Children's Home run by South West Childcare Services in Plymouth

Inspection report for children’s home: 1254740 1 Registered provider: South West Childcare Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 2 children who may have needs associated with social and emotional difficulties and may have also experienced loss, trauma and abuse.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. The inspectors spent time with both children and spoke with a child who has moved on from the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2022.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1254740 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2025 Full Good 22/10/2024 Full Good 21/06/2023 Full Good 25/05/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1254740 3

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Summary of findings

Staff provide a stable and supportive environment for the children who live at this home. Children receive good-quality care from a committed team of staff who know them well and understand their individual needs and vulnerabilities. Children make positive progress from their starting points across a range of developmental areas and benefit from close and trusting relationships with staff. However, staff do not always do enough to help children manage their emotions prior to restraint being used.

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Summary of findings

Certain areas of the home environment lack a warm and homely feel, specifically staff do not always do enough to ensure children’s bedrooms meet their needs. Despite these shortfalls, children are making good progress and benefit from the care provided by a dedicated staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they like living at the home and that they have developed positive relationships with the adults who care for them. One child who has moved on spoke positively about the experiences they shared with staff during their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their individual starting points. Staff provide good support which helps children improve their emotional wellbeing, confidence and daily routines. Staff help children to reduce harmful behaviours and to attend school. They also support children to develop healthier relationships with family members and to spend less time with peers who may have a negative influence on them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are carefully planned. Leaders and managers consider the needs of all children, including those already living in the home. Children are given opportunities to visit the home before moving in and to meet staff members. Managers liaise effectively with professionals to ensure that staff understand children’s risks and needs before they move into the home. As a result, children settle in quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of helping children to develop independence skills. However, one child spends significant periods away from the home, which limits opportunities for staff to help them progress. Leaders and managers have started to explore creative approaches to improve engagement with the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is sparsely decorated in some areas and lacks a homely feel. Staff do not ensure that bedrooms are t maintained to a consistently good standard. Leaders and managers acknowledge that further work is required to ensure that the home feels welcoming, nurturing and well cared for throughout.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1254740 4 Leaders and managers have established a positive safeguarding culture in the home. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and work proactively with external agencies, including the local authority and the police, to reduce risks to children. Staff know the children well and have a clear understanding of their individual vulnerabilities, behaviours and support needs.

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

Staff respond appropriately when children go missing from the home. They take prompt action to search for children and liaise effectively with relevant professionals. When children return, staff welcome them with warmth and compassion and seek to understand the reasons why they went missing. This enables staff to adapt support plans and reduce the likelihood of future incidents.

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

Since the previous inspection, there has been some use of physical restraint, which have been proportionate to the child’s needs and safety. However, it is not consistently evident that staff are adopting a therapeutic approach. On occasion, staff responses may have contributed to incidents escalating.

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

Staff talk with children about important topics relating to their safety and wellbeing. However, some conversations are brief due to difficulties engaging children effectively, which reduces the impact of this work.

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

Managers have taken appropriate action to restrict one child’s access to a mobile phone due to safeguarding concerns. While this decision was proportionate and focused on reducing identified risks, planning for the return of the mobile phone has not been sufficiently clear or well communicated to the child. The has been frustrating for the child and does not help provide clarity about boundaries for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to ensuring that children receive good-quality care. There are ongoing plans to develop the home and build on the positive outcomes that children are experiencing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive appropriate training and support to help them meet children’s individual needs effectively. Leaders ensure that staff can apply their learning directly to the children they care for. Specialist training and consultation have been sourced to strengthen staff’s understanding of children’s social and emotional needs. As a result, staff are developing greater confidence in caring for children with complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the support they receive from the manager. Regular supervision sessions and team meetings provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and consider how they can best support children. There is an open culture in the home that promotes learning and reflection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager appropriately advocates for children and challenges other professionals when services or responses do not adequately meet children’s needs. This has led to improved experiences and outcomes for children, particularly in relation to education. Inspection report for children’s home: 1254740 5 Feedback from professionals is generally positive. They say that staff are caring, committed and knowledgeable about the children they support. Professionals report that children have positive relationships with staff and that communication with the home is effective, particularly following significant incidents. While one professional raised concerns regarding communication and joint working, this was not reflective of the wider feedback received. Overall, professionals recognise the commitment of leaders and staff to providing children with a good standard of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1254740 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively 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.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff continue to develop their practice to promote best outcomes for children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered manager must ensure that staff follow children’s plans and implement the therapeutic approaches that are set out. 8 July 2026

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)) 8 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1254740 7 The registered person must ensure that the home is well maintained and homely throughout.

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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: 1254740 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South West Childcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspectors

Minnette Sims, Social Care Inspector Darren Wickens, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1254740 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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