Children's Home run by Devon County Council in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2829225 1 Registered provider: Devon County Council

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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 4 children who have emotional and social needs and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this monitoring visit, 3 children were living in the home. Two children spent time with the inspector and spoke with them.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to monitor the progress made following the full inspection which took place on 9 and 10 June 2026, when the home was judged inadequate.

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This monitoring visit

One child said they did not think their home was a good place to live because the building gives members of the public the impression that it is a children’s home.

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This monitoring visit

There are positive and playful interactions between children and staff.

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This monitoring visit

Serious incidents continue to occur in the home. These incidents are not always managed well and highlight concerns about staff practice. Staff do not respond quickly enough to presenting risks, which mean avoidable incidents occur, which leave children at risk of harm. Leaders and managers have identified shortfalls in staff practice, which has been shared directly with the team. However, leaders and managers have not considered whether formal investigations are needed and if practice concerns meet the threshold for escalation.

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This monitoring visit

Staff now have conversations with children when there are concerns. These conversations take place in a timely manner, and in direct response to incidents. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2829225 2 Leaders and managers have developed a process to ensure they have oversight of staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have used learning from incidents to change children’s plans, in an attempt to reduce the risk of further incidents. For 2 children, this has resulted in a reduction in the number of incidents. However, staff do not always follow these plans effectively and this negatively impacts consistency of care and the overall impact of agreed interventions.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have developed a plan to provide additional training to staff. This training is more tailored to the needs of the children living in the home. Leaders and managers have also begun to use the wider multi-agency network to seek additional access to further specialist training. However, this additional training is not yet having a consistently positive impact for children.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment has improved. Staff support children to maintain their own bedrooms. Room checks continue to be undertaken in line with both known and emerging risks. When staff find items of concern, they remove them and update managers.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are taking steps to implement changes, with the aim of improving staff practice and children’s care. However, these changes are in their infancy, which means their overall impact is yet to be determined.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2026 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2829225 3

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are provided with clear and well-documented information which ensures they understand all risks related to children. This information must include what actions staff must take to reduce risks.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that any concerns related to the safeguarding of children are appropriately identified and escalated, and that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in doing this.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are not harmed by one another, and that robust and swift action is taken during incidents to prevent children experiencing physical or emotional harm. 1 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2829225 4 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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 the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must have a clear understanding of, and act on, any weaknesses identified in staff practice and/or additional areas for development of the home. 1 September 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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that plans are regularly updated to fully reflect the specific needs and risks related to each child, and ensure that stuff understand and follow these plans. 1 September 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure children feel safe and are safe. Staff must ensure that children are aware of how to manage their own safety both inside and outside of the home, including in their relationships with each other. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2829225 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2829225 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Devon County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Devon County Council, Chief Executive’s Directorate, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter EX2 4QD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Caroline Merritt

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Holly Wilschere-Green

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Inspector

Helen Cushnie, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2829225 7 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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