Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes Ltd in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to six children with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, specific language/communication difficulties and/or sensory integration difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, five children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since September 2024. They are suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider also has a school on the same site, which provides education to children living at the home. The education provision was inspected separately at the same time as the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2024

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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: 2620678 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2024 Full Good 21/05/2024 Full Inadequate 06/06/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home, and two children have moved out. They both moved to adult care services in line with their care plans. During the inspection, the inspector spoke to or observed all the children who were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at this home have a good overall experience and are making progress. Staff are attuned to children’s care needs and how to provide safe and quality care. Staff provide care in a way that promotes children’s privacy and dignity. Most of the children have lived in the home for over a year and have built trusting relationships with staff. Children were observed to be happy and relaxed in staff’s company. One child communicated that they are happy, and they like their bedroom, and they described the food as ‘tasty’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s moves into or out of the home are well planned and tailored to their individual needs. Children are provided with information about their moves in formats to suit their individual communication needs. Staff visit children in their previous homes and encourage them and their families to visit their new home. This enables children to become familiar with staff and build positive relationships. As a result, children adapt and settle well into their new environments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a spacious, well-decorated and suitably furnished environment, which has been adapted to meet their sensory needs. Communal spaces are comfortable, and there are photos of children and their adventures throughout the home. Children’s bedrooms are personalised according to their individual needs and styles. As a result, children have a welcoming and comfortable environment to live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff embed routines in the home for children, and going to school is an integral part of this routine. Consequently, children have excellent school attendance. Managers and staff are collaborating with school staff to foster better communication and ensure that children receive consistently good care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a range of activities inside and outside the home. This has included children going away for trips to the beach. Staff plan well for celebrations and events with themed decorations and activities. Children have enjoyed celebrating events and festivals, including Eid and Saint Piran’s Day. These opportunities and activities enrich children’s life experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consult children using a variety of formats. This has enabled children to make choices around food and activities. However, managers have not ensured that all children have access to independent advocacy. Consequently, they do not have independent support to promote their best interests, wishes and feelings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 4

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

Children are safe and become safer living in this home. Children’s plans identify their risks and provide staff with up-to-date and clear guidance for their care. Staff know the children well and understand their risks and the actions they need to take to keep them safe. As a result, incidents for children have reduced. One child who previously had a high risk of self-injurious behaviour has not had an incident for over 12 months, which is a significant achievement.

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

Staff provide children with clear guidance and boundaries. As a result, children learn what is expected of them. Staff are vigilant and prompt to intervene when children’s anxieties increase. As staff know how to meet children’s complex needs, their actions often de-escalate behaviours successfully. Staff physically intervene where necessary to keep children safe. These incidents are recorded in full. Managers have effective oversight to identify any learning or revisions needed to children’s plans.

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

Medication is managed well and safely at the home. Effective arrangements are in place for ensuring that prescribed medications are available, stored, administered and recorded appropriately. When there are errors, staff seek medical guidance, and managers investigate to ensure that learning is in place to prevent reoccurrence.

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

Staff manage children’s known health risks well. For example, there is a plan in place with clear guidance for staff to follow to help them support a child with epilepsy. Staff are trained and know how to respond in the event of a seizure. They are usually proactive in helping children access routine and emergency healthcare. However, on one occasion, managers and staff failed to seek medical advice when a child indicated that they were in pain following an intervention. Although no injuries occurred, this undermines safeguarding practices and may make vulnerable children feel unsafe and anxious.

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

Overall, staff follow children’s plans and take the necessary action to safeguard them. However, there are occasions when staff have not followed children’s plans. For example, there have been two occasions when agency staff have not used trained holds. While there was no direct effect on children, managers have taken action to address this shortfall in practice to prevent reoccurrence. Regular agency staff are now trained in physical intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the leadership and management of the home. A new registered manager and responsible individual are in post. They have developed a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Leaders and managers have an abundance of plans and aspirations that demonstrate high ambition for the continued development of the home. All leaders, managers and staff share high aspirations for the children’s continued progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 5 Management at the home is enhanced by a service lead and two experienced deputy managers. This aids in the management and development of a large staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are clear arrangements in place for staff induction and supervision. Staff feel supported by management at the home. There is a comprehensive training programme for the staff team. When there are gaps or delays in training, managers carry out upskilling workshops with staff. Team meetings and child-focused meetings encourage reflection and support staff in collaborating effectively to enhance the quality of care for children. Managers have recognised that agency staff need to receive training to ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to meet children’s needs and provide consistent, good-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a large staff team in place, and there are several vacancies. Recruitment is ongoing, and staff are recruited following safer recruitment practices. There is a pool of established bank and agency staff who cover the gaps. Managers ensure that staffing is provided in line with children’s assessed needs, and there is always a senior member of staff on shift to provide support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, feedback from professionals and parents is positive. Professionals believe children are well cared for and safe, and they say that communication with staff and managers is good. However, the manager does not always respond to complaints in a timely manner in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures. This does not always reassure complainants that they are heard and that their concerns are taken seriously.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work actively to continue to develop the home environment and staff team. This enables children to achieve their best outcomes and have positive experiences living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they respond to complaints in a timely manner in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures. 13 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; and

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(iii)) 13 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 7 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff seek medical advice, guidance or attention when there are concerns about a child’s health and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(iii)(d)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children have access to appropriate independent advocacy to promote their best interests, wishes and feelings. 13 November 2025

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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: 2620678 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2620678 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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