A North Devon Residential Childcare Company

Where the children are at the very centre of every decision.

Blue Elephant Childcare Ltd was founded on 8th December 2017 by Keith and Chris Burley, who together bring over 60 years of combined experience in the residential childcare sector. Having built three successful childcare companies, they have poured their knowledge, compassion, and lifelong dedication into ensuring that Blue Elephant Childcare is their most child-centred, aspirational, and effective venture yet.

As a proudly family-run organisation, Blue Elephant is guided by the Burley family’s shared values and commitment to children’s well-being. Alongside Keith and Chris, their daughter Abi Milton serves as Operations Director, and their son Sam Burley as Finance Director- each playing a key role in driving the company’s continued growth and impact. With four family members working within the organisation, there is a genuine sense of warmth, unity, and purpose at the heart of everything Blue Elephant does.

Free from external investors and profit-driven motives, the family’s focus remains firmly on achieving the best outcomes for the children they care for. Based in the South West, Blue Elephant now operates nine homes, with additional specialist and educational projects in development. This scale allows for a strong community feel, where staff know each other personally and live out the company’s ethos across every setting.

Keith, Chris, Abi, Sam, and the wider team work tirelessly to understand and meet the evolving needs of the children in their care. They continually adapt their services, ensuring that children remain at the very centre of every decision made.

Keith often challenges his team to reflect: “How does what we do improve the care we provide for the children?”
By keeping this question at the forefront of everyone’s thinking, Blue Elephant continues to grow as a truly child-centred, family-led organisation.

Join our team

Our homes

Blue Elephant homes are all located within approximately 30 miles of our Head Office in Barnstaple - a conscious decision to ensure each home is part of a close-knit network that can support, share, and collaborate with one another. Keeping our homes in close proximity allows senior staff to visit multiple sites efficiently, strengthening oversight and connection across the organisation.

North Devon is naturally divided by the rivers Taw and Torridge, and our homes operate within these two smaller regional groups, each overseen by an Area Manager. This structure allows newer managers to be supported by experienced colleagues, ensuring consistency, guidance, and shared practice across all homes. We currently have two Area Managers who are also Responsible Individuals, with plans to recruit an additional Area Manager and Responsible Individual in the near future to ensure robust oversight as we organically expand.

Looking ahead, Blue Elephant continues to grow with purpose. A new home in Minehead, focused on fostering, is due to open at the start of 2026, and a specialist home in the Torridge area dedicated to mental health and emotional well-being is planned for later in 2026.

Although our homes operate in defined areas, the entire Blue Elephant family works together, ensuring that children, staff, and services remain closely connected and united by our shared values and love-led approach to care.

The Blue Elephant Education Engagement Hub

Alongside our residential homes, Blue Elephant operates the Education Engagement Hub — a creative and nurturing space designed to help children re-engage with learning through individualised, trauma-informed education and activity programmes. Based near our Head Office, the Hub offers tailored teaching, therapeutic activities, and life-skills development, helping each child rediscover confidence, curiosity, and a sense of achievement. Working closely with our residential teams and local schools, the Hub ensures that education is accessible, meaningful, and centred around each child’s strengths, interests, and needs. For more information, please contact info@bluelephant.org.uk

Blue Elephant Future Steps CIC

Blue Elephant Future Steps CIC is the community interest arm of the Blue Elephant family. It was created to support care-experienced young people and local communities through education, mentoring, and practical life opportunities. Future Steps runs a range of projects from the “Little Blue Bag / Ask for Nellie” period-poverty initiative starting in 2026 to community workshops, mentoring programmes, and employability support- all designed to build confidence, connection, and brighter futures.

Future Steps reflects Blue Elephant’s values beyond residential care, helping young people to thrive in education, employment, and independent living while staying connected to the supportive “herd” around them.

www.blueelephantfuturesteps.co.uk

Nellie’s Coffee Bar

Nellie’s Coffee Bar is a warm and welcoming social-enterprise café owned and operated by Blue Elephant Future Steps CIC. More than just a coffee spot, Nellie’s serves as a community hub, offering a friendly space for people to connect, relax, and take part in local initiatives and events. The café also hosts training opportunities, wellbeing sessions, and community projects.

Every cup of coffee and every conversation at Nellie’s helps to fund and sustain Future Steps’ vital community work, making it a place where care, compassion, and community truly come together.