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

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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. At the time of this inspection, three children live in the home. Two children have been here for close to 12 months, while the third child moved in one month prior to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is vacant. An acting manager is in post and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress in this home is mixed. However, all children told the inspector they like the home and the staff who look after them.

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improvement to be good

Children’s education is not prioritised highly enough to make a positive impact on children’s learning and their futures. All three children have received minimal education while living in the home. One child has a full-time school place in their home area, yet leaders and managers have not challenged the decision to remove them from school while a local provision is identified. This means the child is receiving two hours of schooling per day in the home.

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improvement to be good

The interim manager has trained as a school invigilator to be able to support one child in school while they complete their GCSE exams.

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improvement to be good

The general maintenance of children’s bedrooms can be improved. Staff try to encourage children to take responsibility for their own bedrooms. This means that, when children have not cleaned and tidied their rooms, they are left in a poor state for too long.

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improvement to be good

A child’s arrival at the home was sensitively managed. Despite the restricted timeframe, staff created a video of the home and the child’s new room to share ahead of their arrival. This was positively commented on by the child’s family, who appreciated the video when they did not have the opportunity to visit.

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improvement to be good

Staff have maintained a positive relationship with a child who has left the home. Despite the child leaving in difficult circumstances, staff have been able to support the move and have visited the child since leaving.

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improvement to be good

Staff facilitate children’s personal interests. One child has recently taken up guitar lessons. Another child is encouraged to cook, showing a particular passion and finesse in the kitchen.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding concerns are not effectively recorded to ensure completeness in the children’s plans.

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improvement to be good

Children are not prepared well enough for moving on from the home to achieve independence. Staff struggle to engage the children in plans for their future and do not have clearly defined plans to follow. Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 4 One child’s vaccinations are out of date. The same child has a poor diet, typically eating one meal a day. The child’s records do not outline how staff are to support the child to address these concerns.

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improvement to be good

Since one child moved out of the home, there has been a more settled period with fewer incidents. There has been a significant reduction in the occurrence of missing- from-home episodes for two of the children.

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improvement to be good

This home does not use physical restraint to manage children’s behaviours. There has been no use of physical intervention since before the inspection period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight within this home is weak. The inspector found that one significant record had not been effectively reviewed by leaders and managers, and the appropriate action was not taken at the time of the incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children’s records and care plans are of poor quality. They do not provide staff with clear detail about how to care for and safeguard the children in their care. Some documents have not been signed and dated by staff to confirm these have been read.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has developed tools to assist in their management oversight. The manager is aware of the learning and skills they need to develop and is starting to build confidence in the role. The manager is part-way through her level 3 qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive supervision regularly and report that they feel well supported. Staff training is up to date and leaders and managers are looking to identify further training to meet the children’s specific needs. Staff told the inspector that training is of good quality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Safer recruitment practices are in place at this home. New staff told the inspector that they feel welcomed and well supported by managers and the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 5

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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 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that children’s bedrooms are consistently maintained well 31 August 2022

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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—

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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, 22 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 6 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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children access full-time education and that children above compulsory school age are supported in further education, training or work to prepare for their futures.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children are up to date with their vaccinations, have access to specialist services as required and are encouraged to eat a broad and healthy diet.

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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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 22 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 8 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that recording of safeguarding concerns is complete and procedures are followed and recorded.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that leaders and managers have effective oversight of the care of the children within the home, and that it is in line with their individual plans and the objectives of the home. 31 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 31 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 9 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that children are supported to prepare for their futures and independence effectively.

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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: 2619357 10

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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

Katie Ratcliffe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2619357 11 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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