Children's home run by Blue Elephant Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 1 Registered provider: Blue Elephant Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to three children, aged between eight and 18 years, with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is vacant. The acting manager is applying for registration.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We have not previously inspected this service which was registered in February 2021.

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection : none Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 3

p.2

inadequate

There are three children living in this home. Two of the children have not made sustainable progress since moving into the home. Although the manager and staff are consistently positive about and supportive to the children, they have not put in place effective boundaries or routines to help promote the children’s welfare and development.

p.3

inadequate

The children’s progress in education is not consistent. Two of the children are increasingly disengaged from their educational provision. One is refusing to attend any lessons. Leaders and the manager work with the local authority to find alternative educational provision, but progress for the child is slow. The third child’s attendance at college has increased significantly from a very low starting point. The manager and staff are effectively supporting him to complete his course to achieve his longer-term career aspirations.

p.3

inadequate

The manager and staff know the children well and show them warmth and care. They listen to the children and respect their wishes. However, staff are not using effective strategies to help the children to develop a healthy routine. For example, all the children have poor sleep patterns, and their nocturnal habits include gaming, and some children smoke in their rooms. One child has recommenced smoking since arriving at the home. This affects their ability to engage in education and detrimentally effects their health and well-being.

p.3

inadequate

The home is large and comfortable, but some children do not allow staff to routinely go into their bedrooms. One child’s room is in a poor state. Staff respect the children’s wishes even though it hinders their ability to monitor known risks including fire-setting and misuse of tobacco in the children’s rooms.

p.3

inadequate

The manager and staff have good relationships with the children’s families. They support regular visits and welcome family and friends to the home. They make sure that the children stay in touch with important people in their lives. One child has been able to go on holiday with friends. This creates a sense of belonging and builds self-esteem.

p.3

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

Leaders and managers do not recognise the seriousness of an incident of fire-setting by two children in a bedroom. This placed the children and staff at risk of harm. They did not put in place a robust risk management plan to address the identified risks.

p.3

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

The manager and staff do not engage and provide sufficient boundaries for the children. For example, staff spoke to the children and arranged a fire safety session Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 4 after the fire-setting incident. However, not enough action was taken to ensure that children did not have ongoing access to lighters. Leaders and the manager did not arrange for staff to monitor the children’s safety overnight.

p.3

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

The manager and staff create risk management plans to help them to balance the known risks against allowing the children to take responsibility for their own behaviour. However, there have been occasions where known risks have not been successfully reduced. For example, two children are known to encourage each other’s risk-taking behaviours but are not always supervised by staff. This has meant that on more than one occasion, staff have been late to find out about and tackle situations that put children at risk.

p.4

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

Staff listen to children and are sensitive to their needs. One child can identify a trusted adult within the home to talk to. This has given him confidence to keep in touch with staff during episodes of going missing from care. Overall, some of his risk-taking behaviours have reduced.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager ensures that relevant information is shared with all professionals. There is partnership working to meet the children’s needs. Despite this, the manager has not been able to interrupt the patterns of behaviour of two of the children. They are not making sufficiently sustained progress.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are supported by external professionals to deliver the statement of purpose that they carry out ‘trauma repair’. Not all the staff have the required confidence or skills to carry out this element of the care planning effectively. This inevitably limits the quality and the effectiveness of the care provided to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and the manager ensure that the children’s records are in place. However, plans do not succinctly set out risks and strategies for each child. This makes it more difficult for staff to identify important information about the children’s needs and to act on it consistently. The manager is implementing a new case management system with the staff to address this issue.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following this inspection, the manager has prepared an action plan to address the identified risks to the children’s safety and the requirements. This will be monitored by Ofsted.

p.4

Statutory requirements

Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 5 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.5

Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to creating boundaries and routines that support the children to achieve their care plans. 25 March 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 6 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This refers to staff carrying out the smoking cessation plans effectively and seeking advice when the young people are under the influence of illegal substances.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 18 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 7 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.7

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates to staff understanding each young person’s risk assessment, and their role in keeping children safe at all times.

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

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

p.7

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)) 25 March 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, serious incidents and other concerns must be notified to Ofsted to ensure transparency. 18 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 8

p.7

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: 2619357 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Elephant Childcare Ltd

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Inspector

Justine Hosking, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 10 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.

p.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10