Children's Home run by Devon County Council in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 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. It provides care for up to 3 children who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Two of the children did not wish to be involved with the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager registered with Ofsted in April 2026; however, they were not available for the inspection due to illness. The inspection was supported by the responsible individual and a manager from another local authority home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2025 Full Good 02/07/2024 Full Good 11/07/2023 Full Good 28/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 3

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Summary of findings

Risks to children are not consistently identified or managed effectively. This places children at risk of harm. Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have the skills and experience to support children effectively. Staff training is insufficient given the complex needs of different children living together. Staff have not been able to keep one child safe, and they do not know the extent of the risks posed to this child in the community. Leaders and managers are determined to provide homes for children with complex needs and provide stability for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s experiences of living in this home are mixed. Children appeared comfortable around staff. Some warm interactions between staff and children were observed. Some children are in the process of building relationships with the staff, despite one of those children having lived at the home for over 18 months. Leaders and managers have a limited understanding of the children’s identities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers and staff have differing views about children’s needs, resulting in children receiving inconsistent responses from them. Leaders and managers provide limited guidance to staff on how to support children in having healthier routines and engaging in enjoyable activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s health needs are not fully understood. Staff are not supporting all children effectively to have healthy sleep routines. This is affecting one child’s health as they are not consistently taking their medication. Staff are not supporting all the children to have good hygiene habits and routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child is in education and studying for GCSEs, and another has a learning mentor. Staff do not support the 2 children who are not in formal education to engage in informal learning. Children’s progress is variable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children play games with staff and go out to shops, concerts and the cinema. One child chooses to stay close to home, and staff have focused on their interest in gardening. Children’s experiences are captured well in monthly reports, which are shared with children. However, there are long periods when children are in their bedrooms with very little interaction, and they have access to their mobile phones with staff having limited knowledge of what they are doing. There are few proactive strategies being used by staff to engage all children. Managers have limited oversight and do not guide staff on how to tackle this or clarify what should be provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The layout of the home makes it difficult to understand how a nurturing environment is being created. One child is cared for separately from the other children, in line with their needs. There are limited opportunities for all the children to spend time together. There Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 4 is a stark contrast between the 2 sides of the home, with one side appearing particularly minimal. Repairs have not been addressed in a timely way, with some damage evident and bare rooms. There is very little in the home to reflect that the children live there.

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

Staff have a basic level of understanding of the risks to children. Limited training is provided to staff to enable them to manage risks. Staff are signposted to resources but are not adequately trained.

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

There is no safety plan for how one child can be safe when spending time in the community. There have been occasions when another child who does not live at the home has entered the home unnoticed by staff. Strategies for managing risks and de- escalating situations are not effective. Little curiosity is shown about who children are spending time with. Staff are unclear about children’s relationships, including whether one child is in a relationship. Although staff make efforts to speak with children, opportunities to gather important information to keep children safe have sometimes been missed.

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

Restraint has not been used. However, police have been called on occasions to manage situations. Staff lack the confidence and skill to manage difficult situations. Learning from these incidents is not consistently taken and shared with the staff team.

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

There has been a reduction in missing-from-home episodes for one child from their starting point. When children go missing from the home, information is shared with professionals and family members quickly. Staff provided inconsistent responses to the inspector about how long they should search for children and how long they should wait before reporting children missing.

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

Concerns about staff practice are taken seriously when they are reported. At times, staff have not felt able to report concerns. Some were unsure how to escalate concerns higher than their immediate line manager. When concerns are raised, they are taken seriously, and appropriate processes are initiated.

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

Restrictions have been implemented to keep children safe; however, these measures have not been effective. A broken window lock and the limited furniture on one side of the home indicate that items have been removed. This does not support children’s development or provide them with alternative strategies for managing their difficulties.

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

Good relationships have been established with local authorities. At times, there have been delays in information-sharing, which have led to children being at risk. Not all incidents have been notified to Ofsted. On 2 occasions, a child broke into a safe or medication cabinet and took some of the contents. Staff could not prevent this. Appropriate medical advice was sought, and children were not harmed as a result. Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 5 There have been errors made in records relating to medication; however, these have not resulted in harm to children. One child’s poor sleep routine means that, on occasion, they are unable to take their medication because they wake up too late. Leaders and managers are seeking a review of the child’s medication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is currently absent from the home. The inspection was fully supported by the responsible individual and another registered manager. Since the last inspection, the home has experienced a challenging period, with changes in management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

At times, the balance of staffing has been more agency than employed staff. On a regular basis, agency staff make up over half the workforce. Leaders and managers strive to use the same agency staff, with some having worked at the home for several years and knowing these children well. There are only 2 current members of permanent staff with a relevant level 3 qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are not adequately reviewing standards of care and the experiences of children. Many audits take place, but there is little understanding of what life is like for children living at the home. Nobody monitors the time children spend in bed or how often they go to bed in the early hours. There is no review of how many hours 2 of the children spend in their bedroom.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Regular multi-agency meetings take place for one child. The meetings do not result in clear plans of action. This means that there is no clear direction for staff in terms of the plans to extend any progress made. It is not clear how advice from external professionals directly feeds into children’s plans. Furthermore, staff do not know how this guidance should be put into place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Limited training has been provided to ensure that staff have the skills required to meet children’s needs. Decisions about children moving into the home have not consistently demonstrated careful consideration of how the complex needs of the children already living in the home will be met alongside those of a child moving in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from external professionals and a parent is largely positive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, risk management plans must include clear actions for staff to take to reduce all known risks, especially in relation to missing from home, exploitation and substance misuse.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, staff must understand how to manage children’s safety online.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that staff have the necessary skills and training to understand risks and are able to keep children safe. 14 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 7 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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, clear systems must be in place to oversee children’s care and understand their needs. Plans for staff should detail what they need to do each day to support and encourage children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and experience to meet children’s needs and overcome barriers to their care. Leaders and managers must provide consistent and sufficient support to staff to promote good-quality and safe care for children.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, as specified in the guide to children’s homes regulations 2015 no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, day or night, should be from an external agency. 14 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 14 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 8 the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff provide children with appropriate care to meet their health needs. This includes supporting children to maintain healthy and hygienic routines and ensuring that their bedrooms are clean.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 14 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 9 Children who are not in education must be provided with opportunities for informal learning.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 14 August 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. Any damage to the home should be promptly repaired. There should be a homely feel throughout all areas of the home. (‘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: 2529648 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Devon County Council

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Caroline Merritt

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Inspectors

Nickie Doney, Social Care Inspector Karen O’Neill, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2529648 11 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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