Children's home run by East Sussex County Council in Lewes

Inspection report for children’s home: SC068179 1 SC068179 Registered provider: East Sussex County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 6 October 2025.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC068179 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2025 Full Good 18/12/2023 Full Outstanding 23/03/2023 Full Outstanding 23/06/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC068179 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good care at this home. Children have positive relationships with staff and say that they feel listened to. One child said that they were proud to have been living at the home for six years, which is testament to the sense of belonging and stability that children experience at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education settings regularly and are making progress. Staff have good relationships with education providers and advocate for the children to ensure that they receive appropriate educational support. When children are not in full-time education, staff encourage them to do meaningful activities, such as writing a CV or taking part in alternative home learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children receive guidance and care from staff to promote their physical health and emotional well-being. Staff successfully used creative play to help a child who was declining medical intervention, and they work with health professionals to ensure that the health outcomes for this child continue to improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with the people who are important to them. Staff proactively help children to maintain connections with their family and friends. For example, when one child was unable to visit a relative who was unwell, staff supported them to stay in touch through the exchange of text messages and letters.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to participate in activities such as visiting a cat café and going on holiday. These experiences enable children to have fun and to develop their individual interests. Staff develop good relationships with the people children spend time with and encourage children to enjoy positive peer relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are reflective in their approach and regularly review strategies to help children’s progress. One child found it unmanageable to sleep in their bedroom consistently for a period of several weeks. By providing reassurance and nurture, staff were effective at supporting the child back to sleeping in their bedroom. However, staff would benefit from additional training to effectively support children who present with neurodivergence.

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

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and demonstrate a good knowledge of risks affecting children, including child sexual exploitation. The training that staff receive equips them to respond skilfully and effectively to protect children.

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

The way in which staff work with other agencies and share information is a notable strength that promotes the welfare of children. Safeguarding incidents are well documented, and the manager has good oversight of incidents occurring in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068179 4 If concerns are raised about staff practice, the manager consults with the local authority designated officer and follows the advice given.

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

Staff support children when they go missing from the home and take action to locate them at the earliest opportunity. Staff collaborate with other professionals and the police if necessary to ensure that information is shared appropriately and that children return home safely. However, on an occasion when the risks were significant, staff did not follow the correct protocols, which resulted in a delay to the child receiving a necessary medical check.

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

The manager ensures that sufficient information is gathered to assess the potential risks that may arise when new children move into the home. There are comprehensive plans in place to guide staff. However, on one occasion, staff did not follow the prescribed plans, which resulted in a child’s placement ending.

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

Staff help children to develop their independence skills and to learn about risks that affect them. This involves travelling independently and safely, using public transport and completing daily tasks in the house. One child manages their food budget, and staff support them to spend this appropriately. This is helping the child to prepare for adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has left the home. A new manager is in post and they are in the process of applying to register with Ofsted. The manager has high aspirations for children and is a strong advocate for them. She listens to children’s views and escalates concerns if responses from partners are not satisfactory. This ensures that children receive the right support that meets their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed a stable and confident staff team whose members feel able to share their views. The manager diligently addresses any concerns raised by staff and helps them to reflect on what has happened. This strengthens team cohesion, ensuring that children experience stability and consistent care from familiar staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a range of systems to monitor the experiences and progress of children, which she uses to maintain a good standard of care. One child’s social worker stated that they did ‘not know of a better setting for the child’ and that ‘the home is consistently creative in their approach to caring for the child’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a staff team and management structure that provide consistency and have clear oversight. For one child, who is vulnerable to high-risk activity, the manager holds regular meetings to ensure that there is clear and robust communication with the child’s network. Staff regularly advocate for the child and demonstrate creative ways to resolve issues that promote the welfare of the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068179 5 Staff benefit from regular, child-focused supervision that helps them to support children well. The manager encourages reflective practice during team meetings and regularly consults with external agencies to support this process, enabling staff to continually develop their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068179 6

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff follow safeguarding procedures regarding children who are missing from care.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that known risks are considered and managed effectively when new children move into the home. 31 January 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to meet specific individual health needs arising from a disability, chronic condition or other complex needs, including autism. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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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: SC068179 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Sussex County Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Stephanie McDonald, Social Care Inspector Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068179 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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