Children's Home run by Blue Elephant Childcare Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2568557 1 Registered provider: Blue Elephant Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is one of five homes in South West England owned by the same provider. All homes provide for local children. This home provides care and support for up to three children with emotional and social difficulties. A qualified registered manager oversees the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first full inspection since the home was registered on 13 January 2020.

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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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2568557 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2568557 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children have found acceptance and stability in this home following previous placement breakdowns. They present with some complex risk-taking behaviour which has continuously and consistently reduced over time. Detailed care planning informs practice and the therapeutic care and support provided meet the expectations of the placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of relationships between the staff and children is instrumental in the progress children make. The views of children are frequently sought and inform practice; for example, the decor and activities are frequently chosen by the children. Staff hold high aspirations for children and provide them with unconditional positive regard. This helps children feel valued and raises their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is good communication and collaboration with specialist agencies and professional stakeholders. This supports children’s health, welfare and progress. Well-established relationships with education providers have improved children’s attention to learning and their mental health, and have enhanced their employment choices for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moving into and on from the home is carefully planned and orchestrated to provide the support needed and ensure suitability. This contributes to the success of moves. A professional stakeholder stated that this home ‘absolutely meets the needs of the child’; they told the inspector that the child felt safe very quickly and ‘it’s very powerful that the child feels accepted and can just be themselves.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s opportunities and experiences are enhanced by the wealth of activities on offer. As well as after-school clubs, children are involved in uniformed groups and sports and make use of community facilities, such as the cinema. Children also go on regular holidays to the seaside and have been on trips to London and Scotland at their request.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is indistinguishable from other properties on this small private estate. It is decorated and furnished to a high standard. Each child has a distinctive, en-suite bedroom decorated and furnished to reflect their personality and interests. Photos of the children are displayed throughout the home and the work of one child who is a talented artist is also on display.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each child has photo albums and scrapbooks to provide an ongoing photographic record and memorabilia of their time living in this home. Children have also made videos of the staff, activities and the home. A special record was made for each child of their time in the home during the lockdown periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, so that they have a permanent memento of this unusual time in their history. Inspection report for children’s home: 2568557 4

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

Children feel safe living in this home and trust the staff to protect them when needed. They can identify staff that they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. Children can also identify and have access to several adults outside the home who have their best interests at heart. These adults will help them if required. Children understand how they can raise issues and complain if they feel the need.

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

Detailed assessments highlight presenting risks and how to reduce these. Children are not prevented from taking age-appropriate risks as part of their growth and development. Children’s choices and aspirations for the future are more secure due to a reduction in risk-taking and socially unacceptable behaviour.

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

Behaviour management is focused on the staff building trusting meaningful relationships with children. The staff have a good understanding of trauma-informed practice and how to respond effectively. Practice and understanding of children’s behaviour are developed by a clinical psychologist who is readily available to provide guidance and support to the staff.

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

Children who go missing from the home can expect an efficient response from the staff. Every effort is made to search for the child, maintain contact and make sure that they are safe. The police are only called for assistance if the child cannot be contacted or is proving difficult to recover. Incidents of children being missing have reduced over time.

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

Physical interventions and restraint have not been a feature of the care provided in this home. Avoiding such measures preserves children’s dignity, and the positive relationships between the children and those who care for them.

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

The staff understand how to keep children safe. They receive appropriate training and are curious and interested in the children’s time at school and when out in the community. Careful matching of the children who live together avoids them having a negative impact on each other and the spread of potential risky behaviour. Children’s relationships are likened to that of siblings in a family home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably qualified manager ensures the delivery of care as described in the home’s statement of purpose. She has the respect and confidence of the staff team, professional stakeholders and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to continuous personal and practice development. She has high expectations of the staff, their training and staff performance. There is a commitment to sharing research, articles of interest and regulatory changes with the staff alongside testing their knowledge and understanding of developments. Inspection report for children’s home: 2568557 5 The manager understands the strengths and areas for improvement of the service. A clear and a detailed development plan is in place. The staff have all undertaken specific training prior to the implementation of a new electronic recording system which should improve consistency of recording and better access to records across the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which ensures accountability and supports their care of the children. Some records of supervision are ambiguous and there is some use of jargon that could be misinterpreted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Work in partnership with other agencies benefits children. Frequent contact and consultation are made with education providers, health partners and an educational psychologist.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor provides some oversight and feedback about the performance of the home. These visits have been affected by the pandemic. Virtual visits have compromised reporting and scrutiny of processes and records. A different independent visitor has now been appointed to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been one occasion when a significant incident was not reported in a timely way. This prevented swift oversight by partner agencies. Appropriate action was taken to safeguard children and avoid a repeat of risky behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home: 2568557 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 30 April 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. In particular, the registered person should ensure that the records of staff supervision are clear and avoid jargon and colloquialisms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: 2568557 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Elephant Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 30, Chivenor Business Park, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 4AY

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Inspector

Janice Hawtin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2568557 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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Inspector

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