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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

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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, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 15 September 2024.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 30 April 2025. This monitoring visit was undertaken to look at the progress made in response to the requirements issued at the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has made some improvements since the full inspection was carried out. However, several requirements have not been addressed by leaders and managers. One of the six requirements made at the last inspection has been met, and further work is required to ensure the safe care of children.

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This monitoring visit

Action has not been taken to improve risk assessment practices in the home since the last inspection. There have been delays in staff sharing significant information for children with managers, colleagues and professionals, and concerns relating to the safety of children have not been escalated appropriately. When managers have become aware of new risks, they have not taken timely action to assess and provide guidance to staff on how to respond. As a result of this, one child did not receive a timely response to support their mental health, and a further incident has taken place with increased severity that may have been prevented if support had been sought in a timely manner. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 2 Routine checks to prevent and identify online safety risks for children are not taking place in line with individual care and safety plans. Leaders and managers are not

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This monitoring visit

monitoring and reviewing care practice to ensure that preventative strategies outlined are being followed to keep children safe. As a result of this, there have been delays in identifying online risks for children.

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This monitoring visit

There are plans in place to improve safeguarding practice and to improve guidance available to staff. This includes for the provision of additional training for managers and staff.

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This monitoring visit

There have been improvements in record-keeping, and managers are better able to access relevant documents. There continue to be some minor discrepancies in relation to the recording of incidents and episodes of when children go missing from the home.

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This monitoring visit

The number of restraints used remains low. When restraints have been used, they are an effective and proportionate response in keeping children safe. Records of the intervention used and behaviour leading to the use of the intervention are clear. However, records could not be fully reviewed at the inspection as incidents had taken place a day before the visit. As a result of this, records of discussions with children and staff were still being completed.

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This monitoring visit

One child has moved from the home since the last inspection due to concerns that staff could not keep them safe. Staff and managers strived to provide a positive ending to their time in the home. Child-friendly guidance and plans helped the child to settle back into his family home. In addition to this, staff continued to reach out to family to support after the move.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made the decision to not move any children into the home. As a result of this, it has not been possible to test how the home is assessing and ensuring its capacity to meet children’s needs or supporting children to have positive experiences of moving into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The previous inspection highlighted some concerns in relation to the redecoration, maintenance and repair of the home. Managers have taken appropriate action to address this shortfall; bedrooms and communal areas have been redecorated, and new furniture and resources are being purchased. Children’s bedrooms have been prioritised and redecorated in line with their individual tastes.

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This monitoring visit

A consistent management team is now in place; the new manager has been in the role for eight weeks and intends to submit his application to register with Ofsted. The provider has failed to take timely action in identifying a responsible individual for the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken steps to ensure that incidents and concerns are notified to Ofsted as required by the regulations. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 3 When allegations are raised, managers take prompt action to ensure that these concerns have been shared with the relevant safeguarding partners. Managers work closely with other professionals to ensure that full and accurate information is available to assist with ongoing enquiries.

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This monitoring visit

Complaints are acknowledged, and clear records are kept showing how they have been explored and escalated as appropriate. When children make a complaint, they receive support and reassurance from staff. Managers take time to explore with children what they would like as an outcome from their complaint, demonstrating to children that their involvement and views are valued.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have shared that leaders and managers are now available and present in the home. Staff have reported that higher levels of management support are helping them to feel safe, supported and valued. Staff reflect that the presence of managers in the home has resulted in children feeling more settled. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2025 Full Inadequate 14/05/2024 Full Good 31/08/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 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 with 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)) 7 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

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; 7 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 6 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

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)) 7 August 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; 7 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 7 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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)) 7 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

An organisation may only carry on a home if—

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Requirement Due date

the organisation has notified HMCI of the name, address and position in the organisation of the responsible individual.

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must— 7 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 8 satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (4)(ii) (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 9

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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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Inspector

Georgia Carty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644927 10 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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