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

Inspection report children's home: 2823258 1 Registered provider: Leighview Children's Care 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 run home offers care for up to 3 children with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children's home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children's home

Leaders and managers have submitted a variation request to Ofsted to amend the home's conditions of registration.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager left in January 2026 the current manager was appointed in March 2026.

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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: 11, 12, 13 and 24 November 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: The home was inspected in November 2025, with a judgement of inadequate. A compliance notice was served under Regulation 13 of The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015. A restriction of accommodation notice was also served at that time. A monitoring visit was undertaken in January 2026 to review the progress made to meet the compliance notice and the restriction of Inspection report children's home: 2823258 2 accommodation set following the full inspection. At this monitoring visit, the home had met the steps in the compliance notice and the home was compliant with the restriction of accommodation notice, which was lifted at that time. Inspection report children's home: 2823258 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/11/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report children's home: 2823258 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, no children have moved in or out of the home. One child was living at the home. During the inspection, the inspector was not able to directly gather the child's views due to their complex needs. Instead, the inspector undertook short observations.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child's cultural needs by using a prayer timetable that outlines the time and type of prayer. However, this activity is not consistently recorded in the daily logs. As a result, the child's cultural routines are not fully captured and the daily records do not reflect the child's lived experience.

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improvement to be good

Steady progress has been made since the child moved into the home. Incidents have reduced, and professionals report that the child is presenting as calmer and showing positive development. These changes are encouraging. Further work is needed to ensure that the progression is maintained through consistent daily practice.

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improvement to be good

The child benefits from warm and respectful day-to-day interactions with staff. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the child's individual needs and use alternative communication methods to gather the child's wishes and feelings. This approach helps the child to feel valued and understood.

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improvement to be good

Security in the home does not always support the safety of the children from avoidable risks. Staff do not always follow safe working practices, and weaknesses in day-to-day routines compromise children's safety. Medicine keys have been left inside the medicine cupboard in an office that was not locked, and hazardous materials have been stored in areas that were not secure. This means that children could have access to dangerous substances, placing them at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and behaviour charts are regularly updated and generally clear. However, it is not evident that all staff have read and understood the most recent changes. As a result, staff are not consistently aware of the current risks and management of behaviour management strategies.

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improvement to be good

Incidents are generally well recorded and responded to. However, it is not always clear where incidents are documented as staff use a range of different forms. This makes it difficult to review information, limiting the ability to build an accurate picture of the child's experiences. Inspection report children's home: 2823258 5 Staff have received a wide range of training and use visual aids and other communication methods to ensure that children's views are understood. This helps children to develop positive relationships with staff and allows them to make meaningful choices about their care and experiences.

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

There has been instability in the leadership and management of the home. The previous registered manager left in January 2026. The new manager was appointed in March 2026 and plans to submit an application to Ofsted.

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

Leaders and managers have not yet established a consistent culture within the home. It is too soon to see sustained improvement in the quality of care provided to the children.

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

The new manager has high expectations for the service. She talks with pride of the achievements the child has made. She has started to make some necessary changes. However, these changes have not yet been embedded into practice.

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

Staff report that managers are available, supportive and provide clear direction and nurture. Staff receive regular, good-quality supervision sessions and team meetings are child focused and support development. Staff spoke positively about the new manager and said, 'Since taking on the role, she has been highly supportive, approachable and effective in her leadership.' Inspection report children's home: 2823258 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

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.

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that monitoring systems are in place to provide oversight and that staff understand and implement children’s plans. 4 May 2026

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 18 March 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2823258 7 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all hazards are safely secured in a locked place and that children do not have access to hazards substances.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children's case records are kept up to date and stored securely while they remain in the home. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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 children's home: 2823258 8

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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

Sallie Bloomfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2823258 9 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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