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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC031410 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC031410 Registered Provider: East Sussex County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to 7 children with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities. At the time of this inspection, 7 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 30 October 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged ‘requires improvement to be good’ at the last full inspection on 21 April 2026. Following that inspection, an assurance visit took place on 27 May 2026, due to concerns about the number of medication errors being notified to Ofsted. At this visit, serious and widespread concerns were identified, resulting in a compliance notice being issued in relation to the management of medication.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was carried out at the home on 7 July 2026. Although progress was identified at this visit, leaders had not had time to fully implement and assess the effectiveness of the changes made to medication administration. Consequently, the compliance notice was reissued. The purpose of the visit was to consider the response to the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have been proactive in ensuring that medication procedures are suitable, safe and appropriately recorded. They have worked with external professionals, such as nurses, to update systems for administering medication and to develop a best- practice model. Staff demonstrate competence and confidence with this, and as a result, no medication errors have occurred since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have ensured that changes to the medication system have been kept under constant review. Through weekly audits and daily handovers, leaders have changed practical aspects of the medication management system to ensure it is safer and more effective. This includes the introduction of a daily auditing round, which is Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC031410 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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This monitoring visit

completed by a member of staff who is not directly involved in the administration of medication. This helps to reduce the risk of mistakes and enables any errors to be identified promptly.

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This monitoring visit

Staff talk positively about the impact of leaders, praising the changes to morale in the home. They describe feeling supported in this period through education, good communication, regular supervision and daily meetings. Leaders have been visible in the home and able to support if there are any challenges. The current leadership arrangements are temporary, as both the registered manager and deputy managers are absent. However, leaders have thought about how they are supported back to work.

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This monitoring visit

Four children were seen during the visit. All were busy engaging in various summer holiday activities and appeared happy. Staff continued to offer children choices and were confident in using children’s preferred communication methods. Children’s bedrooms and the home overall are in good condition and are well maintained and decorated. Children’s choices are evident throughout the home, both in terms of their bedrooms and also through displays and pictures throughout the home.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the last full inspection were not reviewed during this visit and, therefore, remain in place. The compliance notice is met. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC031410 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/04/2025 Full Good 03/12/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC031410 4 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 with 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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

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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Aspects of this requirement were raised at the last inspection and are restated. 30 September

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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— 30 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC031410 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure the quality of recording of incidents and ensure that staff have the skills to write clear, concise records. Additionally, ensure that the manager has oversight of the recordings.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 30 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC031410 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected. (Regulation 21 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that children receive personal care safely and without interruption from other children.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC031410 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Sussex County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, St Anne’s Crescent, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1UE

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Inspector

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC031410 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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