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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2838762 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Ltd 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 large organisation and is privately operated. It provides care for up to 4 children with diagnosed learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 4 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is dual registered. The manager and the home registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2838762 2

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Summary of findings

The children benefit from a safe and caring home. Staff understand the children’s complex needs and provide personalised care that meets their individual requirements effectively. They ensure that the children feel safe and secure. They understand children’s preferred methods of communication and respond with patience and warmth, helping children make good progress in all areas of their development. Records such as children’s risk assessments and protocols for going missing from home are not always maintained consistently, which limits the effectiveness of sharing information pertaining to children’s vulnerabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home was previously registered at a different address. Two children moved with the staff who previously cared for them to this new home. Two further children have moved into the home, and no children have left since registration. All 4 children were involved in the inspection. They appeared happy and settled at the home. They are making measurable progress from their individual starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and communicate with them effectively. They nurture the children and have built strong, caring relationships with them, including those who recently moved into the home. The staff have worked closely with the children to understand their preferred methods of communication. As a result, children are better able to express their thoughts, wishes and feelings. The staff understand and act on what children say through verbal and nonverbal methods. This collaborative approach has strengthened relationships and supported children’s progress and increased their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides warmth and stability for children. Staff provide children with a safe, well-maintained and nicely presented house. The provision of sensory areas and textured walls meets the children’s additional needs. This is balanced with plenty of soft furnishings, and personalised items help create a homely atmosphere in which children can feel a true sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the children enjoy opportunities to try new things. They expand their horizons and encourage them to have fun by participating in activities that involve taking managed risks. Photos are displayed of children enjoying many activities, including rock climbing, driving experiences, trips to theme parks and holidays. This ensures that children’s challenges do not limit their access to positive and enriching experiences. Memory books for the children include quotes from staff. This helps the children look back on memorable moments and positive experiences at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2838762 3 Staff help children make good progress in their education. All children attend school full time. Staff work closely with the schools to support children effectively. They ensure that children maintain good attendance and have all the equipment they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that there is a clear partnership with healthcare professionals, which allows staff to support children in maintaining optimal health and wellbeing. The effective partnership working across the board has resulted in increased support from the wider professional network and is driving positive outcomes for children.

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

Children benefit from a safe and secure environment that meets their complex needs.

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

Staff try to understand the reasons children may act in certain ways; they anticipate and reduce known triggers. They support the children well when they are showing signs of anxiety and frustration to help avoid situations occurring or escalating. Staff’s actions show the children that they are heard and their feelings are acknowledged.

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

Very few incidents occur due to staff’s thoughtful approach to supporting children during periods of distress. Staff’s responsiveness to risk means that physical interventions are rarely carried out. When restraint is used, it is proportionate and required to prevent further injury. The manager ensures that conversations with staff and children take place after each incident. This helps children and staff to reflect on situations and explore ways to better manage incidents in the future. Children who use alternative means of communication are not forgotten; staff use communication symbols to consult them.

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

Staff support the children in taking age-appropriate risks. They provide older children with smartphones with integrated hardware to help keep them safe online. This approach promotes a sense of normality for children alongside their peers.

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

Staff ensure that children have access to visual resources, such as mood boards and body maps, to help them communicate how they feel physically and emotionally.

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

Staff benefit from clear guidance on how to support children during challenging situations. However, risk assessments are not always updated to reflect how to best support children who struggle on public transport. Consequently, staff may feel ill- equipped to take children out, and children may experience inconsistent responses to situations.

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

Staff have sometimes failed to share accurate information with safeguarding partners. Some information shared with the police about children’s missing-from-home protocols was outdated and incorrect.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably experienced and holds a relevant diploma in leadership and management. She provides effective leadership and has a good Inspection report for children’s home: 2838762 4 understanding of the children and their needs. She ensures that the staff maintain child- focused practice and provide the children with good-quality care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains effective oversight of the home. While managing 2 homes, she continues to be present at the home and leads the staff well. She monitors all incidents, planned conversations with children, staff supervision sessions and daily records. She uses these insights to drive improvement and inform comprehensive monthly reports for social workers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel valued and well supported. They benefit from regular good-quality supervision and appropriate training. Staff feel that leaders and managers show trust in them and support their personal development. One staff member said, ‘The manager shows a lot of trust in me, as I was able to take a child to another country, which was a lovely experience.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The regular team meetings facilitate a collaborative culture that focuses on achieving positive outcomes for children. Leaders and managers use these sessions effectively to upskill the staff through targeted safeguarding workshops. This ensures that staff remain up to date with their knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains a positive relationship with the local community. She responds to minor issues promptly and proportionately, implementing measures to minimise the impact the home has on its neighbours. Inspection report for children’s home: 2838762 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that information shared with the local police is up to date regarding protocols for responding to children going missing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.29)  The registered person should ensure that placement plans, agreed between the home and children’s placing authorities, includes details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 2838762 6

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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: 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspector

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2838762 7 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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