, and the quality of these records is substandard and does not reflect children’s recent wishes and feelings.

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improvement to be good

Children’s wishes and feelings are not consistently heard or recognised. Written records from staff meetings with children are not child focused, and their feelings are not considered. Comments made by staff during these meetings are insensitive as they fail to recognise and respond to the children’s wishes and emotions. There is no reflection about how children’s wishes have been responded to or why their requests could not be supported.

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improvement to be good

There have been efforts to make the environment a nice place for children to live. However, maintenance issues affect the staff’s ability to create a nurturing and homely environment. Additionally, fire doors are being propped open, which affects their function in the event of a fire. Children’s requests for broken furniture to be replaced and damaged walls to be redecorated have not yet been addressed. The condition of the home affects the children’s sense of worth and comfort.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff actively search for them and work with other people and agencies to ensure the children return home safely. Staff understand where the children may be and who they may be in contact with. Strategies have been put in place that have resulted in a reduction of missing-from-home incidents for one Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 4 child. However, children’s missing-from-home plans do not consistently reflect the strategies and information held by staff.

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improvement to be good

The manager has a comprehensive approach towards managing allegations, and her response helps to ensure the safety of children. When concerns regarding staff practice are identified, safeguards are implemented immediately. Children receive support for their emotional well-being and understanding of incidents.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers are building community relationships. Neighbourhood complaints are resolved quickly to help maintain good relationships. Staff support the children to understand the effect that their behaviour has on the community, and they implement strategies to ensure any risks are mitigated.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of aggression, self-harm and bullying are managed well. Staff use de- escalation techniques and provide emotional support to children throughout any incident. Physical intervention techniques are used as a last resort and only when necessary. Staff talk to children after incidents to offer support and gain further understanding. These discussions help the staff and children to reduce the likelihood of incidents reoccurring.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff are aware of children’s risks, and risk assessments are inaccurate. Assessments do not include essential information, and on occasion, they lack comprehensive direction for staff, affecting their ability to keep children safe. The assessments do not show when they have been updated or reviewed by staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the children to understand their prescribed medication, explaining the purpose and effects. However, medication records are inaccurate and do not evidence whether children have been offered or have refused to take their prescribed medication.

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

Staff, children’s families and professionals speak highly of the manager and the support that she offers. She was described as ‘caring’ and ‘professional’. One member of staff said, ‘All of the children love her.’ She works closely with external agencies to support children and ensure their individual needs are met.

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

Staff receive regular and supportive supervision sessions. These provide a safe space for staff to reflect on their practice and identify their learning needs. Staff development is a focus of these sessions. The manager encourages these discussions, and they provide staff with training and learning opportunities.

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

Team meetings are regularly held. The meetings are used to carry out training sessions with staff and review the therapeutic aspect of the care for children. However, the minutes from these meetings are not always documented. Therefore, staff who do not attend are unaware of the context and actions identified. Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 5 Recruitment of staff is safe. All essential safer recruitment checks are carried out and verified. Any concerns about staff or their practice are identified and explored. The manager takes the necessary action and implements appropriate risk assessments until they are satisfied that staff are suitable to work with children.

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

Leaders’ and managers’ monitoring systems are ineffective. Monitoring systems do not highlight the multiple gaps in children’s records and assessments and do not address the delays to maintenance of the home. Incomplete and inaccurate records affect the staff’s ability to provide high-quality care to children.

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

The manager is newly appointed to the role and is currently finding it difficult to meet the expectations placed on her. The absence of a deputy manager means she has limited support in fulfilling her responsibilities. Although senior management has developed a plan to assist her, this support has not yet been put into action. As a result, the manager is finding the role challenging, and consequently, this affects the quality of care provided to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(e)) 28 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 7 In particular, ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings are recorded respectfully and responded to.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, ensure all monitoring equipment is used for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and is reviewed regularly with children and the relevant professionals.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 28 August 2025

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)(d) 28 August 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

promotes their welfare. 28 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(g)(ii)) 28 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and 28 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 9 a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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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: 2646001 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: 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Bowker

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Inspectors

Sarah McGow, Social Care Inspector Jo Cansfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2646001 11 regulates 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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