Children's home run by Rubicon Children and Family Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2824001 1 Registered provider: Rubicon Children and Family Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there was one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager were both registered in May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection since the home was registered.

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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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2824001 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s presence is very evident in this home, with photographs, drawings, toys and games throughout. The house is well maintained and feels like the child’s home. The manager has been creative in finding alternative approaches to ensure that it remains this way. For example, following damage to televisions, a projector has been sourced to support the child to continue to enjoy much-loved movie nights.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The use of visual aids and prompts supports the child to understand routines and expectations and minimises any related anxieties. The child’s likes and interests have been incorporated into these where possible. The use of personalised bedtime stories has directly improved nighttime routines and settling.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is being supported to access the wider community and is developing relationships with peers who live locally. Staff are encouraging their engagement in a range of activities, which is supporting the development of social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have formed positive working relationships with school staff, and the child’s engagement and attendance with education are positive. Staff are also providing educational activities in the home to further support learning and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager is working with the placing authority to re-establish currently estranged relationships with people who are important to the child. Other key relationships are promoted and encouraged, and the child spoke positively to the inspector about time spent with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consistent approaches by a stable staff group are in accordance with the home’s model of care and statement of purpose. Additional therapeutic input and provider-led assessments have strengthened this further. As a result, professionals report that positive progress is evident in the short time that the child has lived in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s views, wishes and feelings are captured in a natural and non-intrusive way and are evident in all aspects of their care and the environment. Access to independent advocacy is supported and promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions into this home are well thought out and well executed. The manager demonstrates effective information-gathering and communication when considering new children coming to live in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s guide was developed with the support of children from the wider organisation and has recently been reviewed. It is child friendly; however, it omits some required information, such as how children can make a complaint. Inspection report for children’s home: 2824001 3

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

The manager and staff know the child well. They understand any potential risks and how to manage these effectively.

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

There has been a high level of physical intervention since the child came to live in the home. All staff are trained in safeguarding and in the home’s model of de-escalation and physical intervention. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep the child safe. Records are detailed and there is clear evidence of debriefs taking place with both staff and the child. The manager has clear oversight of any incidents and shares these appropriately with the child’s social worker. The child’s independent reviewing officer said, ‘Always looking for the least restrictive measure of managing behaviour is a credit to the home.’

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

There have been a significant number of allegations made. These are all documented and shared with the child’s social worker under an agreed safety plan. However, there have been some delays in responses due to the high number of allegations. Not all allegations have been shared with the local authority designated officer or the regulator, which limits external scrutiny of practice. Despite these shortfalls, there is no evidence of any negative impact on the child. When this was identified, the manager made immediate efforts to address and tighten the home’s practices around managing allegations.

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

The complaint that has been made remains open and active; there has been some delay in the management of this. The child has not been kept updated with any progress or outcome. This has the potential to impact on trust building and does not demonstrate a learning culture.

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

Safer recruitment practice is generally well managed. However, some inconsistencies in recording practices were noted, and on two occasions it was not clearly documented that hard copy Disclosure and Barring Service certificates had been seen.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is embedding her vision for the home, with a focus on child-centred practice that is supported by a strong and stable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are mostly still in their probationary periods. The manager has recognised and addressed their need for professional development and emotional support to enable the delivery of effective care. Training is maintained, and staff are receiving effective and regular supervision to support this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are highly complimentary regarding the support available to them and they describe an available and approachable senior management team. One member of staff said, ‘The support from management and the strong teamwork across the staff make a huge difference.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2824001 4 Professionals report that the manager is keen to engage with the wider professional network to know and understand the child, and that open and transparent information- sharing has supported positive working relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has monitoring tools in place to oversee the home. These have been maintained but other pressures have impacted on the quality of this oversight at times. Work to strengthen the management team to address this is being carried out.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current workforce development plan is out of date and contains some factually inaccurate information. Inspection report for children’s home: 2824001 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 1 December 2025

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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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 1 December 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure and how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should have a workforce plan that can fulfil the workforce- related requirements of regulation 16 Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the necessary management and staffing structure, the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure

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Recommendations

that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2824001 6

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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: 2824001 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rubicon Children and Family Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Clarke Brownscombe, 2 St Andrews Place, Southover Road, Lewes BN7 1UP

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Inspector

Cassie Martin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2824001 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 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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