Children's home run by Blue Elephant Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1278020 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 home provides care for up to three children. Short-term placements and a care needs assessment are offered for children in crisis. The home is owned and managed by an independent organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 1278020 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2022 Full Good 26/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1278020 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled and make good progress in this home. Through staff support, children have started to overcome some of the challenges they have previously faced. For one child, this includes a reduction in self-harming behaviours and a more positive relationship with food.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children told the inspector they enjoy living in the home and feel that staff have helped them. One child told the inspector about signs the staff had made to help them communicate how they are feeling when they have taken themselves to their bedroom. The child was able to let staff know if they wanted to talk or just have someone sit with them at these times.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported with their moves in and out of the home. Children are often able to visit before moving in and found this helpful. Two children have been supported to move from the home into a foster family. One foster carer told the inspector how smoothly this went, despite some challenges with COVID-19. The foster carer described how the child speaks fondly of their time in the home and their relationship with the manager. The child’s time spent at the home was well captured in memory books for the child to take with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is prioritised by staff in this home. Staff have worked with other professionals to arrange appointments around education to reduce the amount of education a child may miss.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive relationships with children’s families. Parents told the inspector that they are made to feel comfortable to call the home and staff are readily available when they do.

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

Staff keep children safe in this home. The manager and staff know the children well and provide consistency in the care they offer. There have been few incidents of children going missing, which have been well responded to by staff.

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

There have been few incidents of restraint used by staff. When staff have used restraint techniques, these have been proportionate and appropriate, to ensure the safety of children and staff in the home. However, staff debriefs following a restraint are not thorough enough and do not routinely include all those who have been involved in the incident.

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

The manager and staff have good relationships with other professionals. A mental health professional said one child had asked for a member of staff to support them in their therapeutic sessions. Staff have been sensitive to the child’s request and the therapeutic process. Inspection report for children's home: 1278020 4 Staff work well together as a team to meet the children’s needs. Recently, staff have been challenged by one child’s behaviour. However, they have responded skilfully and have managed the challenges effectively.

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good

Management oversight of incidents in this home is weak. The manager does not routinely reflect on incidents with staff. Therefore, opportunities to learn and develop practice are missed.

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good

When incidents occur, children’s records are not updated promptly to ensure all staff are aware and know how to respond so the child is offered consistency. Furthermore, children’s records do not explicitly detail how to care for the children.

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good

Oversight of staff training continues to be an area of weakness. Two members of staff are out of timescale for completing their diploma. A further six staff members are undertaking their diploma. Only two members of staff are fully qualified.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision. At supervision, staff are given the opportunity to reflect on their work with children and these discussions are well recorded. Staff report feeling supported by the manager and their colleagues and enjoy working in this home.

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good

Since the last inspection, there have been improvements made to the children’s bedrooms, with further plans for the staff bedroom and office space to be developed. However, these have not yet been actioned. Inspection report for children's home: 1278020 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff training is carried out within required timescales to develop the skills and knowledge of the workforce and that opportunities are taken to review and analyse patterns in the home to develop understanding and practice. 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 31 December Inspection report for children's home: 1278020 6 In particular, that children’s records contain relevant information that is easily accessible to staff, to help them know how best to care for the children, and that records are promptly updated in response to new information and/or behaviours becoming known.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that debriefs take place with all staff involved in any restraint and that these are well recorded and reflective and provide professional challenge. 30 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should review the dedicated office spaces, including the use of locks, and ensure that a homely environment is maintained, to provide a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff who sleep in the home overnight have comfortable facilities to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26) Inspection report for children's home: 1278020 7

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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: 1278020 8

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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: 1278020 9 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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