Children's home run by Willows (Devon) Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2740654 1 Registered provider: Willows (Devon) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience emotional or social difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2025.

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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: 25 February 2025

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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: 2740654 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2025 Full Good 20/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2740654 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection, and one child had moved on. Both children have been spoken to as part of the inspection. The child who lives in the home says that they are not happy with some restrictions. However, they know how to make a complaint and know that their views are taken seriously. The child who has moved on from the home says that they liked living at the home and they liked the staff. This child rated the home very highly overall.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made good progress in relation to their education, their confidence and emotional development. For example, the child has been supported by staff to apply for and interview for a part-time job, which has contributed positively to their confidence and will further benefit their social development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child’s individual anxieties and provide the appropriate support. They actively assist the child to attend appointments that help reduce their worries and promote emotional wellbeing. The child has additional identity needs. They are supported sensitively, and staff present as open and approachable. This ensures that the child feels comfortable approaching staff with questions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves in and out of the home are well planned. The child who currently lives at the home had several opportunities to meet with staff and visit the home before moving in, which supported them to develop relationships and settle quickly. The manager makes efforts to speak with professionals who know the child well prior to them moving in. This means that the child’s needs are well understood before they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has developed positive and trusting relationships with staff. This is evidenced through significant conversations in which the child chooses to raise concerns and seek support. External professionals report that the child has formed close relationships with staff as a result of the nurturing care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are listened to, and their requests are actioned. The child has been consulted with the decoration of their room and feels happy with how their own personal space is presented. The home is well decorated, warm and welcoming, providing a comfortable and homely environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has memory books and a memory box filled with personal items. These are used to help children to understand and reflect on their life journey as they move forward.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2740654 4 The child is supported by the staff in the home, who understand their needs and risks well. They regularly engage the child in meaningful conversations about staying safe, managing risks and understanding their feelings. These discussions support the child to develop their understanding of healthy relationships, online safety, the responsible use of social media and becoming increasingly independent.

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

When incidents occur, staff respond promptly and appropriately. Following incidents, staff hold conversations with children that explore their feelings and reflect on events that have led up to incidents. Management oversight is consistent and considers what children need moving forward. However there is a lack of consistent critical analysis around staff practice, meaning that opportunities to develop practice further have been missed.

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

When concerns around self-harm emerge, staff respond effectively and ensure that the child receives medical attention as needed. Staff support the child throughout and have follow-up conversations in which the child is helped to reflect on their feelings and their actions. This helps the child to learn from behaviours and feel cared for and supported.

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

There has been one incident of restraint since the last inspection. This was brief and proportionate to the behaviour being shown. However, some language used with the child during and after the incident is not therapeutic, meaning that the child may have felt blamed and shamed for their behaviours.

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

The home’s statement of purpose sets out that care is underpinned by a trauma- informed and therapeutic approach. While this is evident in much of staff’s practice, it is not consistently applied when significant incidents take place. Strengthening this aspect of staff practice would further enhance safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is knowledgeable about the child in the home, and has a clear understanding of their needs, progress and the risks they face. There is an established and stable core staff team, which provides the child with stability and consistency of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good oversight of the service by the registered manager, who also has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The manager makes good efforts to source additional information and research, and shares this with staff to strengthen practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and supervisions take place regularly and provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their work with the child. The manager ensures that time is taken to reflect on significant incidents and consider the support provided to the child, helping staff to develop their knowledge and understanding of the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2740654 5 Staff say that they are well supported by the manager and senior leaders within the organisation. They speak positively about working as a close staff team and how they enjoy providing a high level of nurture and care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals speak positively of the leadership within the home. Professionals from social care and education say that they have good communication with the manager and staff team, and that they provide a high standard of care to the child who lives at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2740654 6

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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

Understand and apply the homes 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

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are knowledgeable about the therapeutic approaches that they are to use, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose, and that these are routinely used to support children when they are distressed. 24 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have robust oversight of significant incidents and that they demonstrate consistent critical analysis around staff practice to enhance learning from incidents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.23) Inspection report for children’s home: 2740654 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: 2740654 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Willows (Devon) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Old Farm House, Gussage St. Michael, Wimborne BH21 5JE

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Inspector

Minnette Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2740654 9 and inspects 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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