Identity Care Housing Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Identity Care Housing Ltd 1 Identity Care Housing Ltd Registered provider: Identity Care Housing 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 in the southeast of England. They can accommodate up to nine individuals in two shared or group-living premises that are limited to accommodating looked-after children or care leavers. At the time of the inspection, six looked-after children aged 16 or 17 were being accommodated.

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provider

The service manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 3 February 2025 and started that day. The inspector was on site from 5 to 7 February 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

Children have good relationships with staff. When children move into the accommodation, staff show warmth and compassion.

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Summary of findings

Staff ask children about their past experiences of services and what they need help with now. Children begin to share their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement. Children say they trust staff and feel safe.

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Summary of findings

Children live in spacious, high-quality shared accommodation which is maintained to a high standard. Children’s bedrooms are large and have enough room for all their belongings. Some have en-suite bathrooms.

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Summary of findings

Children feel welcomed into the home by staff. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Identity Care Housing Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children have a say in what happens in the service. There are a variety of ways in which staff obtain children’s views, such as in their support plans, learning lessons and by using a suggestion box. Staff ensure that all children contribute to house meetings and that decisions are acted on. At one meeting, children asked to change the spare room in the home into a health and wellness suite. As a result, children feel included and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff understand the barriers that children may face in attending formal education. They help to prepare children for work and offer them support sessions on developing daily routines, completing CVs and readiness for employment. This is supported by the nominated individual, who has contacts with colleges and a training centre in the local area. This has led to children taking college courses. One child who has experienced significant trauma is now in full-time employment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to maintain good mental health. They promote healthy exercise to help children manage their frustrations and improve their mood. For example, children go to the gym and to boxing classes and join staff on walks in the local area. They also meet up with friends and develop their own support networks. This helps children feel connected to others and maintain positive emotional well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children are happy with the help they receive from staff. One child said, ‘The staff are amazing, I can’t fault them. I have so many skills now. I realised I needed to be more adult.’ Staff also help children to complete workbooks which include quizzes and puzzles related to skills for living independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children register with local doctors and dentists. Staff remind children of the importance of maintaining good physical health. Children learn to make their own appointments and consistently attend regular health screenings. This helps to develop healthy habits for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to manage their allowances and ensure that they receive financial entitlements from their accommodating authority. On the rare occasions when children do not budget effectively, staff provide them with basic items, so that children do not feel deprived.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff know what to do when children go missing from home. Staff call and text children when they are in the community. They know children’s friends, family and acquaintances and who to contact to help find them. One child said, ‘I never want to go missing now, there is no point.’ Incidents of children going missing from home have reduced. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Identity Care Housing Ltd 3 Staff respond quickly to children who self-harm. They monitor children’s well-being and work closely with organisations that deliver therapy, including emergency support and specialist mental health services. The registered service manager has good oversight of vulnerable children and the support they need from other agencies.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff complete risk assessments for each child and consult children so they can recognise their vulnerabilities. This helps children to develop their understanding of personal safety and healthy relationships. Children also go out in the community regularly and there are no restrictions on their activities. This means that children become confident in identifying risks and taking steps to become safer.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers deliver child protection training for staff, which helps them to safeguard 16- and 17-year-old children. As a result, staff identify the signs when children are being exploited and work closely with the police and social care to reduce the risk of abuse. Staff are also skilled in harm reduction and prevention of substance misuse, and this has helped at least one child to reduce their risks related to this.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers share information with other agencies to keep children safe. However, they do not always notify Ofsted of serious safeguarding incidents without delay. This affects the oversight of serious incidents by the regulator.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager is enthusiastic and child centred. Children and staff speak positively about the support provided by the manager. Leaders and managers know the children well and call or visit the premises every day.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager has a clear plan to develop the workforce. They are committed to recruit and retain a skilled workforce and are focused on their continuous professional development. One member of staff said, ‘The management team provide clear guidance, regular training and open communication, ensuring that I have the skills and confidence needed to offer support.’ Staff also attend regular team meetings, which provides them with ongoing peer support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager completes a regular service review which comments on staff support. However, there is no process in place for this to be shared with Ofsted. This affects the oversight of the quality of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers run the accommodation in line with the provider’s statement of purpose. This means that only children who are suitable for supported accommodation are accepted into the service. Leaders and managers challenge the accommodating authority if the service cannot meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Children’s support plans are regularly reviewed as children make progress with their independence. However, one child’s support plan was based on their referral Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Identity Care Housing Ltd 4 information, and had not been changed to reflect their development. This meant that the child’s plan was not up to date and was difficult for staff to follow.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive regular supervision. They express their views on children’s support and the manager respectfully challenges them to fully consider children’s progress. Actions are completed and reviewed at each supervision. Therefore, staff know what is expected of them in their work and how they can best support each child. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Identity Care Housing 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. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)) 7 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that serious incidents are notified without delay to Ofsted. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 61)  The registered person should ensure that they complete and submit a quality of support report to Ofsted at least once every six months. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 62)

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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: Identity Care Housing Ltd 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Identity Care Housing Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 27 Manchester Road, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 7JD

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: info@identitycarehousing.com

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Inspector

Sue Garner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Identity Care Housing Ltd 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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