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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2683331 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

The home is operated by a private provider and offers care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. There has been no registered manager at the home since August 2024.

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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 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: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2683331 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2025 Full Inadequate 11/11/2024 Full Good 19/02/2024 Full Good 27/02/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2683331 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home contributed to the inspection. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff who know them well. Children enjoy spending time with staff. The child said, ‘I like living at the home and feel safe here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child can identify staff who they trust and share concerns with. The child benefits from regular therapy sessions. This has allowed them to feel comfortable enough to express their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to spend time with people who are important to them. Friends have spent time with the child at the home. This helps the child maintain a sense of belonging and develop social connections.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to attend and achieve in education. Previously, the child had not been accessing education. They are now in full-time education and attending regularly. Staff are committed to supporting the child’s learning and development. Positive working relationships between staff at the school and the home have enabled good communication, resulting in the identification of additional support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer children a range of activities that support their interests. Children have attended trampoline parks, escape rooms and petting zoos. This helps children to participate in activities they enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good support for children’s health needs. They consistently discourage the use of electronic cigarettes and have supported the child in accessing external agencies for cessation support. When physical health concerns arise, staff act without delay.

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

The child said that they feel safe living at the home. Professionals and family members said that the child is safe, and staff know the child well.

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

The home is very settled, and very few incidents have occurred at the home. Since the last inspection, children have not been physically restrained for their safety. The children have not gone missing from the home. Before moving to the home, one child regularly ran away. This behaviour has stopped since they moved to the home, demonstrating that they feel safer.

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

Children receive praise for their behaviour, and they take pride in their progress and achievements. Consequences are rarely used in response to poor behaviour, but when Inspection report for children’s home: 2683331 4 they are, they directly relate to the behaviour. However, the records do not always include the effectiveness of the measures used. This does not ensure proportionality.

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

Bedroom door sensors are used to monitor children’s movements overnight. However, these are not subject to regular review or assessed for individuals. This blanket approach does not ensure that these measures are necessary or that the child’s privacy is respected.

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

Staff spend time talking to children about many different aspects of their lives. However, they do not always take available opportunities to discuss and explore areas of concern. This fails to help children learn how to manage situations and keep themselves safe. This is a weakness that managers have identified and are working to address.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been no registered manager at the home since August 2024. A manager was appointed but failed to register with Ofsted and left in April 2025. A qualified interim manager has been managing the home since then.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The shortfalls identified at the last inspection have been addressed, and significant progress has been made to develop staff’s skills, knowledge and practice in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are actively taking steps to improve the quality of care. They ensure that the workforce has the skills, knowledge and ability to meet the children’s individual needs. Parents and professionals are positive about the progress children have made, their experiences, and their relationships with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager confidently challenges other professionals to ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are heard and the right support is in place for them to thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that morale has improved following management changes. They said they now feel well supported by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular, child-focused supervision sessions. The manager addresses identified weaknesses in staff practice and provides opportunities for staff to reflect. Team meetings are held regularly and are used as a forum for practice discussions and workshops.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Comprehensive safer recruitment checks are carried out for all adults who come to work at the home. Managers try to limit the number of agency staff to a select few to ensure continuity and consistency for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have used new documents to create clearer records. The manager generally has effective oversight of records, which are often detailed. However, some documents still lack information. This prevents the manager from having effective oversight of the running of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2683331 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 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

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

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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)(f)(g)(i)(h)) 24 September 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the necessary skills and confidence to assist children in understanding the consequences of decisions that could place them or others at significant risk of harm. Staff should help children understand risks and manage their risk-taking behaviour to ensure the safety of themselves and others. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)  The registered person should ensure that limits on privacy and access are only put in place to safeguard each child in the home (Regulation 21 (c)(i)). All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of the individual child’s needs, be properly Inspection report for children’s home: 2683331 6 recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: 2683331 7

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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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Inspector

Naomi Starbuck, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2683331 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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