Children's home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 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

A private company operates this home. The home is registered to provide care for up to six children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2024 and is suitably qualified.

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

Date of last inspection: 3 September 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/09/2024 Full Good 03/10/2023 Full Outstanding 14/02/2023 Full Outstanding 14/12/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were six children living in the home. Five children shared their views about the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from well-planned and positive transitions into and out of the home. One child was supported to meet staff before arriving at the home, helping them to feel reassured. Similarly, a child preparing to leave the home was actively involved in planning their move and received thoughtful support. Staff created a bespoke information booklet to aid the child’s transition to independent living. Relationships between staff and children are sustained beyond their time in the home, contributing to a strong sense of belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is consistently prioritised within the home. All children attend their educational placements. Children are encouraged and supported with their educational tasks, including through a structured homework club that is embedded into their daily routines. This approach fosters positive attitudes towards learning and contributes to children’s academic progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities that reflect their individual interests and promote positive experiences. Some children regularly attend external clubs such as netball, swimming and singing, which supports their social development and confidence. Furthermore, staff are proactive in ensuring that children have access to enriching opportunities, including a recent holiday to Wales, which children spoke about with enthusiasm. These experiences contribute to children’s enjoyment, personal growth and sense of achievement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with family and friends. These enhance their emotional well-being and sense of identity. Staff are proactive in supporting children’s family time, including taking one child a considerable distance to visit family and planning for another child to spend time with their siblings. These efforts ensure that children remain connected to those who matter most to them. As a result, children feel valued and are reassured by the continuity of these relationships.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are consistently valued and actively sought through a range of planned and unplanned activities. Children are meaningfully involved in decision-making that affects their daily lives. For example, they contribute to planning meals, choosing activities and making decisions about the home’s decor. This inclusive approach helps children feel listened to and respected and promotes a strong sense of ownership and belonging within the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming, with thoughtful decoration and personalised bedrooms that reflect children’s individual tastes. Photos of staff and children making Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 4 memories together contribute to a strong family atmosphere. However, the use of window restrictors on all downstairs windows, without a clear risk to justify them, detracts from the otherwise homely and relaxed environment.

p.3

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

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of children’s individual needs and lived experiences, which informs the way they respond to and support them. Communication is tailored to meet each child’s specific needs. For example, staff use simplified language and visual aids to help one child understand discussions and expectations. Another child, who has trouble settling at night, has been provided with sensory aids and additional reassurance, resulting in improved sleep routines and reduced need for support. As a result, children feel understood, supported and secure in their environment.

p.4

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

Complaints and allegations are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. Safeguarding measures are promptly implemented during investigations to ensure children’s safety. Staff provide children with reassurance and encourage them to share any concerns they may have. Children feel supported and confident to raise issues without fear of judgement or repercussions. This contributes to a culture of openness and safety within the home.

p.4

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

Children benefit from regular therapeutic support, which has a positive impact on their emotional well-being and ability to understand their emotions. The in-house therapist provides sessions twice a week, and staff work closely with the therapist to reinforce strategies in daily practice. One child is now able to verbalise their feelings and manage their emotions more effectively. Another child actively uses techniques such as breathing exercises and sensory aids to self-regulate. As a result, there has been a noticeable reduction in incidents within the home.

p.4

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

Physical interventions are managed safely and used appropriately to support children in times of heightened distress. Following incidents, children are supported to reflect and understand what happened. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of de- escalation strategies and are able to describe how these are used in practice. However, current recording of physical interventions does not consistently reflect this. Records lack detail around de-escalation techniques, and the language used is not consistently child focused or therapeutic.

p.4

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

Staff support children’s understanding and learning through the use of some consequences. However, consequences used are not always proportionate or clearly linked to the behaviours presented, which can reduce their effectiveness as a learning tool. The frequent use of device or phone restrictions is not consistently restorative and does not always align with the home’s therapeutic approach. This can lead to children feeling frustrated or misunderstood. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a dedicated manager who is highly focused on achieving positive outcomes for children. She is supported by an experienced deputy manager, and together they form a strong leadership team. They are committed to achieving progress in both children’s development and staff practice. Safeguarding is a particular strength of the manager, who ensures that robust systems are in place and that staff are confident in identifying and responding to concerns. Their proactive and child-focused leadership contributes to a safe, nurturing environment where children feel protected and able to make progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a broad range of training, including input from the home’s therapist and specialist training tailored to meet the changing needs of children. For example, when a child experienced a bereavement, staff undertook grief training to ensure they could provide sensitive and informed support. This proactive approach ensures that staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge to meet the individual needs of children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and benefit from a strong culture of support. Staff consistently report feeling well supported by the leadership team and confident in raising concerns or seeking advice. Feedback from the staff team is overwhelmingly positive, and team morale is clearly high. This contributes to a stable, motivated workforce that is committed to delivering good-quality care to children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from the professional network is consistently positive. Professionals report strong communication from staff and the manager, effective partnership working and clear evidence of progress in children’s development. Staff and the management team are recognised for their commitment to meeting the individual needs of children, and professionals value the collaborative approach taken by staff. This contributes to well-informed care planning and positive outcomes for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight of the home is generally strong, with leaders demonstrating a clear commitment to maintaining high standards of care. However, oversight is not consistently reflective or analytical, which means opportunities to improve some staff practice, and the quality of recording are sometimes missed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they are skilled in reviewing incidents and identifying shortfalls. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good staff practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non- stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used with children

p.6

Recommendations

are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support children to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing environment that meets the needs of the children. The home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression, specifically in relation to ground-floor window restrictors. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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: 2523025 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

Inspector

Menaka De Silva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2523025 8 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 children looked after, 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 . 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