Children's Home run by Blue Elephant Childcare Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2793592 1 Registered provider: Blue Elephant Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to two children who have experienced childhood trauma and have social and emotional difficulties. The home currently provides care as a 28-day assessment service.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post and he is seeking registration.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2793592 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2793592 3

p.2

improvement to be good

One child’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks were not properly understood by managers, and the placement was poorly timed. This resulted in a short stay where staff were not able to meet the child’s needs. Managers liaised with other professionals during placement planning to consider whether the staff team were able to meet the outlined needs at the point of referral. However, managers subsequently found that staff did not have sufficient resilience, experience or skill to care for the child.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have mixed experiences in the home. Due to the short-term nature of their placements, their progress is limited but still notable. Staff have supported children to attend school and engage in educational activities at home. They have also supported children to attend therapy, hospital and dental appointments. When appropriate, staff have treated children’s health conditions at home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff have engaged children by taking account of their interests and organising activities that align with them, such as cooking and visiting castles and airbases. Staff have also supported children to remain in contact with people who are important to them, taking them to visit their parents, siblings and friends. Staff have been sensitive to children’s views regarding how they supervise family time, giving children space while remaining close by.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff make efforts to develop positive relationships with children. However, some children find this harder than others. When managers notice this, they work alongside the staff team, helping them to navigate interactions with children and modelling practice. For one child, managers intervened to implement boundaries and to support the child’s communication with female staff.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child’s placement only lasted 12 days, and during this period there were some protracted and serious incidents. Staff were not always in control; they sustained injuries and needed police support to manage risk. Staff’s behaviour during some of these incidents indicated that they needed further support to fulfil their roles. Managers identified shortfalls in practice after some incidents and explored learning with staff.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers gathered and reviewed lots of information about one child before they moved in, including liaising with their former home. However, they failed to unpick inconsistencies in information shared by the home and the social worker. They also failed to take account of recent changes in the child’s presentation. On one occasion, managers’ attempt at positive risk-taking to support the child’s development put staff in a difficult position. The responsible individual accepts responsibility for this failure. Inspection report for children’s home: 2793592 4 Staff make efforts to talk with children about their feelings when they are upset, angry or disgruntled. Sometimes, children are able to voice their worries and explore them with staff. When incidents have occurred, staff try to talk with children about their views and encourage them to think about what they might do differently in the future. Staff

p.3

improvement to be good

show flexibility in how they manage these conversations, ensuring they are age appropriate.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff attempt to use appropriate de-escalation strategies to support children when they are distressed and experiencing crisis. However, these attempts are not always effective and impactful. Sometimes, staff have resorted to using physical interventions, and when this has occurred, it has been necessary and proportionate. When staff notice that strategies are becoming ineffective, they devise new strategies with the aim of supporting children but sometimes these do not have the desired outcome.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been considerable management instability in the home since February 2025. While a deputy manager stepped up to manage the home on an interim basis, he also had oversight of another home, and his capacity was therefore stretched. The responsible individual’s oversight was also impaired as she had oversight of nine homes in total. The company employed two area managers to support the responsible individual’s workload, and they started in April 2025. A new permanent manager joined the home in May 2025 and is seeking registration with Ofsted.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

One child’s placement was poorly timed. Staff were already experiencing low resilience and did not feel ready to care for another child. Leaders and managers have not consistently ensured that the staff team’s skillset aligns with the home’s statement of purpose. Consequently, staff have not always been able to deliver the care that children need, especially when children are distressed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual reflected on placement decisions, children’s and staff’s experiences and the skillset within the workforce. She concluded that the home is not equipped to care for children with highly complex needs who communicate significant distress via their behaviours. She kept this learning in mind when she considered new referrals for the home and made the decision to place two children with relatively low needs. These children thoroughly enjoyed their time in the home and wish to remain in contact with staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff team has been on a tough learning journey due to poor leadership decisions. At times, this has been detrimental to children and the staff team. Despite this, staff still show enthusiasm and commitment to their roles. Leaders and managers have reached the conclusion that they cannot deliver the service they initially envisaged and have made changes to their statement of purpose to reflect this. They intend to offer long-term placements to children, moving forward. Inspection report for children’s home: 2793592 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have sufficient resilience, experience and skills to care for children living in the home. 12 August 2025

p.5

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.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

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)(f)) 12 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2793592 6 In particular, the registered person must ensure that they embed learning from recent events and strengthen their critically reflective practice moving forward.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that managers take full account of children’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks during placement planning and in risk assessments. 12 August 2025

p.6

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’.

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspection started on 17 June 2025. An inspector returned on 24 June to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. Inspection report for children’s home: 2793592 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Elephant Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspectors

Carla Simkiss, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2793592 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspectors

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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8