Children's home run by Child First Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2605554 1 Registered provider: Child First Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run home. It is registered to provide care for up to 5 children aged 8 to 18 years who may have experienced early childhood trauma. Five children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2025.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

In this report, the staff are referred to as ‘adults’, as this is the term that is used in the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2605554 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2025 Full Outstanding 30/01/2024 Full Outstanding 29/03/2023 Full Good 27/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2605554 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy nurturing relationships with the adults. Practice is built on a model that encourages affection and emotional warmth, and the children are thriving. The role modelling of senior managers and adults means that children experience positive parenting.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The adults actively involve the children in making decisions about their day-to-day care, activities, meals and other matters that affect them. They are proactive in seeking out activities in the community for the children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The adults know the children well. When necessary, they facilitate external professional provision for children, which enables them to access additional emotional support, including the use of advocates. This support informs the adults’ practice and ensures that the children have additional opportunities for their views to be heard.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The adults support the children to attend education and advocate for them to receive suitable provision if they are not attending school. When children are tutored in the home, the tutors speak highly of the support that the children receive from the adults. However, one child who is not accessing school was not engaged in meaningful activity. As a result, the recommendation from the previous inspection has been repeated.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children move into the home following a carefully considered matching process. Senior managers review the needs of the child moving in alongside the needs of the children already living in the home. This includes the consideration of potential risks and how these can be managed.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When a child’s risks increase, the adults consider all the children’s needs and identify when they can no longer manage the child’s needs alongside those children already living at the home. On one occasion when this did occur, the registered manager shared relevant information with the new home and ensured that the child had a positive, planned move.

p.3

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

The adults have a good understanding of how to manage and respond to risk. They ensure that each child has a detailed ‘keep safe’ plan that is specific to their needs. The adults are responsive to children’s risks and work with them to keep them safe. For example, they noted cumulative concerns for one child, which led to a referral to external professionals for additional intervention to keep the child safe.

p.3

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

Any physical interventions are well recorded and are reviewed by an experienced trainer, who shares learning with the adults. The trainer identifies when refresher Inspection report for children’s home: 2605554 4 training is needed and ensures that this is facilitated. The recording of interventions is in line with the home’s model of care.

p.3

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

The adults manage the relationships between children well. They continuously promote social skills to help to develop positive time together. When incidents do occur, the adults feel well supported by senior managers, who proactively help the adults to manage risky behaviours.

p.4

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

When conflicts arise, children feel able to complain. Complaints are responded to formally, ensuring that children’s concerns are heard and acted upon. Senior managers undertake restorative work by taking the children involved out for a treat together, which has been effective in repairing the children’s relationships.

p.4

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

The adults will intervene if risks emerge, for example in the children’s use of mobile devices. They collaborate with professionals to ensure that the devices are restricted to protect children, and they also educate the children with regard to more appropriate use.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and has supported the adults and children through a difficult period. Leaders and managers demonstrate a child-centred approach to the running of the home. This is complemented by the model of care used. The approach is discussed at interview and induction and is included in the adults’ training.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the adults receive regular and effective supervision. He monitors the quality of supervision meetings to ensure that these are child-centred, supportive to the adults and reflect the home’s ethos. The adults are positive about the support of the manager and the organisation.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children do make progress here. One child is now more able to self-regulate, and concerns about their behaviour and engagement have reduced. Another child has grown in confidence and is becoming more independent, enjoying doing their own shopping and cooking. Social workers are positive about the children’s experiences at the home and attribute this to the skills and commitment of the adults.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One social worker stated, ‘Over the months, I have seen the positive change in [name of child] and it really is quite amazing, the progress.’ Another social worker commented that the adults have provided the child with ‘good-quality, attuned care’. Another professional talked about the positive communication between herself and the adults.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s direct support for adults and children during a challenging time has meant that some monitoring processes have been missed. Activities such as monitoring incidents for potential escalation to bullying and updating all care plans Inspection report for children’s home: 2605554 5 have not received close attention. However, this has not impacted the overall standard of the children’s care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The system of monitoring, reviewing and evaluating progress has not informed the quality-of-care review, and this document has not been checked by the managers to ensure that all information in it is appropriate.

p.5

Statutory requirements

Inspection report for children’s home: 2605554 6 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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 31 March 2026

p.6

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(c)) 31 March 2026

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all children who are not attending a full- time education provision are engaged in suitable, structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home: 2605554 7 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: 2605554 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Child First Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2605554 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9