Signature Aftercare Ltd.

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 1 Signature Aftercare Ltd Registered provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is operated by a private provider. The provider can accommodate up to one individual in a self-contained unit where the accommodation is for the sole use of one person, and up to 12 individuals in three shared or group living homes that are not limited to accommodating looked after children or care leavers. The provider operates across the northwest of England.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, seven individuals were being accommodated, six of them looked after children aged 16 or 17.

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provider

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the organisation was registered in May 2024.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection began on 14 October 2024 when we announced the inspection. The inspectors were on site from 16 to 18 October 2024.

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Outcome

Inconsistent quality of service delivery adversely affects some children’s experiences, and this may limit their progress. Leaders and managers must make improvements.

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Summary of findings

Most children are offered help to gain the skills needed to prepare for adult life, however, this is not provided consistently. Some children are progressing well with education, training and developing independence skills.

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Summary of findings

One child is receiving a high level of supervision to keep them safe. This care is not in line with the service’s statement of purpose and the child is not appropriately placed in supported accommodation.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not challenge the placing authority effectively if the information they share to support children is not complete. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children like living in their homes. One child said, ‘I have moved around a lot but this is my home, and I intend to stay.’ They participate in group leisure activities, such as trips to theme parks and farms and other activities. Staff encourage children to occasionally cook meals together. This supports good relationships between children and develops a sense of community. Consequently, children said that they do not feel lonely or isolated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff take time to get to know the children and encourage them to share their stories and backgrounds, to help them to move forward. Children lead these discussions, at their own pace. This helps them to feel safe and supported in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to consider different education and training opportunities and are aspirational for them. They understand children’s experiences of trauma and how these experiences may impact on their progress. Children can celebrate their achievements, and staff encourage them to do so. This helps children to recognise their successes, develop a sense of pride and grow in confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers prioritise children’s health needs. When children move into their home, they are supported to register with dentists, doctors and other universal health services. Children access specialist health services easily because the provider has good links with therapeutic services. Staff work with health professionals for guidance and training, and to find ways they can encourage children to attend appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children live in homely, well-maintained accommodation where their dignity is respected, and their bedrooms are a private space for them to enjoy. They can contact the people who are important to them and have access to mobile technology and Wi-Fi in their homes for this purpose. These fundamental necessities help children to feel comfortable and secure in their homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff help children prepare for independence in adulthood by teaching practical skills in planned support sessions and through ongoing discussions. Children can see their progress to their goals and know what they need to do to improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

This service is currently providing accommodation to one child who needs a high level of supervision to keep them safe. Serious incidents in the community have led to the child being at risk of harm. This child is not yet ready to develop the skills necessary for independence in adulthood. The placement of this child contravenes the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and means that the nominated individual and the registered service manager are operating the service outside the statement of purpose. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 3

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not notify Ofsted of serious incidents as required. This affects the regulator’s ability to have sufficient oversight of the service to ensure that children are safe.

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How well children are helped and protected

Individual placement plans include the child’s risk assessment, their support plan and behaviour plan. These documents are easy to read and accessible. The plans include known risks for the child, including contextual safeguarding, and detail how staff should respond to these risks. Managers review these plans and note any further actions for staff to follow. Children’s views on their plans are included and they are consulted about what happens in their lives, helping them to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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How well children are helped and protected

When children go missing, staff take action to locate them by contacting friends, family and known contacts. There is a well-coordinated response to reduce the risk of harm. When children are found, the staff check on their well-being and discuss any reasons why they went missing. Children are also offered return interviews by an independent service. As a result, children feel cared for and welcomed back to their home.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers ensure that staff are checked as suitable to work with children, through the safer recruitment process. These checks are carried out before staff work directly with children. Staff complete essential safeguarding training as part of their induction so that they are able to identify potential risks to children’s safety, in their accommodation and in the community. They work closely with partner agencies to help to keep children safe.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children said that they feel safe and settled in their homes. They access support when required and can use the on-call service in an emergency. Children have positive relationships with staff and can identify a trusted adult they can talk to about any concerns.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff ensure that children can live alongside each other safely. When there are disagreements, staff help children to resolve any conflicts. This helps to ensure that children can continue to live together and increases the likely stability of their placement.

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How well children are helped and protected

The registered service manager completes location assessments in consultation with partner agencies, such as local police teams. This ensures that children are aware of, and benefit from, the amenities in the local community, and that these are suitable for them to access.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not ensure that they gather sufficient information to assess whether children are ready, at the point of referral, to live in supported accommodation. This significant shortfall means that some children have been Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 4 inappropriately placed in supported accommodation and that their placements are outside the scope of the supported accommodation regulations. Incomplete assessments mean that leaders and managers do not understand the risks for children or whether staff have the skills to meet children’s needs and they do not have up-to-date and relevant local authority plans to inform how they should support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager uses monitoring systems to highlight strengths and identify areas for development across the service. These also help to ensure oversight of children’s progress and staff practice. A comprehensive workforce development plan helps managers to ensure that the service meets its objectives and continues to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff benefit from regular formal supervision that provides them with an opportunity to discuss any worries that they have about the children and their plans. They have access to appropriate training to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills needed to work with children. Children can also access some of this online training. This means knowledge is shared with children, so they are enabled to meet their own needs independently in adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Professionals and external agencies spoke positively about the service and the support that children receive. They praised leaders and managers for their commitment and child-focused approach to developing children’s independence skills. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 5

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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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs.

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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 plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child;

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Requirement Due date

engage and work with the accommodating authority if the registered person has concerns or if the child’s support needs to be changed, including where that change may mean that the child requires more intensive support;

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Requirement Due date

in the event that the registered person or a member of staff considers that an accommodating authority or a relevant person is failing to provide the support set out in a child’s relevant plans, make representations, or, as the case may be, enable staff to make representations, to the accommodating authority or relevant person with a view to ensuring that the child’s needs are met. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(f)(h)) 28 November

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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 supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 28 November Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 6 lead and manage the supported accommodation undertaking in a way that is consistent with the ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the undertaking’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and the registered person considers that incident to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the supported accommodation undertaking or a person working for it;

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry);

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Requirement Due date

there is an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint of a child;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f)) 28 November

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 8

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, Cloister House Riverside, New Bailey Street, Manchester M3 5FS

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Supported accommodation provider details

Nominated individual: Anne-Marie Jacobson

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Emma-Louise Porcu

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: aftercare@signature-aftercare.org

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Inspectors

Sue Garner, Social Care Inspector Helen Fee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Signature Aftercare Ltd 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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