DFD Care And Support Services Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: DFD Care and Support Services Ltd 1 DFD Care and Support Services Limited Registered provider: DFD Care and Support Services Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

provider

This supported accommodation service is operated by a private provider in the East of England. They can accommodate up to two individuals in a self-contained unit where the accommodation is for the sole use of one person and 60 individuals in 22 shared or group living settings that are not limited to accommodating looked-after children or care leavers.

p.1

provider

At the time of the inspection, 34 individuals were being accommodated. Thirteen of them were looked-after children aged 16 or 17.

p.1

provider

The provider has been registered with Ofsted since 7 February 2024. The registered service manager has been in post since February 2024. They also hold other responsibilities as the nominated individual and director.

p.1

provider

Since registration, there have been two monitoring visits due to concerns raised regarding the management of a serious allegation. This also alerted Ofsted to the possibility that the provider was accommodating children outside of the scope of regulations. At that time, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation and two compliance notices.

p.1

provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 10 February 2025 and started that day. The inspectors were on site from 12 to 14 February 2025.

p.1

Outcome

Inconsistent quality of service delivery adversely affects some children’s experiences, and this may limit their progress. Leaders and managers must make improvements. The next inspection will be within approximately 18 months. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: DFD Care and Support Services Ltd 2

p.1

Summary of findings

Children have positive relationships with staff and feel that they provide good levels of support. Some children are making progress, but this is not consistent.

p.2

Summary of findings

The provider accommodates children outside of the scope of the regulations. Leaders and managers have made improvements in this area, but for some children, placements ended with immediate effect due to increasing risk. This means that some children’s progress is limited.

p.2

Summary of findings

Accommodation is suitable for most children. The provider is taking action to meet any maintenance issues in the homes.

p.2

Summary of findings

Staff do not always receive the training they need to best meet the needs of the children they support.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

Children are positive about the support that they receive and the relationships that they have with other children and staff. They said that they were happy and had staff that they could talk with. One child said, ‘I like it here. I can see my family and visit them when I want.’

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s accommodation is generally nicely furnished and provides them with private spaces to socialise. However, accommodation across the service is not consistent, which means some children are living in basic accommodation. Leaders and managers are being proactive in addressing maintenance issues in the homes.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

Some children are making progress in line with their support plans. However, other children have been placed outside of the scope of the regulations. This has meant an immediate end to the children’s placements and has limited their progress.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to develop their life skills so they are prepared for adulthood. However, children’s support plans are inconsistent and do not include their voices. This means that children have few opportunities to express their views on the support that they are receiving.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

All children are registered with local health services, and staff ensure that this occurs soon after children move into their accommodation. Staff support children to attend their health appointments. Managers and staff work with the children and their social workers to help them access other services, such as mental health services, when needed.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

Leadership and management strive to work hard as part of a multi-agency team. They communicate well with external services, which means that information is Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: DFD Care and Support Services Ltd 3 shared with professionals involved in children’s support. Social workers and other agencies have been positive about the communication between them and the provider. One social worker said, ‘I consider the level of communication as open and great.’

p.2

How well children are helped and protected

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

p.3

How well children are helped and protected

Staff manage incidents well with children, including managing relationships. They apply clear and consistent boundaries that contribute to children feeling safe. Feedback from agencies is positive in relation to staff managing relationships with children. One social worker said, ‘[Name of provider] has now gone above and beyond to ensure all three social workers and the young people meet up with them to discuss the ongoing issues.’

p.3

How well children are helped and protected

Support plans are updated monthly with children. They include children’s behaviours and their known vulnerabilities, including contextual safeguarding. However, support plans are not consistent. They do not always identify children’s needs or the support being offered. Furthermore, support plans do not capture the children’s wishes and feelings.

p.3

How well children are helped and protected

When children go missing from home, staff follow agreed protocols and the child’s plan. This includes notifying the police and the child’s placing authority. When children are located, staff check on their well-being and complete their own return home interview. Some children are offered return home interviews from an independent service, but these are not consistent.

p.3

How well children are helped and protected

Staff complete mandatory training, but this is not in line with the children’s individual changing needs. Children have been placed in accommodation with mental health and self-harm risks. Staff do not complete the relevant training to best support the child. Staff request additional training, but this is not actioned by leaders and managers.

p.3

How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers record children’s safeguarding concerns and share them in a timely manner with social workers. However, leaders and managers fail to notify Ofsted of serious events that occur. This affects Ofsted’s oversight of how the provider responds to safeguarding situations to protect children from harm. Following a monitoring visit, leaders and managers now report incidents to Ofsted.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of risks and issues for children currently placed in the accommodation. However, they accept children at the referral stage with complex needs without fully assessing their suitability for supported accommodation. As a result, some children require a high level of staffing and Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: DFD Care and Support Services Ltd 4 support and are not suitable to live in supported accommodation. This also affects opportunities for other accommodated children to develop their independence skills and progress.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive regular supervision. However, they do not reflect on their welfare, and recording is not consistent. They also do not reflect on children’s progress and incidents. Not all supervision meetings are recorded by managers. Staff also attend an annual appraisal, but these do not include the views of other services.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff have access to mandatory training, and this is up to date. However, this is not in line with children’s changing needs. This means that leaders and managers cannot be assured that all staff have the knowledge and skills that they need to support children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not keep a clear record of their staff team’s working hours, and the roster system is difficult to understand. This does not help to protect children in the service.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Multi-disciplinary teamwork is good. Social workers are positive about communication from staff and managers. They receive a weekly report about each child, which they find helpful.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers removed a property from their registered accommodation but then accommodated a child in that property. However, they did not inform Ofsted of this change. Therefore, the regulator was unaware that children were placed there. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: DFD Care and Support Services Ltd 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

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. (Regulation 5 (1) (2) (f)(ii)) 28 March 2025

p.5

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place for the supervision, training and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(c)(f)) 28 March 2025

p.5

Requirement Due date

The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs. 28 March 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: DFD Care and Support Services Ltd 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that children are encouraged and enabled to take a lead role in determining the support they receive and to participate in and influence how the supported accommodation operates;

p.6

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)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

If premises are no longer used, or intended to be available for use, as supported accommodation by the supported accommodation undertaking, the registered person must give notice in writing to the CIECSS no later than 10 working days after the registered person becomes aware of the decision to cease use of the premises.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Where additional premises are acquired, commissioned or arranged, or the supported accommodation undertaking intends to acquire, commission or arrange additional premises, and the supported accommodation undertaking intends to provide supported accommodation at those premises, the registered person must give notice in writing to the CIECSS as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, of the following—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the characteristics of the children for whom it is intended the supported accommodation undertaking will provide accommodation at the premises, including the age range, number and sex of the children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the category or categories of supported accommodation to be provided at the premises.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to the CIECSS within 72 hours of the supported accommodation undertaking—

p.6

Requirement Due date

accommodating a child for the first time in any premises which were not referred to in the registered person’s application for registration; 28 March 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: DFD Care and Support Services Ltd 7 accommodating a child in premises for the first time after the premises are brought back into use, after the undertaking temporarily ceased to use the premises as supported accommodation. (Regulation 34 (2) (3)(a)(b)(c) (4)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep records of other information relating to the supported accommodation undertaking set out in Schedule 3.

p.7

Requirement Due date

maintain the records in Schedule 3, which may be kept in electronic form;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 25 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 28 March 2025

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that supported accommodation is homely and welcoming and complies with relevant health and safety legislation. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 29)

p.7

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: DFD Care and Support Services Ltd 8

p.7

Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: DFD Care and Support Services Limited

p.8

Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Unit 9, St. Marks Business Centre, St. Lukes Road, Corby, Northamptonshire NN18 8AN

p.8

Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Eunice Nekete

p.8

Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: infor@dfdcareservices.co.uk

p.8

Inspectors

Helen Fee, Social Care Inspector Eileen Bultitude, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: DFD Care and Support Services 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 children looked-after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9