Children's home run by Child First Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2818647 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Child First Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to 5 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were 4 children living at the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Children refer to staff caring for them as adults, so they are referred to as such throughout this report.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 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

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: 2818647 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy living at the home. The environment is warm and welcoming. The home has a family feel, and children are comfortable in their surroundings. The downstairs communal area is an open plan setting, with creative relaxing spaces for adults and children throughout, which include comfortable sofas with resources available such as games and activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child told their advocate that there is nothing they would change about where they live, and they are happier since their move to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults interact warmly with children, who enjoy a wide range of activities and social experiences. Adults record these experiences through photos, which are proudly displayed in the communal spaces throughout the home, therefore contributing to the child’s sense of belonging and care offered to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager advocates for the children, including supporting their education planning. The manager challenges professionals to ensure that education plans are a priority and demonstrates a clear aspiration for one child to return to education as soon as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles and benefit from a healthy, varied diet. Children are supported to attend health appointments and services that can help meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are listened to and acted upon, with opportunities for discussions in children’s meetings and catch-up sessions with adults, therefore ensuring that children’s voices are heard when planning activities or developments within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move on from the home have continued support from adults, which provides a stepping stone to independence and ensures that the child has both practical and emotional support during this period of transition. This is a positive approach, which is a strength of the home.

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

Children can identify a trusted adult they can talk to about any concerns. They say that adults listen to them, take their concerns seriously and respond appropriately.

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

When children go missing from home, they experience a well-coordinated response from the adults. The adults work with the police and others in the children’s networks to locate them and ensure their safe return. Adults work efficiently with placing authorities to ensure that children are offered an opportunity to speak to someone independent about their time away from the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818647 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

Physical intervention has only been used once since the home opened. The manager and adults have developed a culture in which children do not expect to be restrained. Adults know the children well. They use their relationships with them to better understand the challenges the children face and provide a more personalised and supportive response in crisis situations.

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

The manager and adults create a positive culture of managing the behaviours of the children. The home’s ethos does not support the use of consequences. However, this is not consistent with the home’s statement of purpose.

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

Adults are recruited to the home safely. The manager has good oversight of the recruitment checks completed, which are undertaken in a timely way. This helps ensure, as far as possible, that children are cared for by safe people.

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

The manager ensures that regular health and safety checks are completed to maintain a safe environment. Action is taken promptly to address risks in the home that are identified. The location risk assessment is comprehensive, with external support services information included in the local area. This means that the adults have a good understanding of local risks in the community as well as supporting organisations that they can connect with.

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

Adults have a good understanding of risk and work well together to manage these risks. However, risk assessments do not always reflect current risks for the children and up-to- date safety planning. This has not impacted on children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is ambitious and committed to providing a home where the children can develop and flourish in a nurturing environment. He is visible in the home and leads by example. He knows the strengths and areas of development and feels well supported by a strong leadership team within the organisation. This is an integral part of the home and its success.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the adults deliver high-quality care for the children and works closely with the team to support this through regular team meetings, reflection and supervision discussions, which encourages consistent learning and opportunities to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults have a wide range of training which is relevant to the children’s needs. When new or emerging needs are identified for the children, training is implemented to help the adults have the skills and understanding to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults say that they feel supported and benefit from high-quality professional supervision. This has helped managers to identify how they can better help adults to support children, for example exploring the ethos within the home and language used. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818647 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has thought carefully about moving children into the home following registration, recognising the importance of transition and change for children and the adults who are caring for them. However, one child’s essential documents for supporting their placement were not in place, resulting in consent not being held for them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818647 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 care planning standard requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (2)(c)) In particular, ensure that any child accommodated under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 has signed consent and delegated authority from the person with parental responsibility on file so that it is clear within care planning what permissions have been provided for the child’s care. 17 December 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for leading a team which provides high-quality care for all children living in the home. They must lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. In particular, the registered person should ensure that the home’s policy on the use of consequences is clear. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure that assessments in relation to each child’s needs and any relevant plans are reflective of current risk which informs a detailed safety plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2)

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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: 2818647 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Child First Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 62 The Street, Rustington, Littlehampton BN16 3NR

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Inspectors

Maria Calway-Kennedy, Social Care Inspector Faye McCarthy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2818647 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspectors

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

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

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