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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2660064 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 privately run home provides care for up to four children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties associated with trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were four children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in April 2025. A new manager was appointed in August 2025 and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2660064 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2024 Full Good 26/09/2023 Full Good 23/05/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2660064 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home. All four children contributed to the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of experiences, and their interests are supported by staff. They enjoy go-karting, building Lego, shopping and spending time with their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to attend school. All children attend an education provision. For some children, this represents a significant achievement. These children have been able to manage being at a mainstream school for the first time in a considerable period because of staff’s support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children seek comfort and connection with staff. Staff and children regularly spend time together in the communal areas of the home, playing games, baking and cooking. Routines in the home support children and staff to maintain positive relationships with each other. Children and staff eat meals together at the dining table and enjoy regular activities as a group.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported sensitively with issues that are important to their identity and well-being. For one child, this support has allowed them to talk openly to staff about their concerns. Staff liaised with health professionals and charities to explore the child’s feelings. This support has greatly improved the child’s confidence, and they now feel able to go to school and wear a school uniform.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. However, the records of the child’s move are limited and it is unclear how staff supported the child during the move. The child said they did not receive any information about the home before they moved in and were not shown photos that could have helped to ease their anxieties. Furthermore, the assessment of the staff’s ability to meet the needs of this child did not consider the needs of the children already living in the home, or the suitability of the children to live together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not have access to all areas of the home. There is a locked cupboard which contains arts and crafts materials and shopping bags. Another locked cupboard contains spare towels and bed linen. Leaders, managers and staff said there was no identified risk to explain why these cupboards were locked. This issue was not addressed during the inspection.

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

There have been serious concerns around substance misuse for two children at the home. Staff receive appropriate training and guidance on responding to this area of risk. Children are supported through regular one-to-one conversations and receive input from Inspection report for children’s home: 2660064 4 a specialist substance misuse charity to explore and understand the risks involved. Due to previous serious concerns around access to substances, all aerosols have been removed from the home. This measure was agreed with all placing local authorities and has been subject to regular review. This strategy has been effective at keeping children safe while further guidance is being explored.

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

Children respond well to clear and consistent boundaries around their agreed free time away from the home. Since the last inspection, there has only been one incident of a child going missing from the home. Staff were proactive in searching for this child and informing the relevant professionals. When the child returned, staff provided reassurance and supported them to understand the risks associated with going missing.

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

Children know how to make complaints and who they can talk to if they have any concerns. Children have made allegations against staff. Staff follow safeguarding procedures and promptly ensure that managers are alerted to these concerns. Leaders and managers share information with the relevant authorities without delay. They ensure any learning is addressed in staff supervisions and team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been several changes to the management and staff teams since the last inspection. One manager registered with Ofsted but has since left the home. The home was overseen by interim managers until a permanent manager was appointed in August 2025.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have taken steps to ensure consistent management oversight during this period of change. This includes regular audits and conversations with children and staff. Where weaknesses have been identified in the support provided, leaders and managers have taken action to address these areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been improvements in leaders and managers’ monitoring systems. Recent management reviews of incidents are analytical and consider the home’s therapeutic ethos. Leaders and managers consider how the child may have felt during incidents and children are involved in deciding what further support they would like.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are supported in their roles. There is a comprehensive training programme available to staff and managers, including in-person training and workshops. Leaders and managers promptly identify gaps in staff’s knowledge and skills and ensure that training is provided to address these gaps. This ensures they have the necessary skills to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been few incidents of concern involving children at the home. However, some incidents have required notifying to Ofsted. Several notifications were not submitted within the time frames required. This has reduced Ofsted’s oversight of the safeguarding arrangements on these occasions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2660064 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 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 11 November 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13) Inspection report for children’s home: 2660064 6

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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: 2660064 7

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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: Compass Community Ltd, 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspector

Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2660064 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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