Children's Home run by Devon County Council in Devon

Inspection report for children's home: 2820025 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 provides care for up to eight children who may have a physical and/or learning disability and/or sensory impairment. There were six children staying in this home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in December 2024 and the registered manager has been in post since then.

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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: 2820025 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Six children were staying in the home during the inspection. At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home full time and three were having regular stays. All six children were seen and spoken to. The children appeared happy and settled and parents said their children look forward to staying. One parent said that the staff are fantastic and very supportive of their child. They think their child is very well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. They are cared for by a stable team of staff who know them well. When temporary staff are used, they are staff who are familiar to the children and know them well. Children attend school regularly, and there are positive routines in place for them. Children receive positive support with their health needs and attend health appointments as needed. Children are cared for respectfully, in a way that maintains their dignity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a range of activities during their stays. They go on regular outings to the local park, for walks or to the zoo. One child has been enjoying visiting the local shop. Some children have benefited from access to different outdoor activities. Other children are supported to do activities such as going to the park or the shop when they are not keen to go out. Staff are creative around children’s specific interests and they develop children’s plans with this in mind.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff communicate well with children and are in tune with their needs. Staff respond to children’s requests, such as styling their hair or painting their nails. Children are given choices about the things they would like to do and staff really listen to children’s views. When one child expressed a wish to go kayaking with a specific member of staff, this plan was listened to, and this is now being arranged for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming, clean and comfortable. There are comfortable spaces to sit and spacious areas where children can play. This all helps children to relax and feel at ease. Children enjoy having a meal at the dining table with staff and they really like the food that is provided to them. Children’s bedrooms are bright and cheerful and are personalised in line with their interests. One child likes tractors, and this was a theme in their room and on their bedding. Managers strive to continuously improve the home and are making changes to make it more homely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is regular communication with people who are important to the children. One parent said that there is constant communication between them and the manager, due to frequent changes to their child’s medication. Parents and professionals receive positive feedback about children’s stays, including being sent photos of children having fun and doing activities. Inspection report for children's home: 2820025 3

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

Safeguarding is managed well. Staff understand the vulnerabilities of the children they care for and place children’s needs at the centre of their practice. They are thoughtful about how to support children when they are together and are aware of the risks associated with this. Staff work hard to identify any safeguarding concerns and take prompt action when this is needed. When children present with marks or bruises, they are curious about how this could have happened and act when needed.

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

Staff support children with a caring, patient and child-friendly approach. Physical intervention has been used to keep children and staff safe. Staff have access to appropriate training and ensure intervention is only used when necessary.

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

When there have been concerns about medication practice, these have been investigated, and action has been taken to reduce any errors. An online recording system has now been implemented, which helps to reduce any recording errors. On one occasion, a child was not given their medication at the correct time. Learning was taken from this.

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

Communication with families, social workers and other professionals is timely and effective in helping to keep children safe, and this promotes their welfare. A robust transition plan was in place for one child who was moving on to an adult placement. This included positive contact between this home and the new provider to share information, and the new staff visited the child at home. The child was helped to process what was happening. This positive level of support means that there is a team of people around each child who are all working together.

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

Staff regularly discuss safeguarding during supervision with managers. They have learned from events that have taken place. There is positive reflective practice and constant learning. This supports staff in improving their practice, so they are able to achieve the best outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious for children, the staff and the home. They understand children’s needs and how to support them. There is a constant drive to support children to have new experiences and to make progress. Managers understand that progress is different for every child, and they are creative in providing opportunities in a way that is right for each individual child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a core team of staff who are now working consistently with the children. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and how to care for them. Staff said that they enjoy working in this home. They have regular supervision and access to the training they need. Some new staff said that they had received a positive induction, with shadowing and training, when they started work in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2820025 4 Leaders and managers have good oversight of the care in the home. They understand what is working well and any areas that need further development. The manager has supported staff to record information about children in an appropriate way and this is evident in children’s records. Children’s care plans are detailed and thorough; this provides staff with important information about children’s needs. There is positive management oversight in children’s records to address any areas that require

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Positive feedback was received from external professionals about children’s care. One social worker said that there has been some great progress made by children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are no requirements or recommendations made

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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: 2820025 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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Holly Wilschere-Green

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Inspector

Sarah Sheffield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2820025 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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