Children's Home run by Cranmead Limited in East Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 1 Registered provider: Cranmead 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

The home registered in November 2024 and is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 3 children who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager position has been vacant since 1 December 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Serious and widespread concerns were noted on an assurance visit in March 2026. Following this visit, compliance notices were issued in relation to Regulation 12 and Regulation 13. These notices were deemed to have been met at a monitoring visit which took place in May 2026. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 2 However, due to concerns identified in this full inspection, a notice has been served restricting accommodation at the home, and 3 compliance notices have been served under Regulation 12, Regulation 13 and Regulation 27. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 4

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Summary of findings

The home is graded as inadequate primarily due to shortfalls in the oversight of leaders and managers. The provider has been unable to maintain improvements made at the previous visit and has not maintained effective systems to oversee and ensure robust responses to allegations and effective oversight of safeguarding practice and the use of physical interventions in the home.

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Summary of findings

Systems implemented have not been effective in driving and maintaining improvement, and as a result, requirements have been restated and compliance notices reissued. Leaders and managers have been unable to ensure that the home has a registered manager, and the person covering the interim role has failed to apply for registration. This interim manager has submitted their resignation and intends to leave. A suitable manager has not yet been employed, and as such, management arrangements continue to lack stability.

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inadequate

Senior leaders have made the decision to place a child in the home despite ongoing issues in the stability of leadership. They have failed to consider the impact this could have on the staff team and the consistency of care offered to children. Leaders and managers have improved systems for assessing the needs of children moving into the home to assure themselves that staff have the skills to care for children. However, leaders and managers have not fully considered if they have capacity to offer consistency in oversight and support that children will need to stay safe and make progress.

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inadequate

Children are supported to engage with relevant health services. They are supported to attend routine appointments and are up to date with all necessary health checks. The home has liaised with relevant professionals to source training and to develop healthcare plans when children have specialist health needs. As such, there is now clear guidance for staff to safely respond to health emergencies. However, on 2 occasions, when a child has shared they were hurt as a result of interventions, staff have not taken appropriate action to ensure that the child was supported to access medical support.

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inadequate

Poor understanding of the difference between a complaint and allegation has resulted in delayed actions from staff. Complaints from children are not appropriately recorded or investigated, and it remains unclear what actions have been taken in response to concerns raised by children. Children have not received feedback on the action taken as a result of complaints they have made, and as such, they have not received guidance on how to escalate their concern if they do not feel satisfied with the response. In addition, one child did not receive timely support to access Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 5 advocacy when this was requested. As a result, it is unclear if children can appropriately and independently escalate concerns about their care and the support they receive.

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inadequate

Children have fun, and they are supported to access positive activities in the home, local community and further afield. Staff select activities and opportunities in line with the skills children need to develop and with their interests. One child has been supported to go on holiday abroad; they had their first experience of flying on an aeroplane, and staff supported them to learn about the different culture by attending festivals and trying new foods.

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inadequate

Children are supported to spend time with people they identify as important. Staff work closely with children, their families and professionals to create clear plans to support children to have positive experiences with family and friends. Staff have built positive relationships with children’s families and friends, and as a result, there is a joined-up approach to keeping children safe when they are away from the home. Children are supported to have age-appropriate social experiences, such as sleepovers and dinners with friends.

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

A lack of consistent management oversight has resulted in a lack of effective monitoring of safeguarding and incidents in the home. Leaders and managers have been unable to implement suitable systems to maintain oversight of restraints, allegations and safeguarding responses. Shortfalls in recording and reviewing practices have meant that managers have not identified gaps and shortfalls in the management of allegations and when staff practice has not aligned with their expected standards and training.

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

Staff have used physical intervention techniques they have not been trained in. phyiscal interventions have been used when staff have not received the necessary guidance and training to use these techniques safely. Leaders have failed to identify when information is missing from records of physical interventions and have not ensured that staff and children have been spoken to following incidents within suitable timescales. As a result of poor or incomplete reviews, leaders and managers have failed to identify when practice does not align with their behaviour management policy and have not taken effective action to ensure that staff receive suitable training or guidance or reflect and learn from incidents.

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

Managers have not ensured that allegations are managed in a way that ensures safe practice. When the child has raised allegations during incidents, including incidents where injuries have been noted, staff and managers have failed to appropriately follow up on concerns with the child’s social worker and the local authority designated officer (LADO). Suitable investigations have not taken place to fully understand the child’s concerns or to identify any learning to inform practice development. This places children at risk of harm because their concerns are not acted on. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 6 On the occasions that concerns and incidents are being shared with professionals, such as the LADO or child’s social worker, they have not shared full and factual information or ensured that attention is drawn to areas where their external oversight is required to ensure safe care for children.

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

Children are getting support in some areas to keep themselves safer. Managers have ensured that staff have received suitable training in responding to risks in relation to exploitation. This has included face-to-face training on understanding online harm and signs of exploitation. There have been no missing-from-home incidents. One child has shared they are receiving support to navigate friendships and risks in the community and that they feel more empowered to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff skilfully use a range of techniques to help children learn to name their feelings. Staff are balanced in helping children to talk through their feelings and are helping them to develop the emotional literacy to recognise and share how they feel. Staff are starting to help children reflect on incidents and consider what they could do differently, helping children to take accountability for their individual actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders have failed to appoint a registered manager or ensure that the interim manager submitted suitable applications to register within the required timescale. As such, the home remains without a registered manager and there continues to be instability in the ongoing management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders have failed to identify and respond appropriately to shortfalls in relation to safeguarding practice. There continue to be concerns in relation to the capacity of leaders to focus their attention on core safeguarding practice in order to provide the oversight needed to ensure that children receive safe care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders have made decisions that place additional pressure on the home without sufficient consideration of the impact on staff and children. Despite reservations from the interim manager and unclear ongoing management arrangements, senior leaders decided to admit a further child. They have failed to consider the impact on children living at and moving into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision, induction and probation practices continue to fall outside of organisational timescales. The requirement is being repeated in this area for a third time. Improvements have not been made to induction processes for new staff, and as a result, they are not consistently being used. The interim manager has not received adequate induction or probationary support since commencing their employment. They have been required to offer supervision, induction and probation to staff without receiving support or training to do so. This has hindered their effectiveness in driving improvement and monitoring individual practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 7

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(iii)(vi)(vii)(b)) 30 August 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— 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 8 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

*The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 30 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii); 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 9 ensure that each child—

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child's arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vii)(b)(i)(iii)(d)(iii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 30 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 10 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(b) (3)(a)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2797976 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 117 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2AF

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Inspector

Georgia Carty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2797976 12 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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