Children's Home run by Compass Children‟s Homes Limited in Swindon

Inspection report children's home: 2667197 1 Registered provider: Compass Childrens Homes 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 run and provides care for up to four children who have been through childhood trauma and experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager left in March 2026. The home has an interim manager. This manager is due to leave at the end of May 2026. Another interim manager who works for the organisation will be overseeing the home while a permanent manager is recruited.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home. All were seen and spoken to.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2667197 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/06/2025 Full Good 30/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/07/2023 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2667197 3

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Summary of findings

Children are making progress and are kept safe. Staff ensure children have fun and take part in a wide range of activities in the home and community. Children are active members of the local football and karate club.

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Summary of findings

There is good multi-agency working. Leaders advocate well for children and challenge others when they feel children are not getting the support they need from other agencies.

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Summary of findings

There has been a lack of consistent and stable leadership which has resulted in staff being inconsistent in their care practice. Staff have not always provided a consistent structure and routine to children. This has resulted in some disengagement and lack of motivation for one child to engage in education and learning opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, two children have moved to the home. No children have left. Children receive stable long-term care and have developed positive, trusting relationships with staff. As a result, most children are making progress. However, there are emerging concerns that staff are struggling to engage one child in their care. Staff’s strategies to address this have not yet been successful, as the manager reports that they are often undermined by the local authority’s response. This has been escalated by the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves to the home are well planned. Leaders demonstrate careful consideration of the needs of both new and existing children. Staff receive additional training to ensure they are equipped to meet children’s needs. Prior to moving in, children have visited the home and met with staff and peers. Those already living in the home are spoken to and their views are considered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to take part in a range of activities which they enjoy. Children regularly attend clubs such as football and karate and are encouraged to engage in school-based opportunities, including residential trips. Birthdays, cultural and seasonal events are celebrated, helping children to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is strong multi-agency working. The in-house therapist plays an active role in supporting both staff and children, offering advice, guidance, and training. They also spend time building positive relationships with children, enhancing their understanding of individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents and family members were consistently positive about the care, with many highlighting the positive progress of children and the support provided to both children and them. Inspection report children's home: 2667197 4 Staff recognise the importance of education. Most children attend education regularly and are making good progress. However, for one child, their engagement in education is limited. Staff do not provide structure and routine to support educational readiness. Inconsistent approaches from staff mean that they are not always ready on time for learning sessions. In addition, staff do not consistently encourage or support the child to engage in alternative learning opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning documents intended to guide staff on how to care for children lack sufficient clarity and detail regarding how staff should consistently meet those needs, or how staff are supporting children to make sustained progress. Children’s plans do not link to the child’s local authority’s care plan or targets set within their Education, Health and Care Plans. This does not provide staff with sufficient information on how to help children to achieve their targets.

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

The manager demonstrates strong advocacy on behalf of children. They have effectively challenged the placing authority in relation to concerns about one child’s safety, both in the community and online. This has resulted in the involvement of another agency with an appropriate role model to mentor and support the child.

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

There are occasions when children go missing from both the home and family member’s homes. Staff follow procedures, taking appropriate action to try and locate children and ensure their prompt return. The manager is working proactively with the placing authority to establish a consistent and coordinated approach to expectations and responses, to better safeguard the child when away from the home.

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

Staff occasionally use physical intervention to ensure children’s safety. The frequency of such interventions has reduced, reflecting staff’s improved understanding of children’s needs and their ability to manage anxiety and distress through de-escalation strategies.

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

When concerns about staff practice arise, the manager takes appropriate and timely action to report and investigate. Where there have been delays in reporting by staff, this has been addressed through clear guidance and discussion in team meetings, reinforcing expectations and improving practice.

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

Children are kept safe. However, risk management plans are not always sufficiently clear or consistent in outlining the actions staff must take. In some cases, emerging risks are not fully reflected. This lack of clarity may hinder staffs understanding and their ability to respond to risk effectively.

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

Staff have conversations with children to help them understand risks online and in the community. However, staff to not undertake this work consistently. As a result, children do not always have the skills or awareness to understand risks or how to keep themselves safe. In particular, how to manage peer influence, recognise unsafe situations, and how to safely remove themselves from those unsafe situations. Inspection report children's home: 2667197 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The absence of a permanent manager has led to inconsistencies in the quality of care provided to children. This has had a noticeable impact on both children and staff. Children have experienced a lack of stability, and staff have become unsettled due to frequent changes in leadership. At times, this has also resulted in insufficient oversight of staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring systems are in place, and leaders have identified areas for improvement, particularly in relation to consistency of care. Action plans have been developed to address these shortfalls. However, these improvements are in the early stages and require sustained focus to ensure they lead to lasting change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers demonstrate a strong commitment to children and advocate effectively on their behalf. The manager is proactive in challenging other agencies and is beginning to drive improvements within the home to ensure children receive the best possible care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions and support. However, not all staff have had an annual appraisal. This limits opportunities for formal reflection on practice and professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders have identified the training needs of staff and have taken action to address these. Staff have access to a broad range of learning opportunities, including online training and tailored, face-to-face sessions delivered by the home’s therapy support worker. This has enhanced staff’s understanding of children’s individual needs and has improved their ability to provide more effective and informed support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has reviewed and updated the homes statement of purpose. However, they have not sent this to the regulator. As a result, the regulator does not have the most up to date information regarding the home. Inspection report children's home: 2667197 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, 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— that staff—

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff understand the emerging risks and action they need to take to keep children safe. In addition, that staff consistently and regularly help children to understand risks and help them to develop strategies to keep themselves safe. 3 July 2026

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the monitoring and oversight of the home and ensuring that records are written therapeutically, are 3 July 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2667197 7 accurate and contain all the information staff need to support children to make progress.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children who are reluctant to attend education. That staff help the child to understand the importance of education and provide structure and routine so that children are used to the routine and structure of a school day. That staff help children to participate regularly in learning opportunities so that they continue to progress. 3 July 2026

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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 July 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2667197 8 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

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 understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons must ensure that staff have robust plans which clearly set out and link to other plans such as the child’s local authority’s care plan, and Education, Health and Care Plans the child's targets and how staff help children to achieve those targets. In addition, staff consistently help children to understand their history and help them to develop the skills and resilience needed to manage the impact of trauma, become aspirational and be prepared for the next stages of their lives.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 3 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 3 July 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2667197 9

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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 children's home: 2667197 10

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Compass Childrens Homes

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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

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2667197 11 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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