Children's home run by Compass Children’s Homes Kent Limited in Dover

Inspection report for children’s home: SC023637 1 SC023637 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Kent Limited

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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 privately owned and provides care for up to 8 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 5 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 19 February 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC023637 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2025 Full Outstanding 23/01/2024 Full Outstanding 16/03/2023 Full Outstanding 14/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC023637 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from high-quality nurturing care from an experienced and stable staff team. Staff have developed warm and nurturing relationships with the children, which has been central to the children thriving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s moves into the home are carefully managed. Managers take time to assure themselves of their capacity to meet children’s needs. They work closely with other professionals engaging in meticulous planning, ensuring that children living in the home and those moving in have time to adjust, understand and prepare for changes. Social stories, children’s meeting and visits help children to learn about each other, explore the routines and learn the rules. As a result, children settle in the home and quickly make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported by a dedicated and enthusiastic staff team. Its members’ commitment helps children to feel valued and loved. Safe, secure and trusting relationships allow staff to respond to children in a nurturing and instinctive way, swiftly recognising changes in children’s temperament, responses and presentation. A skilful team frequently adapts its approaches to ensure that children are supported to engage fully in the everyday routines of the home. Children respect staff and can identify people they can trust. This respect and trust enable staff to act as role models for appropriate behaviour. As a result, children are learning valuable social skills, and children who previously have been isolated are learning to build relationships and engage more successfully in social settings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make remarkable progress in all areas of their lives. They are learning to keep themselves safer and healthier. Children are learning healthy ways to manage their feelings. They are learning to express emotions through creative methods including writing poems, music and rap. As a result of learning these skills, children are beginning to navigate and safely manage friendships with children within and outside the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have regular opportunities to have fun, learn new skills and try new things. Children have been on holiday to splash parks and engaged in activities including go- karting, RC World, trampolining and attending a pantomime. One child has been supported to develop an interest in 3-D printing and has been using this skill to make gifts for people the child cares about. Another has been learning to cook and has taken an active role in creating meals for their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Achievements are celebrated; children and staff are encouraged to recognise each other’s progress, and children have learned to value each other. Methods such as Star of the Week help children to build on their confidence and self-esteem and result in elevated levels of self-motivation. As a result, children are keen to build on their independence. Children are supported to apply for driving licences, walk to school independently and undertake small errands to contribute to the running of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023637 4 Children are developing independence at an appropriate pace, taking responsibility in areas such as budgeting and cooking. As a result, children are learning independence skills and are well prepared to live more independently on moving from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s education is prioritised. When there are barriers to education, the manager liaises effectively with professionals to reduce them. While awaiting educational provisions, children are supported and encouraged to engage in educational activities in the home, helping them to maintain healthy routines for returning to education. Engagement and attendance in education are improving for all children. Children’s views, wishes and feelings are well understood. There are regular opportunities for children to share their views, including one-to-one and group work. They are actively encouraged to make choices and contribute to discussions about the home and their care. Children know how to complain. Managers help them to understand the actions that have been taken in a child-friendly way. Children are updated on outcomes and are involved in choosing resolutions. As a result, children feel heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is vibrant, clean and homely. It has been furnished to a high standard with the children’s interests and preferences in mind. Children’s rooms are individualised and reflective of their identity and interests. Photos, memory books and personal effects are displayed proudly, adding to the family-style nature of the home.

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

Positive relationship-based practice is at the forefront of keeping children safe. The relationships between children and staff support early identification of new risks. Staff instinctively respond to the care needs and cues of children. Proactive and responsive planning contributes to keeping children safe. Plans are reviewed regularly and referrals to services are timely. External professionals and parents are consulted when new risks emerge.

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

Staff model appropriate relationships and behaviours for children. A balance of education and behaviour management practices help children to develop their emotional literacy and to find positive ways to manage their feelings. Children are supported to talk through challenges, and as a result have found healthier ways to manage feelings of frustration and anger. Clear, well-informed guidance supplements the positive relationships, education and role modelling which are at the forefront of keeping children safe.

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

Allegations are managed appropriately. Managers undertake appropriate consultations with the local authority designated officer. When required, thorough investigations take place and findings contribute to the ongoing development of the home. When patterns emerge in children making and retracting allegations, managers helpfully explore this with children and relevant professionals, exploring the function of the behaviour. As a result of this exploration, there has been a reduction in one child’s pattern of making allegations. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023637 5 There are safe systems in place for the administration of medication. Staff undertake regular checks to ensure that any potential medication discrepancies are highlighted quickly. Managers complete monthly audits of medication and records to ensure that systems in place continue to be safe and effective.

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

The use of restraint in the home is reducing. When physical interventions are used, they are reasonable, proportionate and necessary. Staff attempt to use a range of de- escalation techniques. Managers review the effectiveness of staff interventions to update behaviour management planning. Children are supported to talk through their experiences of restraint, and as a result they are learning how to better regulate their emotions. However, managers have failed to ensure they routinely discuss incidents of physical intervention with the user of the measure, and as a result have missed opportunities to reflect on practice with staff involved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is knowledgeable and reflective and has high aspirations for children in their care. A passionate and committed culture filters from the manager through to staff. Their consistency, boundaries and presence have inspired high levels of commitment and stability within their team. As a result of their care and compassion staff have remained settled in the home, only leaving for progression opportunities in the wider organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff and children benefit from a learning culture that strives for continuous improvement. Leaders are proactive in developing their own knowledge base and are active in ensuring that research is embedded into everyday practice. Staff have used research on the autism diet and the links between trauma, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to better understand the needs of children living in the home and have adapted meals, routines and activities to give children the best opportunities for engagement. Staff skills are enhanced by a range of specialist child-focused training, which is sourced based on the children’s individual needs. Staff are actively encouraged to bring their own learning and research to team meetings to share learning with others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have a grounded knowledge of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. They are proactive in using a range of methods to review the quality of care in the home. Feedback from professionals, children, families and staff is used to explore areas of development. Managers are proactive in reviewing incidents and take timely, effective action when shortfalls are identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals feel confident that children are safe and well cared for. There is an open, honest culture created by leaders and managers. Inspectors received high levels of praise for leaders and managers. Professionals commended their child-focused approach and their willingness to advocate for the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision takes place regularly and has a good operational focus. Managers have implemented systems to ensure that practice is reviewed across the team, and Inspection report for children’s home: SC023637 6 safeguarding quizzes and research are explored thematically in individual and group sessions. However, individual supervision sessions do not always create a space for staff to reflect on the impact on themselves of their work with the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC023637 7

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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

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)) 19 February 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that supervision enables staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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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: SC023637 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Kent Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Emma Blake, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC023637 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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