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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 1 Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It provides care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2024. The manager is currently on an extended period of leave for 12 months. The home has been managed by 2 different interim managers since the time of the last inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 18 November 2025

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2025 Full Good 06/11/2024 Full Good 27/04/2023 Full Good 13/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 3

p.2

Summary of findings

The home has experienced a period of instability over the last few months. Safeguarding concerns, incidents and allegations made by children have increased significantly, and strategies have not been effective in reducing incidents or preventing escalation.

p.3

Summary of findings

Managers have missed opportunities to identify patterns in incidents and evaluate what is and is not working in practice. Staffing changes, vacancies and an increased reliance on agency staff have reduced consistency and affected children’s relationships with staff.

p.3

Summary of findings

Managers understand many of the challenges facing the home and have begun to introduce measures to strengthen practice. However, these actions are recent and have not yet led to significant change. As a result, the quality of care provided to children is inconsistent and requires improvement.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are not making consistent progress. Although some children have made progress while living in the home, external professionals say that progress has stalled, and for some children, even regressed as a result of the recent instability.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers consider the children’s needs before they move in. During this inspection period, 2 children moved into the home and 2 children moved out. While for one child this was a planned move, the other child moved out with minimal notice given by managers.

p.3

improvement to be good

Three children remain living at the home. However, all are staying with family members under both planned and unplanned arrangements. Two children do not wish to return to the home, with one child sharing negative views about their more recent experiences, including rules and staff responses to incidents.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff work closely with education professionals and use a range of strategies to encourage attendance. They attend meetings and advocate for children to access education that is tailored to their individual needs. Despite these efforts, children’s engagement with education has recently declined.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms, which reflect their individual likes and interests. However, damage caused during incidents has affected the overall home environment. Some parts of the home require attention to restore the standards previously maintained. Managers had already identified these areas for improvement and have made requests for the necessary repairs and redecoration. Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 4 Relationships between children and staff have been affected over the last few months, and this has had a negative influence on children’s engagement with staff. However, this is not representative of children’s experiences over the full course of their time living in the home. Staff show care and commitment towards children. Praise, incentives and personalised letters during difficult times demonstrate ongoing efforts from staff to rebuild and strengthen relationships.

p.3

improvement to be good

Although incidents have disrupted day-to-day life, staff have worked hard to try to maintain routines and structure for children. Staff actively encourage children to take part in everyday activities, develop independence skills and engage in routines that promote their wellbeing.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children spend time with people who are important to them. For some children, time with family has increased since living in the home. Staff work with families and professionals to support these arrangements and promote positive relationships when in children’s best interests.

p.4

improvement to be good

Strategies used by staff in responding to children when they are upset have been ineffective in preventing escalation. Delays in staff intervention and insufficient action to manage conflict between children have resulted in some situations escalating into verbal and physical altercations.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff do not have the skills or capacity to meet the needs of the children. Staff and professionals describe day-to-day practice as increasingly focused on ‘firefighting’. The increased number and complexity of incidents, alongside repeated allegations, have affected staff confidence in managing behaviour and maintaining boundaries. Partner agencies describe staff as being ‘worn down’ by the volume and intensity of issues they have been managing, resulting in a less proactive approach to supporting children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Records of incidents do not consistently contain sufficient detail of events or the actions taken by staff. While managers review incidents and identify wider safeguarding concerns, their evaluation focuses primarily on children’s behaviour rather than staff responses. As a result, opportunities to learn from and strengthen practice have been missed.

p.4

improvement to be good

Allegations are taken seriously and responded to appropriately. Managers ensure that immediate safeguarding measures are implemented, while investigations are undertaken to promote children’s safety. Staff consult with relevant professionals, keeping both them and children informed of the outcomes of investigations.

p.4

improvement to be good

Missing-from-home incidents have also increased, including repeated occasions when children are missing together. Staff respond appropriately when children are missing and Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 5 make consistent efforts to locate them. When children return, staff carry out welfare checks and supportive discussions to help understand the reasons and identify any risks.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff only use physical intervention as a last resort to prevent harm. Staff are trained and only use approved techniques, which are proportionate to the risks presented. Records of any use of restraint are detailed and include management oversight and follow-up discussions with staff and children.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff make good efforts to educate children about risks. They plan and undertake discussions to increase children’s understanding and support safer decision-making.

p.5

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

The registered manager remains on extended leave from the home. Since the last inspection, there has been a change in management arrangements. The interim manager applied to register with Ofsted but withdrew their application. The acting manager continues to work in the home and provide support and oversight to the deputy manager, who has recently assumed responsibility for the day-to-day management of the home.

p.5

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

Vacancies remain in the staff team following recent staff departures. Increased incidents and the need for additional support have resulted in greater reliance on agency staff. This has reduced continuity for children and affected their ability to develop relationships with staff, with one child saying, ‘What’s the point? They just leave.’

p.5

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

Staff share mixed views about their experiences of working in the home. Although staff feel well supported by managers, they also describe feeling fatigued by recent challenges. Changes in staffing and management arrangements have added to these pressures and, at times, have affected staff morale.

p.5

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

Managers have missed opportunities to gather and use feedback to inform service development and staff retention. For example, they have not routinely completed exit questionnaires when staff have left the organisation, and the annual point-in-time surveys have not been shared.

p.5

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

Managers have some understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and have introduced measures to improve practice. However, these are at an early stage and have not yet demonstrated a positive effect on children or practice.

p.5

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

Children’s views are regularly sought and considered. Monthly children’s meetings provide opportunities for children to plan activities and meals and discuss matters important to them. Positive comments and achievements are recognised by staff, reinforcing expectations and celebrating successes. The home’s ‘You said, we did’ forms are also used to seek children’s views and support them to understand what action is taken as a result. Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 6 Staff receive regular supervision and participate in therapeutic group discussions, which provide opportunities for reflection and support. Supervision records demonstrate discussions about safeguarding, practice and staff wellbeing. New staff speak positively about their induction, training and the support they receive to prepare them to work in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 7

p.5

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.7

Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(i)(ii)) 4 September 2026

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 25 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.8

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)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

p.8

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.8

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; 4 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 9 encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.9

Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

p.9

Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(xi)(b))

p.9

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 25 September 2026

p.9

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: 2629861 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Compass Children’s Homes Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

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

p.10

Inspector

Kerry Howarth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2629861 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.

p.10

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11