Barlavington Manor is a privately owned long-stay children's home in Sussex, England, with accomodation for up to 30 children. Its proprietors were reported to have refused admission to black children and to have informed local authorities of their refusal, thus contravening the Race Relations Act of 1976. The investigation by the Commission for Racial Equality consisted of interviews with the proprietors of Barlavington Manor, local authority social workers who placed children there, and the proprietors of Old Rectory children's home, which is in a similar rural environment and which does admit black children. The interviews with the proprietors of Barlavington Manor and the social workers revealed that the proprietors did not openly discriminate against black children but advised against their being admitted because of the hostility of the local community. The Commission concluded that there was no evidence that the proprietors had refused or deliberately omitted on racial grounds to admit a black child to the home. However, the proprietors had not shown that the requirement or condition they applied was justifiable on non-racial grounds. The proprietors were given notice to comply with the Race Relations Act. (MC)