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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2539587 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were four children living at the home when the inspection took place. All the children were spoken with as part of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2539587 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2024 Full Good 17/04/2023 Full Good 30/08/2022 Full Good 20/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2539587 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel safe and secure living at the home. Even those who have lived there briefly, or who express a preference to live with family, experience stability and consistency.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build strong relationships with children. This encourages children to participate in the home while maintaining clear boundaries. This allows children to set high aspirations for themselves. Children ask staff to support them in improving their behaviour, including how they speak to others.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff model behaviours and positive routines. For one child, they agreed to a haircut after three years, as a staff member shaved their own hair to encourage this. This approach motivates children to take part in activities, enjoy entertainment at the home and go on holidays.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend education, with two benefiting from the on-site provision. The home environment supports the development of helpful routines and habits. Staff regularly review children’s learning needs and work with professionals to explore new options when needed. They listen to children’s views and advocate for them, even when this means challenging decisions made by other professionals. Children’s well-being is central to all decisions.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to understand healthy eating, maintaining good hygiene and physical activity. They talk with children about balanced meals and help them manage their feelings about food and movement. Children can go to therapy if they want emotional support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy regular and meaningful family time, which is reviewed and increased when appropriate. Staff help children to build and improve relationships with family and friends, as well as with each other.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planning for children’s futures is proactive and well organised. Staff work with professionals to make sure moving in, moving on and staying at the home are well managed. Staff help children develop independence and manage their emotions, which supports positive and successful endings.

p.3

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

Children feel safe living at the home. Staff take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. They understand how observation and supervision help children to feel safe. Additional safety measures, such as storing staff belongings securely, reduces risks in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2539587 4 Staff use risk assessments to manage incidents effectively. When behaviours are repeated, they explore creative ways to reduce risks. When there were increased physical interventions, staff worked proactively with physical intervention trainers to develop new strategies and reduce the likelihood of having to restrain children.

p.3

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

Physical intervention and police involvement are used only when necessary to protect children and staff. Records meet regulatory requirements. When children make allegations, the manager responds thoroughly to ensure that children are safe. Any concerns about staff practice are addressed, including how staff respond to allegations. However, in one case, there was a delay in notifying Ofsted.

p.4

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

When children go missing from home, staff follow agreed protocols. They keep professionals informed and ensure that records are up to date. Plans are tailored to each child and consider different environments, such as time with family or in the community. This helps staff respond in a way that meets each child’s needs.

p.4

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

Staff do not tolerate bullying or discrimination, and they respond quickly to any incidents. Staff support children to understand and value diversity through themed days and cultural activities. They model respectful relationships and use a therapeutic approach to help children build positive connections.

p.4

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

The home environment is welcoming and personalised. Children have access to breakout spaces for boxing, gaming and relaxing. Bedrooms reflect children’s personalities and support their identity. When children suggest changes to help manage their emotions, staff listen and act on their ideas.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager sets high expectations for staff and children. They are open to feedback and external views to improve the home. They respond to areas for development and plan improvements. However, monitoring of children’s aims and outcomes is not always consistent.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals describe communication with the home as strong and effective. They feel supported in their roles with children. The manager advocates for children and shares their views clearly. This approach is valued by professionals across different agencies.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive, reflective and focused on children’s needs. They speak warmly about children and show genuine care. Even after serious incidents, staff maintain a no-blame culture. The manager and staff are reviewing written records to improve their tone, such as in records of discussions with children, which are becoming more child centred.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing levels are stable during the day and at night. Staff stay beyond their shifts to support children and each other. Recruitment focuses on finding staff who reflect the home’s values. Children are aware when staff work across other homes, which can affect Inspection report for children’s home: 2539587 5 their sense of stability. There is a plan in place for two homes to come together to share one staff team and improve consistency.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to development for staff and children. Training, supervision and meetings reflect children’s individual needs. Staff use their learning to support children effectively. Staff training remains up to date. Inspection report for children’s home: 2539587 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement and proactively implement lessons learned to sustain good practice. In particular, ensuring the process to monitor children’s outcomes and progress is used consistently. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

p.6

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: 2539587 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Gomersall

p.7

Inspector

Vikki Thwaites, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2539587 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8