Children's home run by Devon County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2811697 1 Registered provider: Devon County Council Full inspection 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 2 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, who was seen and spoken to by the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered on 20 December 2024. The previous manager resigned, and a new manager is in post who has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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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: 28 January 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: 2811697 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2811697 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys living at the home and spending time with staff. The staff work well together to provide the child with consistent care. Staff understand the importance of the child’s identity. They learn about the child’s interests and things that they enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly communicate with people who are important to the child. They have developed strong working relationships with the child’s social worker, family and other professionals. Staff support the relationships between the child and their family so the child can spend time with their family regularly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s bedrooms are personalised and they have their belongings around them. The home environment is mostly warm and homely, but some areas been impacted by damage.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made timely progress in this home, and their outcomes have significantly improved. The manager and staff have built strong relationships with the child, and this has been key in the progress that the child has made. The child is responding well to boundaries that are set for them, and improvements are seen in their routines. Before moving to this home, the child had not attended an education setting for several years. Staff work collaboratively with education staff. The child is now engaging in a plan of education and are attending regularly. The plan is to gradually increase their time in education. To support their engagement in learning, staff provide activities, opportunities and worksheets when the child is not in education. This enables the child to learn more about the world around them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is developing their independence skills in preparation for adulthood. They have been learning to cook and to do their own laundry with support from the staff. Staff support the to go shopping and attend health appointments. The managers and staff ensure that appropriate referrals are made to specialist services. However, staff have not always considered how to creatively support the child to attend and engage with appointments.

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

The child feels safe in this home. Staff talk to the child openly about any worries over their safety that might be impacting on them. If a safeguarding concern is identified, staff report this to the relevant professionals to make sure the child is safe and protected. When the child experienced difficulties in the local community, they contacted the managers to ask for help from the staff. This shows the trusting relationships that have developed.

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

Staff have needed to intervene during some incidents when the child has struggled to manage their emotions. Some damage has been caused in the home during these Inspection report for children’s home: 2811697 4 incidents. There has been a noticeable reduction in these incidents over time. The manager and staff have worked hard to support the child, and to tackle any risks they are experiencing. They provide the child with dedicated support and commitment that helps to reduce any risks to the child. The team has 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

The child has access to a mobile phone and staff support them to use this safely. Staff are curious about their phone use and have regular conversations with the child about this. These conversations support the child to have safe arrangements in place.

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

The child left the home on one occasion, with the intention of going missing. Staff followed the child to ensure they remained safe. There was a timely response from staff to ensure that the child was well supported and that they could return home safely. Conversations were held with the child to help them understand these risks so they can understand how to keep themselves safe.

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

Physical restraint has not been used in this home. Staff use a range of therapeutic approaches to support the child when the child is unhappy or upset. Calming techniques and humour are used to help the child to relax and feel at ease. Specialist training has been provided to staff, so they are better able to support the child.

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

Managers advocate strongly for the child. This strong practice ensures that there is a team around each child that is working together. This helps to keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has built a strong relationship with the child, and the child is also being well supported by senior managers. The manager advocates well for the child and provides the child with meaningful experiences to help them make progress. They have high aspirations for the child and want the child to do well. The manager has a good understanding of the child’s needs and understands what needs to be in place to support the child effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff respect the manager’s attitude and professionalism. The staff and manager share the same values and approaches in relation to the child and the home, and this provides a consistent approach in relation to children who stay in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable team of staff in the home, and staff know the child well. The managers provide regular training opportunities to support staff development. Staff receive regular supervision which is reflective and looks at staff members’ own personal and development needs. It also gives staff the opportunity to discuss the child’s needs and the development and progress that has been made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2811697 5 Staff value the team meetings that are held, and these meetings are well attended. This gives staff the space and time to reflect on their practice, so they can further develop their skills and knowledge. This enables the staff to use consistent approaches with the child, and it supports the progress that the child can make. Inspection report for children’s home: 2811697 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that timely repairs are completed to ensure a homely and welcoming space is provided for children. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2811697 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 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 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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