Children's Home run by Compass Social Care Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report for children's home: 2816616 1 Archer House

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Registered provider: Compass Social Care 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

A private provider runs this home. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2025. The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspector spent time with both children.

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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: 26 November 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2816616 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/11/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2816616 3

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Summary of findings

Staff support the children to have positive experiences moving in and out of the home whenever possible. Staff work effectively with professionals and family members to ensure children’s needs are met. The children, overall, have positive experiences living at the home. However, children shared examples of occasions when they felt their views had been overlooked and the actions taken by the staff had not been well communicated to them. Behaviour management plans are followed by staff to support children, but they do not always reflect the most recent information. One member of staff employed by the company has not obtained their qualification within the required time frame.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming. Photos of the staff, children and their achievements are displayed around the house. This replicates the feeling of a family home and promotes a sense of belonging for the children. Staff support the children to have positive experiences moving in and out of the home whenever possible. Staff have supported one child, who is moving out, to stay while a home better suited to meet their needs is identified. One professional told the inspector, ‘Staff have done everything they can to assist [name of child]. I cannot fault the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children with their education, and external education providers visit the home to ensure the children access learning. The children are making good progress that will support them in later life. A professional told the inspector that one child who had had a previous negative experience with education ‘now engages for longer and has been able to see education in a positive light’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff facilitate the support of other professionals in the home to help meet the children’s needs. Staff work closely with agencies such as mental health and substance misuse services. For one child, this has resulted in an increased understanding of the effect of substances and a reduction in their use. Staff support children to recognise risks they face. Staff have reflective discussions with children about incidents that have happened and their previous experiences. This supports children to be aware of risks in the community and develop ways to keep themselves safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with the children. They help them feel settled and provide consistent support. One child told the inspector about the significant relationships they have built with the staff at the home. When describing the staff, the child said, ‘I would give them my heart.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Diversity is celebrated at the home. One child who follows a different faith to the staff has been supported to celebrate days and activities in line with their religion. Staff provide regular reports to a parent with translation into their primary language to ensure Inspection report for children's home: 2816616 4 they understand their child’s experiences and progress. This promotes inclusion at the home and helps maintain positive family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The experiences of children at the home are overall positive. However, children shared examples of some occasions when they felt their views had been overlooked. On occasion, when they raised concerns, they did not understand the actions taken by the staff as these had not been communicated clearly to them.

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

Incidents are well managed by the staff. As a result, no physical interventions have taken place since the last inspection. Staff are effective at using de-escalation techniques to avoid the need for further intervention. During one incident, staff remained calm and defused the situation. This prevented the staff and children from being injured. Despite the need for police to be called, staff showed care towards the child, ensuring they were OK and not hurt.

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

The staff act as a caring parent when children go missing from home. They attempt to locate children as quickly as possible. On one occasion, a child was missing for a considerable amount of time, and staff continuously made efforts to search for and locate them. Staff maintained consistent communication with the police and those relevant in the child’s network throughout the time the child was missing from home. When the child returned, staff creatively explored with the child where they had been to identify any information of concern. As a result, support from external agencies was sourced and staff continue to monitor areas of concern.

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

Staff have meaningful discussions with the children. When incidents occur or potential risks are identified, staff complete impactful planned discussions with children to further their understanding and explore their views on different topics. This helps children to learn from their experiences and keep themselves safe.

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

Staff are aware of risks in the local area and how risk can be mitigated for children. This helps to manage risk and keep children safe. Household fire safety procedures are implemented effectively. Staff support the children to take part in fire drills when they move into the home. This supports children’s understanding of what to do in the event of a fire.

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

Staff are guided by behaviour management plans to support children. However, these plans do not always reflect the most recent information. Consequently, staff may potentially not be alert to current risks and the appropriate actions to be taken to mitigate these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The suitable and qualified registered manager displays commitment to providing positive outcomes for children. They are closely supported by the responsible individual. They are Inspection report for children's home: 2816616 5 child focused and clear on their expectations of staff. One staff said, ‘We have a good manager who leads us well, and together we work to keep the home running smoothly and put the children’s best interests first.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported. They receive regular supervision and pastoral support. When challenging situations arise, staff are offered external support to process their experiences. This helps staff to reflect on their practice and receive emotional guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers undertake thorough recruitment processes. This helps to ensure the staff recruited are safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are confident to raise any concerns about practice. Staff demonstrate good knowledge of whistleblowing procedures and the external agencies they can report concerns to. This helps ensure safeguarding matters are managed effectively. Senior leaders have arranged for independent reviews to be carried out when serious allegations have occurred against the staff. The outcomes of these reviews contribute to learning identified by leaders and managers. This helps ensure continuous learning and helps keep children safer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported to access a range of relevant training. Leaders and managers work alongside external professionals on plans to deliver training to the staff in line with children’s individual needs. This helps develop the skill base of the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One member of staff employed by the company has not obtained their qualification within the required time frame. Leaders and managers had not identified this during the recruitment process but are supporting the staff member to obtain their qualification. Inspection report for children's home: 2816616 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, 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 1 October 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. Staff should respond to children who are expressing their views in a way that best supports the child to understand that their views have been acknowledged and that action has been taken where required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10) Inspection report for children's home: 2816616 7  The registered person should ensure that staff have the guidance and skills to respond to each child’s individual behaviour. They should ensure that children’s individual behaviour support plans are kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.14)

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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: 2816616 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Social Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Business Centre, 8 Madeira Avenue, Leigh on Sea, Essex SS9 3EB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Wendy Edward-Tsuro

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Inspector

Sophie Levy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2816616 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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