SC 040491

Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 1 SC040132 Registered provider: Cornwall Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to 2 children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities, including physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. The child spoke with the inspector during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since February 2026.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/08/2021 Full Inadequate 11/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 3

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Summary of findings

Staff are committed to providing care that promotes children’s wellbeing, stability and progress. Children benefit from nurturing relationships and support that help them develop a sense of belonging and permanence. Leaders and managers know the children well and work effectively with professionals and families to meet their needs. The home has been without a registered manager for a prolonged period. However, the responsible individual and deputy manager have provided consistent oversight and stability. As a result, children continue to receive individualised care and are making progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate warmth, nurture and affection in their interactions with children. They are committed to helping children feel valued and develop a strong sense of belonging. Staff understand each child’s preferred methods of communication, listen to their views and build trusting relationships. This enables children to participate fully in day-to-day life and helps them feel understood and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two young people have moved on from the home on reaching adulthood. Staff supported both young people to prepare for their transitions. Staff considered the welfare and wellbeing of both young people and responded appropriately. Following their moves, staff have continued to provide support in line with the young people’s wishes. This has helped them maintain trusted relationships and promoted positive transitions into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved into the home. Their move was well planned and progressed at a pace that met their needs. Staff spent time getting to know the child in their home, school and another care setting before they moved in. This helped the child settle in well and make a positive start to living at the home. Professionals and family members have recognised the success of the transition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children take part in a range of activities both inside and outside the home. They also support children in spending time with people who are important to them. This helps children develop their interests, maintain important relationships and enjoy positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s complex health needs are a priority for staff. Staff treat children with dignity and respect and ensure that their health needs are well understood. Children receive support from a range of local and specialist health services. Staff work effectively with health professionals to ensure that children receive the care and treatment they need. This helps to promote children’s health, wellbeing and quality of life. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 4 Children benefit from positive day-to-day routines that provide structure and consistency. Staff celebrate children’s achievements, sharing these in ways that reflect their individual communication needs. Meals are generally freshly prepared and meet children’s needs. However, on occasion, meals have not been freshly prepared and have not always provided a balanced diet that reflects children’s nutritional requirements.

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

Staff respond to children with curiosity, understanding and without judgement. They recognise each child’s vulnerabilities and understand how these can increase exposure to risk. Care planning is individualised and focuses on proactive responses to children’s needs. This helps to ensure that children receive care that promotes their safety and wellbeing. Child-centred, strengths-based risk management plans provide staff with strategies to reduce the risk of harm and support children to make safer choices.

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

Leaders and managers have strengthened the home’s approach to recording, reviewing and monitoring incidents. Physical intervention has been used when necessary to safeguard children. Following incidents, children’s views are sought and considered. Leaders and managers use this information to evaluate practice and identify changes needed to better support children. As a result, strategies have been adapted, and the number of incidents requiring physical intervention has reduced.

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

The home’s physical environment is safe and supports the child’s needs. Risk management plans are in place for any physical restrictions, and they are regularly reviewed in partnership with relevant professionals. Staff understand the purpose of these measures and implement them consistently to help keep the child safe.

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

Concerns about potential harm are shared with the appropriate agencies and are investigated promptly and fairly. Children are supported throughout investigations, and appropriate action is taken to help protect them from further harm. Outcomes are shared with relevant responsible agencies to promote effective safeguarding oversight and accountability.

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

Medication is managed and stored safely. There has been one medication error during this inspection period involving a missed dose. Staff identified the error promptly and followed the relevant protocols. Appropriate action was taken to promote the child’s wellbeing and reduce any potential adverse impact. A subsequent review identified learning, and changes have been implemented to strengthen practice and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has been without a registered manager for more than 26 weeks. Leaders have taken steps to recruit to the post; however, these efforts have not yet resulted in the appointment of a registered manager. In the interim, effective management oversight is in place and supports the day-to-day running of the home. Staff describe a positive culture and report feeling well supported in their roles. They speak positively Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 5 about recent management arrangements and demonstrate increased confidence in the leadership of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers monitor the quality of care through audits, regular oversight of practice and staff supervision. Their visible presence in the home helps them to understand children’s experiences and provide support to staff. However, systems for reviewing the quality of care have not been effective. Reviews have not always been carried out in a timely manner or in accordance with regulatory requirements. This limits leaders’ ability to consistently evaluate the quality of care and identify areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children’s plans are generally comprehensive, strengths based and understood by staff, who use them to inform day-to-day care. However, some shortfalls in recording have resulted in inconsistencies across a small number of records. In addition, some records do not sufficiently support leaders and managers to monitor practice and evaluate the quality of care. This reduces management oversight and limits the ability to identify and address emerging issues promptly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have used agency staff during this inspection period. This decision was notified to Ofsted and was made in response to the needs of the child living at the home. Agency staff received supervision; however, this was delivered in small groups rather than on an individual basis. While leaders recognised the reasons for this approach, the quality of supervision did not reflect the standard provided to permanent staff. As a result, there were limited opportunities for agency staff to raise individual concerns or reflect on their practice in a confidential setting. Agency staff have not worked at the home since April 2026.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is now staffed by a permanent staff team. Staff receive regular supervision, and records demonstrate effective reflection and oversight of practice. Leaders and managers recognise the emotional demands of the work and provide appropriate support to staff. This has included additional training and development opportunities following particularly demanding periods of work. As a result, staff are supported to reflect on their practice, develop their skills and build their resilience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have developed strong multi-agency partnerships. They work effectively with social care professionals, health services and parents to ensure that children’s needs are understood and responded to. These positive working relationships promote effective communication, coordinated planning and decision-making. As a result, children receive consistent support that helps them make progress and achieve positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Training and induction arrangements are effective. Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive training that reflects the individual needs of the children living at the home and equips them with the skills and knowledge required to meet those needs. Staff have also received bespoke training to support them in providing specialist care. This helps staff to respond confidently and consistently to children’s needs and promotes positive outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 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 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records are maintained consistently to enable leaders and managers to effectively monitor children’s experiences, progress and the quality of care provided. In addition, the registered person must ensure that staff have access to up-to-date, accurate and concise plans and records to inform their practice. 21 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— 18 February 2027 Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 7 the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that reviews of the quality of care include the views, wishes and feedback of children, people living at the home and other relevant stakeholders. In addition, the registered person must ensure that these reviews are carried out at least once every 6 months and that a copy of the report is sent to Ofsted within 28 days of completion.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with nutritious meals that meet their individual dietary, health and nutritional needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.8) Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 8

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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: SC040132 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AY

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Inspector

Hannah Spencer-Townesend, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC040132 10 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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