Children's Home run by Brighton and Hove City Council in Brighton and Hove

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 1 SC044880 Registered provider: Brighton and Hove City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides short breaks and longer-term care for children aged between eight and 18. According to its statement of purpose, the children have severe or moderate levels of learning disabilities, as defined in their education, health and care plans.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was staying at the home for short breaks. One young person and one adult live long term in accommodation separate to that used for short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2013.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 8 April 2025. Subsequently, a compliance notice was issued in relation to the poor state of the accommodation for a young adult living in one of the flats and matters not addressed in relation to fire safety. This monitoring inspection was undertaken to look at the progress made in response to the compliance notice and the requirements made at the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have met two of the seven requirements made at the last inspection. Action has been taken to address the shortfalls outlined in the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

At the last inspection, the living conditions for one young adult that lived in a separate accommodation were unsafe. Leaders made some improvements to the flat and the young adult has since moved on to suitable accommodation for their age. The accommodation is currently vacant, and leaders and managers have plans in place to refurbish the flat to be safe and suitable accommodation. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 2 Management arrangements have improved. An additional manager is now in post. However, the registered manager remains off work. Leaders are taking steps to ensure that the interim manager applies to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Staff shared that managers and leaders are now present and available to support them. Staff are feeling listened to and say managers act when concerns are raised. Interim managers meet weekly with senior staff members to discuss and address any team concerns. As a result, staff morale is improving and there is an improved confidence in leaders and managers.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, staffing arrangements have improved. Managers plan rotas weekly with senior staff members to ensure there is sufficient staff in place to meet the needs of the children using the service. When agency staff are used, they are staff that come to the home regularly and know the children well. Leaders and managers have recruited additional staff, subject to employment checks, and continue to advertise for the remaining posts to ensure consistency of support and care offered to children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made some improvements to the recording of safeguarding investigations. These are now recorded electronically, where all managers can access information to ensure transparency and consistency in practice between managers. Leaders shared that the plan going forward is for all handwritten records to be recorded electronically.

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This monitoring visit

Staff were attuned to the children’s needs, and children were seen to be happy and enjoying spending time with staff.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, risk assessments for children are being updated in line with the changing needs of children and following any incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision for interim managers is taking place regularly. The responsible individual has been providing additional supervisions to the interim managers to provide additional support as they settle into their new roles.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, staff supervisions have not occurred in line with the organisation’s policy. Interim managers had planned to carry out initial supervisions following the inspection, but this was unsuccessful. Sessions were not scheduled in collaboration with staff, which affected staff’s ability to attend.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight remains an area of improvement. Incidents recorded for children lack oversight from managers to ensure that staff practice is safe and provide guidance and support when needed. Consequently, this could leave safeguarding concerns unaddressed.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s views and wishes are not being sought regularly on decisions about the home and following incidents. Leaders and managers acknowledge that this Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 3 continues to be an area of improvement. They have a plan in place to address this. However, this is yet to be implemented.

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This monitoring visit

The review of the quality of care remains an area of improvement. The reports of these reviews have been completed and shared with Ofsted, but lacked detail. They did not identify any actions for the home to develop the service and did not cover key areas that are relevant to the care of children. Leaders acknowledge this, so have made changes on how the review is completed in future, to ensure that key relevant areas are reflected in the report.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the statement of purpose was updated and shared with Ofsted to reflect management changes, children living at the home and staff working at the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/04/2025 Full Inadequate 16/04/2024 Full Good 16/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 5

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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 with 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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 20 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 6 The leadership and management standard

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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 (2)(a)(b)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is sufficient management capacity to provide oversight of the day-to-day care and safeguarding practice. 6 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

Leadership and management, supervisions and appraisal

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 2 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 7 In particular, ensure that staff and managers receive regular supervision and annual appraisals.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 30 May 2025

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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. 6 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 8 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.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (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: SC044880 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brighton and Hove City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Brighton & Hove City Council, Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove BN3 3BQ

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Inspector

Chido Mangava, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC044880 10 and inspects 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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