True Supported Living

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: True Supported Living 1 True Supported Living

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Registered provider: True Supported Living Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is owned and managed by a private provider. The service can accommodate up to 14 children living in three shared premises which are not limited to looked after children and care leavers.

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provider

The service manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this monitoring visit in response to third-party concerns about staff’s ability to meet the needs of children and keep them safe. This was relating to one premises, which was visited and was the focus of the monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the visit, one child was living at the premises. Two children had recently moved out, one of them having a planned move.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not always ensure that the needs of the children who move in can be met. For example, he had not considered whether staff have the appropriate skills to support one child to safely manage their high-risk-taking behaviours. This resulted in the child’s placement being ended and other children being unnecessarily exposed to risk.

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This monitoring visit

The standard of accommodation is not homely or welcoming. The manager and staff do not routinely support children to maintain a clean, safe and well-maintained living space. For example, one child’s bedroom was extremely untidy, needed a deep clean and contained broken furniture. There was also drug-related paraphernalia in the room, of which staff were unaware. This lack of oversight means that not all children are kept safe. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: True Supported Living 2 The use of CCTV in communal areas is not necessary and compromises children’s right to privacy. This had previously been used to manage risk in the premises, however, those risks no longer exist. The manager acknowledged this and recognised the need to review the use of CCTV and other electronic monitoring and recording devices on the premises.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans and risk assessments lack detail and are not kept up to date. They are missing key information relating to children’s past experiences, needs, behaviours and risks. Consequently, staff have a very limited understanding of how best to support the children in a planned way. For example, there is no evidence that staff are completing any type of focused work that helps children understand, better manage and reduce harmful behaviours, such as substance misuse, and the risk of criminal exploitation. In addition, there have been delays in supporting children to access specialist support services.

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This monitoring visit

Procedures are in place if a child goes missing from care. However, these are not always implemented fully. For example, staff failed to look for one child when given details of the child’s location. This was a missed opportunity to check that the child was safe, or to ensure their safe return to the premises.

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This monitoring visit

There is very little focus on helping children to establish a positive daily routine. For example, staff do not routinely promote and support children to re-engage in education, training or employment. The child living in the home had no structure to his day. In addition, staff have limited awareness of the child’s activities when he leaves the home and show little professional curiosity in this respect.

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This monitoring visit

There have been several serious incidents since the home was registered, including incidents that required police involvement and potential concerns relating to child criminal exploitation. Children’s social workers have been kept informed. However, the manager is unclear about his responsibility to notify Ofsted and has failed to do this in all cases. This means that Ofsted is unable to maintain regulatory oversight.

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This monitoring visit

This is a relatively new service, having only registered in September 2024, and systems for monitoring and quality assuring the service are yet to be embedded. The manager accepted the need to monitor more closely the care of children and suitability of placements, incidents, staff practice and the overall performance of the service. This includes ensuring that staff are adequately skilled to understand and meet the needs of the children in their care. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: True Supported Living 3

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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 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—

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Requirement Due date

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 staff work effectively as a team, where appropriate, to meet the needs of children;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills appropriate for the work that they are to perform;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place for the supervision, training and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(g)) 13 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 13 December 2024 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: True Supported Living 4 ensure that children—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;

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Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with children to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting children. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(f)(ii)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment.

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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 the premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

offer a comfortable, positive and nurturing environment, while respecting children’s need for privacy;

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Requirement Due date

are adequately maintained so as to provide a welcoming and homely environment within both individual and shared living spaces;

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Requirement Due date

only use devices for monitoring or surveillance in communal areas and then only if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, 13 December 2024 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: True Supported Living 5 the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to each child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(vii)(viii)(c)(i)(iv))

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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

keep the child’s support under review, taking into consideration the plans for support, and relevant plans, to ensure that the child’s needs continue to be met and that the child is kept safe;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that processes are in place to enable children to access support from other organisations and community services, such that they are encouraged and enabled to access a range of services, including those offered by advocacy organisations and training providers;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that children are supported to access education, training or employment. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(c)(g)(m)) 13 December 2024

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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. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)) 13 December 2024

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and/or to ensure that the supported accommodation provider was complying with regulation. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: True Supported Living 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: True Supported Living Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Pure Offices, Broadwell Road, Oldbury B69 4BY

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Supported accommodation provider details

Nominated individual: Shanice Campbell-Carter

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Tosin Obileye

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Inspector

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: True Supported Living 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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