Home where children made flamethrower downgraded

West Sussex County Council said it had "accepted" Ofsted's findings and an action plan was in place

A children's home where children made a flamethrower and smoked cannabis has been rated 'inadequate' by watchdog Ofsted.

In a report published earlier this month, inspectors said they found "widespread failures" at Teasel Close Children's Home in Crawley, which is run by West Sussex County Council.

Inspectors found children "openly use vapes" around the home and a knife that went missing from a kitchen safe which had been left open was found in a child's bedroom.

West Sussex County Council said it "accepted" Ofsted's findings and added: "The service has already implemented a comprehensive action plan, and having reviewed this, Ofsted decided not to take any enforcement action".

'Not protected'

Ofsted said the failures meant children and young people were "not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and [their] care and experiences... are poor".

The report said that "children smoke cannabis, and on some occasions, they have done this in the home".

In another incident, inspectors found "children used an aerosol and lighter to make a flamethrower".

Before inspectors visited in May, the home was rated 'good'. It is set to be re-inspected later this year.

The council said it was investing £1m into the site "in the near future" as part of investment across its children 's residential estate, and that the report findings should be understood "within the context" of challenges to children's social care.

This included a 30% rise in the number of children it is caring for since 2019, as well as a "constrained placement market".