Next Step Services (SW) Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Next Step Services (SW) Limited 1 Next Step Services (SW) Limited Registered provider: Next Step Services (SW) Limited

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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.

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provider

The service can accommodate up to 20 children and young people in four shared or group living homes that are limited to accommodating looked-after children and care leavers.

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provider

At the time of this inspection, this service was providing supported accommodation for 19 children.

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provider

The service manager has been registered with Ofsted since the provider was registered in February 2024.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 27 January 2025 and started that day. The inspector was on site from 29 to 30 January 2025.

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Outcome

Consistently strong service delivery leads to typically positive experiences and progress for children. Where improvements are needed, leaders and managers take timely and effective action. The next inspection will be within approximately three years.

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Summary of findings

This supported accommodation is specifically for children who are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The registered service manager consistently follows the provider’s ethos and delivers the outcomes that are set out in their statement of purpose.

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Summary of findings

Children are supported by staff who understand their needs. Staff keep children safe by providing support in line with their identities. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Next Step Services (SW) Limited 2 The registered service manager has effective monitoring and recording systems. However, they have not completed a quality of support review.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children make steady progress in their lives, supported by dedicated and committed staff. Staff have an in-depth understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities and provide them with bespoke targeted support. A strength of the staff team is their understanding of the vulnerabilities of children who are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Because of this, children who are at risk of being marginalised and vulnerable are provided with sensitive support when it is most needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff help children to engage in education and learning. This enables each child to achieve at college and develop independent living skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children develop skills to support their cultural and religious needs, physical and emotional health, and legal and financial stability. Children said they were positive about their living experiences and what they had achieved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff regularly consult children about their views and wishes, through conversations, focused discussions and planned meetings. The registered service manager and staff act on the ideas and issues that arise from the sessions. For example, group meals and celebratory events are held and involve all the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Partner agencies provided unanimously positive feedback about children’s progress and experiences. Staff work closely with a range of agencies to ensure that the support that children receive is coordinated. One social worker said, ‘Their communication is above and beyond. They keep me updated so well and always let me know of any changes.’

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff receive safeguarding training to help them support children effectively. This includes training to improve their understanding of the mental health of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, adverse childhood experiences, trauma and child exploitation. New staff receive a good-quality induction which provides them with the knowledge and skills they need to keep children safe.

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How well children are helped and protected

Incidents relating to safeguarding and children going missing from home are infrequent. However, when children are missing from home, the registered service manager and staff respond quickly and take appropriate action. They carry out a thorough review to understand what has taken place and to put in place mitigating steps to prevent a reoccurrence.

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How well children are helped and protected

Risk assessments and support plans are kept up to date and reflect children’s current vulnerabilities. For those children who choose to visit friends, overnight risk Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Next Step Services (SW) Limited 3 assessments capture the action that staff take to assure themselves that the child is staying in a safe location.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff use their skills and knowledge of each child to de-escalate incidents and there is no use of physical restraint. Records capture the support children receive when they are upset and worried, and staff report all incidents.

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How well children are helped and protected

Safer recruitment practices are well embedded. Managers ensure that suitable vetting checks are completed for any initial application, and seek clarity about any gaps in employment history.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Children and staff have positive relationships with the registered service manager. Through their knowledge, qualifications, enthusiasm and understanding of the cultural needs of the children, they have an ongoing positive impact on children’s lives. The registered service manager has created a nurturing and sensitive ethos across the service and staff reflect this in their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager challenges other services when needed and has been influential in escalating concerns. For example, they have promptly helped children to access English for speakers of other languages courses.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager has recruited a staff team that is both diverse and highly qualified. They deliver tailored English as an additional language classes designed to help children develop confidence in speaking, reading and writing English. These lessons support children’s individual needs and their educational progress in college. An education worker said, ‘They run evening lessons twice a week. This additional support plays a crucial role in helping students stay on track with their studies.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager has ensured that children have access to appropriate independent advocacy when needed. This firm and child-centred approach ensures that children’s needs remain the focus for the team around the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff benefit from working in an environment that encourages learning and development. Discussions in supervision sessions and team meetings strike a healthy balance between effective challenge and ongoing support. This helps staff progress and ensures that professional development is monitored effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager has good oversight across the organisation and works collaboratively with all agencies and staff. They also have monitoring and recording systems that are effective. However, they have not completed a quality of support review, which is a missed opportunity to reflect on areas of identified strengths and weaknesses and the experiences of children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Next Step Services (SW) Limited 4

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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 registered person must maintain a system for monitoring and improving the quality of support provided by the supported accommodation undertaking by completing a review ("a quality of support review") at least once every six months, which must take into account—

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Requirement Due date

the views of children, including any feedback and complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from individual children on the impact the supported accommodation has had on the child’s life, especially regarding how well prepared the child felt for transition into supported accommodation and how well prepared the child feels for transition out of supported accommodation;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from each child’s accommodating authority, staff and any relevant persons;

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Requirement Due date

any relevant research and developments in relation to the way in which the needs of children are best met.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of support review, the registered person must produce a written report setting out the actions the registered person intends to take as a result of that quality of support review.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the review report to the CIECSS within 28 days beginning with the day on which the report is completed and make a copy of it available on request to each child’s accommodating authority. (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2) (3)) 25 April 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Next Step Services (SW) Limited 5

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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: Next Step Services (SW) Limited 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Next Step Services (SW) Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 20 Myton Walk, Theale, Reading RG7 5EW

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Etmond Palamani

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: info@nextstepservices.org.uk

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Inspector

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Next Step Services (SW) Limited 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 children looked-after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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