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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2715196 1 Registered provider: Blue Elephant Childcare Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered in February 2023 and provides care for up to 4 children. It is owned and managed by a privately run organisation that also operates several other homes in the area.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. Both children were seen and spoken to. Two children have left the home since the last inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 14 September 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: 20 January 2026

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2715196 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/01/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/07/2024 Full Good 11/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2715196 3

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Summary of findings

Children are making progress from their starting points because they are provided with individualised care that meets their needs and considers their previous experiences. Staff understand and act on risks that impact the children and they form effective and nurturing relationships with them. This has resulted in an overall reduction in risks and incidents, particularly related to one child, since the last inspection.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. The manager is ambitious for the children and the staff team. He challenges effectively both internal and external professionals when he believes they have fallen short of their duties towards children. Overall, there has been significant progress since the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spent time with both children and they appeared happy and settled in their home, despite one child having moved in very recently. Staff were observed providing nurturing and individualised care to both children throughout the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in the home. The manager and staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and lived experiences. Staff’s relationship with the children is key to the progress they have made while living in the home. Staff have made significant efforts to develop a thorough understanding of the needs of the latest child who moved into the home. This has been particularly important given the complexity of the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

With staff’s support and encouragement, children have made some progress in respect of their education. One child, who previously struggled to engage in education, is successfully participating in weekly tutoring. Another child, who has since left the home, was supported to undertake their GCSE exams through the provider’s education hub.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are interested in children’s views, wishes and feelings. They have regular conversations with children to support their understanding of important topics such as relationships, physical health and emotional wellbeing. Staff accurately record what children tell them verbally and through their behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Where the manager and staff identify that children’s development needs are unmet, they take appropriate action to obtain the right support for children, for example assessments relating to communication needs and interventions that help children to make sense of their lived experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, some children have moved out of the home. While these moves have not always been straightforward, there is clear evidence of advocacy from Inspection report for children’s home: 2715196 4 the manager to ensure professionals’ decisions considered the expressed wishes of the children. There are plans in place to support children to develop their independence, but similar plans were not always successful in engaging children who have since left the home.

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

Staff understand the children’s vulnerabilities and their associated risks, and they are effective at reducing these risks. One child has made significant progress from when they first moved into the home. They used to be reliant on unhealthy coping strategies that had the potential to negatively impact their health. Staff encouraged the child to engage with specialist services, while having regular conversations with them to reinforce messages. These actions, alongside the relationships the staff have built with this child, have been key in supporting their progress.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff respond appropriately in line with children’s plans and in relation to potential risks. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s networks and people that could present risks to children. When staff identify the prospect of higher risks, such as children leaving the home in a way that is out of character for them, they respond quickly. Staff ensure that appropriate agencies are informed and that efforts are made to locate the child.

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

There are known risks in relation to the children living together, but these have been identified and explored, and multiple actions have been taken to mitigate against these risks. The manager has carefully considered whether staff can manage the children’s competing needs and vulnerabilities effectively.

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

Staff are aware of the ongoing concerns and potential risks relating to one child smoking in their bedroom. While this does not appear to be a daily occurrence, it is something that has happened and continues to happen. Actions taken to try to reduce the risk in respect of this are undertaken in a timely manner. There are plans in place to continue to try and lessen the risk in respect of this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the history, needs and risks of the children living in the home. They focus on supporting staff to build effective relationships with children. The manager is ambitious for the children and, in turn, the staff team. The manager acts in the bests interests of the children, even if this means challenging staff and external professionals. He is a strong advocate for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are clear about the strengths and weaknesses in the home. There are plans in place to address any areas of development, such as continuing to improve the quality of staff recording. At present, this is having limited impact on the care children receive. There have been overall improvements in the environment of the home, Inspection report for children’s home: 2715196 5 particularly children’s bedrooms, and this has provided a more nurturing setting for children to live.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff who work in the home generally feel well supported by the manager and wider leadership team. They mostly receive regular supervision from senior members of staff, or the manager, and are also provided with group supervisions when specific needs or topics are identified. Staff supervisions are detailed and contain key discussions in respect of the children and their progress, as well as staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have been provided with specific training to meet the needs of the new child who has moved into the home, and there are ongoing plans for further training to continue to upskill the staff team in relation to this particular child, who has newly emerging needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some issues with staffing sufficiency since the last inspection. On at least one occasion, this resulted in two new members of staff working alongside inexperienced staff. The manager recognises that this was not suitable and has taken steps to ensure that this does not occur in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2715196 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there are sufficient suitably trained and experienced staff working in the home at all times. They must be able to meet the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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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: 2715196 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Elephant Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector:

Helen Cushnie, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2715196 8 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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