Children's Home run by East Sussex County Council in East Sussex

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC031410 1 SC031410

p.1

Registered provider: East Sussex County Council

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by the local authority. It provides care for up to seven children with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since January 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, seven children were living at the home.

p.1

Inspection date: 12 February 2025

Date of last inspection: 3 December 2024

p.1

Inspection date: 12 February 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Inspection date: 12 February 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

p.1

Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC031410 2

p.1

Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

A stable staff team provides care for the children. This stability means that staff know the children well. The children seek out staff and enjoy playing games and having fun with them.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Since the last full inspection, leaders have carried out a quality of care review and submitted the report to Ofsted. They have developed their monitoring systems to strengthen oversight of the children’s care. There are clear action plans in place to improve the quality of care for the children.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff have included the children in decisions around decorating the home environment. A local artist is collaborating with the staff and children to decorate communal areas and personalise the children’s bedroom doors. The home is welcoming and homely, with the children’s photos displayed proudly in the communal areas. The children’s bedrooms are highly personalised, and children enjoy spending time in their bedrooms.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff help the children to make decisions about their care. They use visual aids to support communication with the children. For example, one child has a board to help them make decisions about how they would like their hair styled.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff work closely with specialist health services to meet the children’s complex needs. One child has a recently diagnosed swallowing difficulty. The child’s plans have been promptly updated to reflect this change in needs and minimise risks for them when they are eating and drinking. When the children are upset or hurt themselves, staff ensure that they have the support and medical attention that they need.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff are knowledgeable about the risks for the children. They are highly informed about the children’s vulnerabilities. A new deputy manager has been appointed, who is an experienced practitioner and has a wealth of understanding about the children’s complex needs.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Leaders learn from incidents. Following incidents, reflection with staff takes place, and staff seek to understand how incidents affect children and whether any lessons can be learned to improve practice. Despite this, there are still occasions when one child enters other children’s bedrooms and causes damage to their items. When this happens, staff look at what has gone wrong and learn lessons. They have made changes to practice and the environment to reduce the likelihood of incidents occurring. Although incidents are reducing between children, they are still happening. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC031410 3 Leaders identify and act on poor practice. They share concerns about staff with the local authority designated officer and the child’s social worker. Leaders carry out investigations fairly, and the organisation’s disciplinary procedures are followed if necessary. Leaders provide feedback to staff about their performance and implement

p.2

Findings from the inspection

Staff use some restrictive practices with the children. Specifically, staff lock doors to prevent children from accessing some areas of the home. Staff use this measure to safeguard the children. However, this practice has not been clearly assessed to ensure that it is suitable and proportionate, nor is it kept under regular review.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

Leaders provide staff with supervision sessions more regularly and have reviewed the appraisal system. However, these improvements are not yet fully embedded. Supervision sessions are of good quality and include feedback about practice, learning from incidents, and discussions about the children. However, staff do not use supervision to regularly discuss safeguarding themes.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

The manager has not fully submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

p.3

Findings from the inspection

The leaders have met one requirement and all the recommendations raised at the last inspection. Two requirements remain, and one new requirement has been raised for the manager to apply to register with Ofsted. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC031410 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/03/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC031410 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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)(iv)(v))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 1 March 2025

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must register with Ofsted. 24 April 2025

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 1 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC031410 6 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all restrictive practices are recorded and assessed in the children’s plans, agreed with professionals and reviewed regularly to ensure that they are still required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.42)  The registered person should ensure that staff use supervision to discuss safeguarding topics to engage them in the safeguarding culture of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC031410 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Sussex County Council

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall St Anne’s Crescent, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1UE

p.7

Inspector

Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC031410 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8