Children's Home run by Leighview Children's Care Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report for children’s home: 2823748 1 Registered provider: Leighview Children’s Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2823748 2

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improvement to be good

One child has moved in and out of the home since the home registered in July 2025. There were no children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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improvement to be good

The manager did not adequately assess the child’s needs before they moved into the home. After they moved in, there were delays in providing staff with support to develop their skills to respond to some of the child’s emerging needs. This resulted in the child moving out of the home after some significant incidents. One professional said, ‘There was a lack of staff experience and skills to meet the child’s needs.’

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improvement to be good

Staff tried to engage the child in activities and hobbies they enjoyed. This went well to begin with, but staff were unable to keep them engaged. Staff also made efforts to engage the child in education. However, this was not effective. The child had multiple missing-from-home incidents and began to spend more time away from the home. This prevented staff from building positive relationships.

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improvement to be good

The home is nicely decorated and has a homely feel. Repairs to the home are made in a timely manner. This helps to create a nurturing environment.

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improvement to be good

The child had individual care plans and risk assessments in place. However, they were not reviewed or updated following incidents. This means staff were not provided with accurate up-to-date guidance to care for and safeguard the child. The manager did not ensure that staff had the child’s most up-to-date local authority plans either.

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improvement to be good

When the child was missing from the home, staff followed the missing-from-home protocol. However, independent return-home interviews were not always offered, and, when they did take place, leaders and managers did not review the records. This means opportunities to understand why the child was going missing may have been missed.

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improvement to be good

On two occasions, leaders and managers did not notify Ofsted of an allegation made by a child against a member of staff working at the home. Leaders and managers took action to safeguard the child and did report it to the local authority designated officer. However, failure to notify Ofsted reduces Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home effectively.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment checks are not always adhered to. Some staff working at the home did not have appropriate pre-employment checks carried out before they started working at the home. This means children are at risk of having unsuitable people working at the home and caring for them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2823748 3 The children’s guide is child-friendly and gives children a sense of what it is like living at the home. The guide also contains details of who children can speak to if they are worried or if they need support outside of the home. Staff go through this with children when they first move in to ensure that they understand the external agencies that are available to them.

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improvement to be good

There have been no physical interventions or complaints.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025. She has submitted an application to cancel her registration. The manager was present during this inspection, supported by the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is currently managing two homes. This has resulted in reduced oversight and monitoring of this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The independent visitor does not visit the home monthly as required. Since the home registered in July 2025, the visitor only visited the home on one occasion. This was in September 2025. Leaders and managers acknowledged this and said it was a gap in their oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from professionals highlighted shortfalls in communication and consistency among the staff. One professional said, ‘There are often delays in receiving reports and being notified when missing incidents have occurred.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff, including the manager, do not receive regular supervision sessions. Supervision records lack detail and reflection on practice. During a supervision, one staff member asked for further training to support their development. However, there was no follow-up discussion or action. This means opportunities are missed to support staff and their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff benefit from regular team meetings. These sessions are reflective and child focused. Staff complete the organisation’s mandatory training. Some staff hold a relevant level 3 qualification, and those who are not qualified are working towards completing their qualification. Staff spoke positively about the home and about the leaders and managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2823748 4

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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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s risk assessments are kept up to date to provide staff with accurate guidance to help them keep children safe. 12 January 2026

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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—

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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

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; 12 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2823748 5 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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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)) 12 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 12 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI; 12 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2823748 6 upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Information provided by such interviews should be considered when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should seek to involve the placing authority that places a looked-after child in the home, which in practice means working primarily with their statutory social worker. In particular, they should ensure that they obtain updated care plans from the local authority after a children’s care review meeting has taken place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11,

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Recommendations

paragraph 2.5)  The registered person should ensure that, as set out in regulations 31-33, they are responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. In particular, they should ensure that any gaps in staff employment history are explained and scrutinised. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 13.1, paragraph 61)

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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: 2823748 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Leighview Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 23a Orsett Road, Grays RM17 5DS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sibangani Mswelanto

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Inspector

Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2823748 8 regulates 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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Inspector

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