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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 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 home is registered to provide care for up to 6 children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. It is owned and run by a private organisation. At the time of the inspection, 5 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025.

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Inspection date: 19 March 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 19 March 2026

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: 2645485 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

This assurance inspection was carried out following a judgement of ‘requires improvement to be good’ at the last full inspection in July 2025.

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Findings from the inspection

Two children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. Managers work closely with other carers and professionals to make moves a positive experience for children. Fun activities, parties, holidays and meals out make endings a celebration. As a result of this thoughtful planning, children have settled well into their new homes.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a child-focused approach to moving children into the home. One child has moved in since the last inspection. They were visited by staff and then invited to visit the home. During these visits, staff explored the house rules and routines with the child, in addition to finding out more about the child’s interests, needs and preferences. As a result, the child has settled well into the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are making positive progress in their education. Staff are proactive in working with education providers to help children engage in their education. One child, who has been on a reduced timetable for a significant period of time, has recently been able to move to full-time education. One child in the home is not yet able to engage in formal education in a school environment. The home has worked closely with its network and has been creative in generating positive opportunities for them to learn skills and to have fun in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

There are a range of fun activities for children to enjoy in the home, which align with their interests. Children are supported to learn new skills, including cooking, crafting and spray painting. In addition, they have also been encouraged to enjoy activities in the community, including martial arts lessons, trips to a theme park, go- karting, shopping and local amusements.

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Findings from the inspection

Communal areas of the home have improved and are now bright and welcoming spaces for children to enjoy. However, staff have been unable to establish a routine with children that supports them to maintain their bedroom spaces. When children have refused staff access to their rooms, adults have been unable to set clear expectations that rooms must be checked, cleaned and maintained. As a result, there are concerns in relation to the cleanliness in some of the children’s bedrooms.

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Findings from the inspection

Children know how to make a complaint. Leaders take the time to explore concerns raised by children, talking directly with them before carrying out further enquiries. When there are areas for development and learning, these are reflected on with the individuals involved. Leaders and managers provide children with age-appropriate outcome letters to let them know how their concerns have been addressed. However, letters and responses from staff do not consistently provide children with Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 3 guidance on what they can do to escalate their complaint internally and externally if they are unsatisfied with the response. As a result, children do not always feel that their complaint is resolved.

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Findings from the inspection

There are a range of regular opportunities for children to share their views, including one-to-one sessions and children’s meetings. However, some opportunities to feed back to children that they have been heard and their views have been considered have been missed. As a result, children do not always feel they are listened to or consulted when decisions are made about their care, routines and the home environment.

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Findings from the inspection

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, these incidents are managed well. Staff work closely with professionals to locate children and engage in strategy discussions to try to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. Social workers are invited into the home to complete return home interviews with children, and guidance is updated and shared with staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Allegations are managed well. When concerns in relation to practice are raised, managers take prompt action to review practice and implement safety plans to safeguard children and staff. The local authority designated officer, the child’s social worker and other relevant professionals are notified in a timely way. Investigations promptly take place and managers ensure that any learning from incidents is embedded into future practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are not consistent in how they apply consequences. Children have not been involved in considering the consequences for breaking the home’s rules, and there is a lack of opportunity to seek children’s views in order to help them understand how or why a consequence is being applied. In addition to this, an incident has taken place in the home which involved 2 children; however, only one child has been subject to consequences. The disparity in how consequences are being used is impacting on some children’s relationships with staff and with each other.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have issued training to the team on managing dynamics between children. There has been training and support for staff to recognise and respond to signs of bullying. Managers have also taken the time to explore bullying with the children; the use of scenario-based questions helps children and staff to understand how bullying may present in different forms. When incidents between children occur, staff intervene appropriately, and managers take the time when reviewing incidents to reflect on whether intervention could have been used earlier. As a result of this intervention, there has been a reduction in the number of incidents between children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/01/2025 Full Good 07/06/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any consequences for behaviours are applied equitably and that children are supported to understand any consequences used. 14 May 2026

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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; 14 May 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 6 engage with them; and

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii). (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vii))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that routines are developed that support children to maintain good levels of hygiene in their bedroom spaces and ensure staff take appropriate action to maintain the space for them if they are unable to engage with the routine. A child’s bedroom should not generally be entered without their permission, though it may be necessary to establish routines to allow for rooms to be cleaned regularly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 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

Georgia Carty, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2645485 8 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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