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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2022 and is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Inspection date: 22 October 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been significant failures by managers in effectively reducing risks for children. Although managers have acknowledged shortfalls in safeguarding practice and care planning, they have not yet implemented effective systems to address these concerns. This ongoing lack of action continues to compromise the safety and well-being of children in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a lack of management scrutiny in the review of safeguarding incidents. Furthermore, staff do not receive regular supervision, and when supervision occurs, practice issues remain unaddressed.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a pattern of repeated practice issues, with safeguarding lessons consistently going unlearned. On multiple occasions, children have gained access to staff keys and used them to enter the staff office. Despite these incidents, staff have not taken appropriate steps to secure the office or mitigate risks. On one occasion, a child accessed and consumed a bottle of alcohol that had been stored in the office.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff lack understanding of safeguarding procedures. For example, when an allegation was made against a staff member, it was not reported to a manager by the staff member but instead by another member of staff two days later. Additionally, when allegations have been made, there has been delay in the manager’s investigation into the concerns.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a lack of consistency in how staff manage risks for children. Staff do not always adhere to the agreed individual safety plans for children, which has undermined the effectiveness of safeguarding measures and increased the potential for harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Some staff demonstrate a lack of confidence in managing and challenging children’s behaviours. Consequently, boundaries are not consistently or clearly enforced. Children have noticed these inconsistencies, and one child commented on the varying approaches to rules and expectations among different staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Concerns have been identified regarding poor supervision of children. On one occasion, staff were unaware that a child had been absent from the home for over four hours.

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Findings from the inspection

Some children are not making progress due to the care provided, and one child has regressed since the last inspection. Managers have repeatedly failed to respond to the local authority’s requests for updates on the agreed plan for this child. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 3 There have been occasions when staff responses to children have lacked empathy and understanding. While some children are observed to have positive and trusting relationships with certain members of staff, children have said that the quality of interactions and the way staff respond to them is also variable.

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Findings from the inspection

Improvements are required to the home environment. Children’s bedrooms are dirty and untidy, and there are outstanding maintenance issues throughout the rest of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Although concerns have been identified regarding information-sharing, one parent, however, praised the communication they receive from staff and the care provided to their child. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good 07/05/2024 Full Good 04/07/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 3 December 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 3 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 3 December 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 7 use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect. 3 December 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 8 (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that all allegations are clearly recorded, including the rationale to when it is deemed not necessary to undertake an investigation. 3 December 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 9 The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 3 December 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 10

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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

Kerry Howarth, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2692638 11 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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