Children's Home run by West Sussex County Council in West Sussex

Inspection report for children's home: 2829975 1 Registered provider: West Sussex County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This local authority home provides short-term emergency support for children at times of crisis or significant periods of change in their lives. The home provides care for up to 2 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2026.

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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: 28 October 2025

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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: 2829975 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2829975 3

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Summary of findings

Children are happy living in this home and are making progress. Staff build strong relationships with children, respond effectively to incidents and work closely with professionals to keep children safe. Education is a priority, despite children facing difficulties in this area. Staff proactively advocate for children to ensure that they receive the right support in respect of their education. Children's health needs are met promptly, with staff communicating well with professionals and having meaningful discussions after incidents. Children enjoy taking part in activities that match their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel safe and supported in this home, even when they arrive in difficult circumstances. This is because staff welcome them warmly and help them to settle quickly. Children's moves on from the home are well planned. They are kept informed, and leaders work closely with social workers to ensure that plans stay on track. Some children keep in touch with the home after they leave, demonstrating the positive relationships they have built during their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in the short time they live in the home. Staff understand the complexities of children's needs and take time to get to know them well. This helps children to receive personalised care that is well informed. Children are supported to express their wishes and feelings and feel that their views matter, are listened to and are acted on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's health needs are well met. Staff ensure that children get the right support and advocate strongly in respect of their health needs. As a result, children promptly receive the healthcare they need from relevant professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's education is a priority in the home. Staff understand the challenges and barriers to education and work closely with professionals to ensure children receive the right support during their short time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of family connections and take practical steps to strengthen them. A social worker said that the work staff completed with one family has improved the child's relationship with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in a variety of activities that relate to their interests and hobbies, such as go karting, fishing and trips to a racetrack.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, clean and welcoming. Photos of the children are displayed in the lounge, which helps the space feel homely. However, bedrooms are not yet personalised to the children who live in them, so their interests and identities are not fully reflected. Inspection report for children's home: 2829975 4

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

The children often have complex behavioural needs that can result in frequent incidents. Staff manage these behaviours and incidents well. Weekly meetings are held with social workers to discuss risk. One social worker said that staff try to understand the reasons behind children's behaviour and incidents. Leaders and staff are praised for their creative thinking about solutions and interventions.

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

Some children have been vulnerable to types of exploitation. Staff manage incidents well and act quickly when concerns arise. Safety is prioritised, with prompt referrals and strong oversight from senior leaders. Risks are explored through discussions with children, and staff work closely with social workers and other partners to keep children safe.

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

Staff know how to respond when children go missing from the home. They respond appropriately and make efforts to support their safe return. The registered manager ensures that return home interviews are carried out and meetings with professionals are held when incidents increase. This promotes a multi-agency response.

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

Staff manage risk well, and risk assessments are in place. However, risk management plans are not consistently updated after incidents, meaning that new concerns are not always reflected. This compromises some safety planning, as staff may not always be working with the most current information regarding children's risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is respected by staff and is well supported by a stable, senior leadership team. Leaders understand the home's strengths and weaknesses and use this knowledge to guide staff and improve practice. Leaders have high standards for what children can achieve, despite their short time in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that senior leaders are present, accessible and have a good oversight of the home. They feel well supported by managers, who provide clear guidance. Staff supervisions take place frequently, giving staff regular opportunities to reflect on practice and develop their skills. Staff have regular time to reflect with a psychologist. This helps them to learn from incidents and promotes trauma-informed practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are dedicated to the children they support. There is a child-centred focus on everything they do. Staff report a strong sense of teamwork. This means children receive calm and consistent care during difficult moments and challenging periods.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders promote tolerance, equality and diversity in the home. Staff help children understand their identity in a way that feels comfortable for them. One social worker said that staff supported a child to explore their heritage at a pace that suited the child, showing the team's sensitive and thoughtful practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2829975 5 Staff and leaders work well with the professional network to promote children's needs and progress. They communicate clearly, share information and work in a coordinated way to ensure that children receive the right support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a wide range of training. However, sometimes, relevant training that is linked to children's specific needs and risks, such as child exploitation, are not always prioritised or updated by staff. These are missed opportunities to ensure that staff have the most up-to-date knowledge required to respond to children's emerging needs. Inspection report for children's home: 2829975 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children's bedrooms are personalised and decorated in line with their interests and likes. (The Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 33 paragraph 7.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, children's risk management plans should be reviewed and updated following incidents to help staff to understand each child's current levels of risk and need. (The Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 42 paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that all staff receive relevant training in respect of children's presenting needs and risks, such as child exploitation. (The Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 43 paragraph

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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: 2829975 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: West Sussex County Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1RG

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Inspector

Ben Wilson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2829975 8 regulates 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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