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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd

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Full inspection 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 six children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. It is owned and run by a private organisation. At the time of the inspection, five children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in place since March 2024.

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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

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2025

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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: 2645485 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2025 Full Good 07/06/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 3

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improvement to be good

This area has been judged as requires improvement due to shortfalls in the decision- making of leaders and managers, which has resulted in children not receiving individualised care planning on their admission to the home. In addition, there are shortfalls in the consistency of responses to children’s behaviour, which are impacting on their stability and feelings of safety within their home.

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improvement to be good

The arrangements for moving children into and on from the home have, generally, been well planned. However, recent decisions made at an organisational level to move three children in at the same time at short notice impacted the managers’ ability to ensure that children received child-focused, individualised plans for their moves. Time constraints set by the organisation have resulted in children being moved in a rushed manner, with only three days to understand these changes. Consequently, the children moving in and those already living in the home were not prepared well for these important changes.

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improvement to be good

There have been some efforts to try to reduce the impact of these changes on children moving in. These included group meetings and transferring staff who already know the children. However, the impact of these decisions on the children already living in the home and their feelings have not been adequately considered. As a result, children have expressed that they do not like living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Plans have been implemented to increase the therapeutic offer for children and staff. Managers and therapeutic leads have developed plans to try to support children in understanding the recent changes. These include plans for one-to-one support, group work, observation of staff practice and staff having reflective practice sessions.

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improvement to be good

There has been an increase in incidents, as children are learning to navigate their new group dynamics. There are a number of areas in the home that have been damaged by children during incidents. However, there are clear plans in place to complete remedial works. Contractors were at the home on both days of the inspection. There is a clear list of tasks, which include repairs, replacement and redecoration, to create a homelier environment.

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improvement to be good

Education is a priority. Children are supported to engage in education, and reward schemes celebrate their achievements. All children living in the home are attending school and two children have recently taken their GCSE examinations. These two children have received support and encouragement to enrol on vocational courses. When required, the staff have advocated on their behalf to ensure that they receive appropriate opportunities for post-16 education. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 4

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improvement to be good

There are indications of bullying in the home, which are not being appropriately recognised or acted on by staff. Children’s lived experiences of each other’s behaviours and staff responses are not supporting them to feel secure, stable or safe in the home. When there are challenges in relationships with peers, there has not been a consistent response or consequence to address the behaviour. As a result, there has been an increase in conflict between children, who feel that staff are not intervening.

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improvement to be good

Managers have reflected on the need to intervene effectively to manage incidents between peers. They have plans to ensure that guidance is in place to enable earlier intervention and support children when challenges in relationships occur. However, this experience has led to children feeling unsafe and unable to settle in the home.

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improvement to be good

Some records used to guide staff interventions or record action taken are unclear. Records of consequences used in the home do not clarify the details of how consequences are implemented and monitored. Consequently, managers are unable to ascertain the proportionality and effectiveness of the consequences used.

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improvement to be good

There are a high number of different risk assessments for each child, which create challenges for managers in maintaining oversight and ensuring that staff receive consistent guidance. For example, children have multiple risk assessments that address the same risks; however, they have differing risk ratings and strategies to respond. Managers have identified this and started to use a different template to provide clearer guidance in relation to children’s safety plans and better scrutiny and oversight of care practice.

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improvement to be good

Allegations are managed well. Managers communicate with professionals, including the local authority designated officer, in a timely manner. When the need is identified for investigation or further follow up, managers have taken a comprehensive approach to ensure that practice is addressed with individuals and, when necessary, the wider team.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions, when used, are a proportionate response to manage situations that are considered to be unsafe. Records of interventions are clear and evidence good oversight of managers when considering ongoing plans for children to prevent a reoccurrence.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, this is managed well. Staff are proactive and conscientious in their duty to locate children and try to support their safe and prompt return to the home. Return home interviews are obtained from the placing authority and help to inform children’s safety plans.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff work well with placing authorities and safeguarding partners when responding to risk. Professionals feel well informed and value the timeliness of reports being shared with them when concerns arise. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 5

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

Managers are ambitious for children and committed to helping children achieve stability and settle in the home. Organisational decisions have impacted on plans for children moving into the home. However, managers in the home have made concerted efforts to mitigate the impact of these decisions on children after their move. There is a commitment to creating stability for the children now living in the home. Managers are opening up discussions with the local authority in relation to how children with complex lives can be supported to settle.

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

There have been significant changes in the staff team in this period. A team from another home have merged into the existing staff team. Managers have shown good insight into the challenges that this is presenting for all staff and are creating opportunities to develop teamwork values. There is recognition of the challenges that these changes have created in maintaining consistency, and additional support has been put in place to monitor the impact on practice in the home. Group supervision, child- focused meetings and therapeutic support create regular opportunities for staff to reflect on individual and group practice.

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

Appropriate processes are followed to ensure that pre-employment checks are completed, and staff are vetted before they work with children. There are systems in place to ensure that staff moving across homes in the service have received appropriate checks. The system implemented by the manager has ensured that they are fully aware of staff’s suitability to work with children.

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

Supervisions take place regularly; conversations are relevant to children and help staff to develop individual childcare practice. Staff are supported to explore the impact of their work on their emotional well-being. Staff value the support they receive from leaders and managers, recognising their presence in the home as positive in supporting them and children. When there are areas for development in staff practice, these are discussed in supervisions and expectations are made clear and are regularly monitored.

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

New staff receive a comprehensive induction. Their induction plan includes opportunities for face-to-face and online training, fortnightly supervision and opportunities to shadow. Staff are supported to extend their shadowing opportunity if areas for development are identified. These opportunities help to support staff to understand and gain all the skills to fulfil their role before working unsupervised with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(b)) 14 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children 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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all moves into the home are well planned, sensitive and at a pace that is suitable for children. Ensure that the needs and feelings of children living in and 14 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 7 moving into the home are taken into account when planning for new children to move into the home.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b)) 14 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 8

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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: 2645485 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: 2645485 10 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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