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Residential care for children and young people

What is residential care?

We look after children under 18, who are in care.

It provides a stable and safe place to live, with 24-hour support from skilled staff. Some young people may also benefit from a secure residential setting for a period.

Living away from home can be frustrating or upsetting at first. But we shall try to make residents comfortable and safe. The Council has several homes across the county. The homes we run provide safe, decent care. They focus on the individual needs of the children whilst also promoting a strong sense of group living.

Ofsted regulate and inspect the homes. This ensures they maintain proper standards of care.

Who is it for?

Children and young people come into residential care because:

  • their needs may be better met by the range of support provided in a residential setting
  • the child may not be happy in foster care and wishes to look for an alternative option

What happens in residential care?

The child’s social worker maintains responsibility for the child’s welfare. They will remain in frequent contact. The child has regular reviews to monitor progress. This ensures that residential care remains the appropriate placement to meet the child’s needs.

We will support the child to attend school and achieve to their potential. We encourage a positive, healthy lifestyle with access to community sports and recreational activities. We have fun holidays and trips to make positive lasting memories for the children in our care.

We support the young people as they transition out of residential care to the next stage of their life. We will maintain contact for as long as the child wishes.

Where possible we will also support strong relationships with the child’s family. We understand how important this is for children in care.

What living in residential care is like

Children's homes in East Sussex