Report by the Director of Children’s Services.
Minutes:
83.2 The following points were highlighted to the Panel:
1) The Bungalow was inspected in December 2024 where it received a judgement of ‘Requires Improvement to be Good’.
2) There were 5 Ofsted Inspections during Quarter 4: Silver Birches was inspected on 2 January and judged ‘Good’, Acorns was inspected on 15 January and judged ‘Requires Improvement’, Hazel Lodge was judged ‘Good’ on 21 January, The Bungalow received an Assurance Inspection on 12 February where it continued to be judged ‘Requires Improvement to be Good’, Homefield was inspected in March.
3) All homes have received monthly visits from their Regulation 44 Independent Person including unannounced visits. The visits continue to pose valuable challenge and constructive reflection for the Registered Managers.
4) Staffing remains challenging in the current market; however there has been positive recruitment, particularly at The Bungalow. The homes now have few vacancies, and the managers are focussed on driving performance through management of attendance which has been a significant pressure over a number of years.
5) Ofsted inspection of Silver Birches Children’s Home – 2-3 January 2025. A full inspection of Silver Birches in January rated the home ‘Good’ across all areas. There was one requirement relating to Ofsted notification criteria and one recommendation that the Registered Homes Manager (RHM) should ‘fully consider the impact that a new child moving into the home could have on the existing group of children.’
6) Ofsted Inspection of Acorns – 15-16 January 2025. A full inspection of Acorns in January identified that the home ‘Required Improvement to be Good’. This was a positive outcome given the changes that have taken place, the interim placement of one child and the building work which is required to bring the home up to standard. The were four requirements relating to best practice following allegations or incidents, recruitment checks and the Reg 45 Review Document. There were 2 recommendations relating to promoting a safeguarding culture within supervision and developing a written policy covering use of monitoring equipment.
7) Ofsted Inspection of Hazel Lodge – 21-22 January 2025. A full inspection of Hazel Lodge in January found the home to be ‘Good’ overall with only Leadership and Management judged to ‘Require Improvement to be Good’. There were 2 requirements relating to staff training and record keeping. There were 3 Recommendations relating to supervision, recruitment and Return Home Interviews.
8) Ofsted Inspection of The Bungalow December 2024 and February 2025. A full Inspection in December and an Assurance Inspection 2 months later both found The Bungalow to ‘Require Improvement to be Good’. The original inspection took place within a few weeks of the service relocating back to the building, whilst decoration was still being completed and children still settling. The Bungalow provides care for 7 children with complex needs and disabilities. East Sussex challenged the initial report leading to a number of changes.
83.3 Following discussion, the panel RESOLVED to note the report.