Children's home run by Devon County Council

Inspection report for children's home: 2811697 1 Registered provider: Devon County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. The home is registered to care for two children who have emotional and social needs, and/or a learning disability. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered on 20 December 2024. The registered manager resigned in January 2025 and did not give the full notice required. A new manager started work at the home on 27 January 2025, but they have not yet applied to be registered.

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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: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2811697 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home at the time of the inspection, had lived for several months when the setting was not registered. The child has made timely progress since moving to this home and their outcomes have significantly improved. The child is being cared for by a core team of staff who have cared for them consistently since they moved in. The child’s progress is a direct result of, not only the skills, knowledge and experience of the staff, but also of their hard work and commitment to the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from having a small staff team who support them consistently. Although one member of agency staff is being used, this adult has cared for the child consistently since they moved in. The strong relationships between the staff and the child have been key to the progress that they have made. The child attended school to complete some GCSE exams and has now moved on to college. They are attending college regularly and have a part-time job. College staff are happy with the child’s performance, grades and attendance. The home’s staff are supporting the child to arrive at college on time more regularly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child receives excellent care from the staff. They have positive routines and boundaries in place and are encouraged to wake up at a suitable time to prepare for college or work. They are encouraged to be active and to make healthy choices around food. They are developing their skills for independence. The child has been supported to spend time in the community on their own and to manage their own mobile phone safely. The child is well supported by staff, who encourage them to take steps towards independence but are also available to them when they need extra support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are respectful and value the child, their views and their identity. Through listening to the child, they have adapted the support that they provide. This has included asking the child for their views on family time, activities and college. Staff have supported the child very effectively in making progress with their education and developing their independence skills. This important level of support has helped the child to feel safe, loved and well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child can talk to staff openly when they are worried about something. They are learning strategies to cope with any difficulties in their life. Staff look out for signs that the child may be struggling or need support. They then talk to the child and have open conversations with them about any worries. The team works well together so that they can provide the child with consistent care. There is regular communication between the staff and other professionals. The home has developed strong working relationships with the child’s social worker and other professionals. Staff support the child to attend meetings that are held about them. They help the child to express their views and advocate strongly for them when this is needed. Inspection report for children's home: 2811697 3 The home is clean and well maintained. There are comfortable sofas in the lounge and a spacious dining area so the child can enjoy meals with staff. This helps the child to feel

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

relaxed and at ease. Staff said the child enjoys having movie nights in the lounge with them and is also learning to cook meals with them. The child has a spacious bedroom and staff have listened to the child’s views about their bedroom. When the child said they wanted a larger bed, this was arranged for them. Staff encourage the child to think about changes that they would like to make to the decor in the home. Leaders and managers are making further improvements to the kitchen area and lighting, so this feels more homely.

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

There have been no safeguarding incidents since the home was registered. When the child first moved to the home there were some significant events involving them but there has been a reduction in these episodes over time. The manager and staff work hard to tackle any risks that the child is experiencing so they can learn from them. They provide the child with strong support and commitment that helps to reduce any risks to them. The team of core staff have worked hard to build strong relationships with the child, and this has been a key factor in reducing risk. Staff know the child well and communicate with them in a way that enables them to feel safe and supported.

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

When safeguarding concerns are identified, they are reported promptly to the social worker. There is effective communication between staff and social workers; this helps to keep children safe. The staff talk to the child openly about any worries for their safety and respond sensitively to information that the child has shared with them. They develop plans together with the child to keep them safe.

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

Physical interventions were used on one occasion to prevent the child leaving the home following a serious incident. This was done to keep the child safe and was appropriate and necessary to prevent further harm to the child.

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

Some medication recording errors were identified during an audit. Learning has been taken from this and steps have been taken to improve staff practice in this area. There was no impact on the child from these errors. When the child made a complaint about their experiences in the home, this was investigated. A formal letter was then sent to the child explaining what action had been taken.

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

Records written about the child hold them in mind and are written as if staff are directly speaking to the child. When leaders and managers identify gaps in these records, reflection and learning are taken from this to improve practice. On one occasion, there was a delay in appropriately recording information about the child’s health. This was recorded retrospectively, and these concerns were addressed with staff. Although staff do have regular conversations with the child about key issues, there is a need to further explore sexual health and healthy relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children's home: 2811697 4

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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’. The impact on the child from the change of the manager has been minimal as they have continued to have support from their core team of staff throughout this time. The new manager is experienced and already has an established relationship with the child, from their previous role.

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Information about this inspection

Although the home was without a manager for a brief period, the responsible individual provided positive support to the staff in the interim. This ensured that the child continued to be well supported. The responsible individual has a good understanding of the child’s needs and understands what needs to be in place to support them. They understand what is working well in the home and the areas that need further development. When there were concerns about the practice of the previous manager, this was identified by the responsible individual and a plan was put in place to improve their practice.

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Information about this inspection

Staff said they felt well supported by the responsible individual and have had access to good training, support and supervision. They describe the responsible individual as approachable and responsive. Staff said that whenever they contacted the responsible individual, they received a quick response. This enables them to feel well supported. One member of staff commented that this is the best team they have worked in. All the staff spoke positively about how they work together consistently as a team to support the child to make timely progress.

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Information about this inspection

Records about the child are overseen by managers. When gaps were identified in recording, this was addressed and action was taken to improve this. External professionals said that between them and the responsible individual was positive. They said meetings are always attended and that the responsible individual has strongly advocated for the child when this has been necessary. Family members said that they would like to have better communication with managers and staff in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2811697 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Devon County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Devon County Council, Chief Executive’s Directorate, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD

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Inspector

Sarah Sheffield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2811697 6 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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