SC 040491

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 1 SC040132

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home can provide care for two children who may have physical disabilities or learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. They were not present for this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 17 and 18 June 2025

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are committed to developing trusted and secure relationships with the children in their care. They have done so by providing consistent care and positive experiences for children. Staff understand children’s preferred communication methods and promote this so the children can participate in choice. This includes an ability to choose activities, meals or experiences.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have spent time working to understand the children’s emotional and mental health needs. In doing so, they are more in tune with the children and therefore promote their overall wellbeing more effectively.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have positive routines. Staff are endeavouring to promote independence with the children, although important clarity for children about their future care arrangements is lacking.

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Findings from the inspection

Incidents of restraint have reduced for both children. However, the records for these incidents are not consistent. Some lack management oversight to enable learning to further reduce their use, and how staff record incidents is varied. Post-incident discussions with staff and children are not thorough or consistent to enable learning to impact on care.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff know the children well and respond to them with kindness and understanding when they are distressed. The staff have developed activities with children to help them understand their emotions and know how to respond to difficult emotions.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have been able to prepare the physical environment for one child to be prepared for times when they are finding their emotions a challenge to manage. This change in environment and a greater understanding in how the child presents when distressed or unable to express themselves have led to a reduction in significant incidents in and out of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Errors were found in the storage and record-keeping of medication. No significant impact on children’s health needs is evident.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager was not present for this inspection. The deputy manager is overseeing the running of the home. Action has been taken by senior managers to improve the effectiveness of managers within the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The culture of the home is evolving to be more positive. The staff feel supported by the management in the home. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 3 Training for staff in their specialist areas has been secured. However, the management oversight of training completion is not robust. Supervisions for core staff members takes place consistently, however for agency staff supervision is not routinely completed. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/08/2021 Full Inadequate 11/09/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 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, 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.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that the care meets the child’s needs; (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s care plans are up to date and reflect any court orders in place that impact on the children’s care.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered manager must ensure that staff understand and follow the care plans in place. 31 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 6 The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children are supported to explore their feelings and views in an appropriate time frame after episodes of restraint. 31 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff, including agency staff, receive regular and consistent supervision. 31/03/2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effective 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 31 December Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 7 In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the transition planning for the children in the home is completed in a timely way in the best interests of each individual child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the record kept of the administration of medication is accurate and reflects the prescription. 31 December

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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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 31 March 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 8 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(i)(ii) (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records of restraint include clear details on all aspects of the event.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure they monitor records to ensure they are accurate.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must review the effectiveness and appropriateness of any measure or control. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cornwall Council, County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AY

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Inspector

Hannah Spencer-Townesend, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC040132 10 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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Inspector

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