Dwell-In Social Care Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 1 Dwell-In Social Care Ltd Registered provider: Dwell-In Social Care 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 20 individuals in 10 group living homes that are not limited to the accommodation of looked-after children or care leavers. The provider operates in the East Midlands area.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, 17 individuals were being accommodated. Five of these were looked-after children or care leavers aged 16 or 17.

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provider

There have been two registered service managers since the provider was registered in March 2024. The current manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2025.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 24 February 2025 and began that day. The inspector was on site from 26 to 28 February 2025.

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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. The next inspection will be in approximately 18 months.

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Summary of findings

Children like their accommodation. They can personalise it if they wish to. However, some maintenance issues have not been identified or swiftly addressed.

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Summary of findings

Children have good relationships with the staff who support them. Staff help children develop the independence skills that they will need for adult life.

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Summary of findings

Some leadership and management tasks have been overlooked, as auditing and monitoring have failed to identify when documents require completion or update. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children like their accommodation and the geographical areas where they live. Managers appreciate the significance of children living close to family and friends or to their college or place of employment. This helps children settle quickly into their new environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children have good relationships with staff. Staff turnover is low. This allows children to develop trusting relationships with those who support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The majority of children attend education. However, when this is not the case, staff and managers work hard, alongside the child, to identify suitable provision. Children benefit from weekly planners, which helps them to focus on the week ahead. This routine motivates children to achieve. Children’s interests, talents and career aspirations are also explored and promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff and managers are good advocates for children. They make a long-term commitment to their progression. Some children move into supported accommodation from the provider’s children’s home. In these situations, staff often move with children to provide consistent support. This helps children settle as they already have an established relationship with staff supporting them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The standard of accommodation is variable, with some maintenance tasks being outstanding. This detracts from the homely environment that staff are working hard to create. Also, the use of locks on fire doors, which need a key to exit, may prevent children from evacuating their accommodation safely in the event of a fire. The provider has taken swift action to rectify this issue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s views on their support plans are not always clear. While some contain this information, this is not consistent in all cases. This is crucial for children to invest in their progress. The manager is working to improve the voice of the child throughout their records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children move into their accommodation with a high staffing level, but this is part of a step-down plan, which is subject to regular review. Staff follow an independence programme with children, to ensure they move on with the skills they require for adult life. Most children move on from the service in a planned way and staff support children with this transition. They work alongside the child’s social worker, but records do not always reflect the extent of their input.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children know how to make a complaint, but there have been none since registration. Children have easy access to senior managers. This means that they can raise any grumbles with them informally, without the need to make a complaint. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 3

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How well children are helped and protected

Children feel safe in their accommodation. They understand the rules of the service and in the main adhere to these. They tell staff where they are going and what time they will return. Each child also benefits from an individual missing-from-home protocol. However, this does not include an agreed time to report the child being missing from home to the police, according to their individual risk. This potentially leaves children vulnerable, as staff do not have clear direction.

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How well children are helped and protected

Managers have not notified Ofsted of some serious incidents. There has also been a delay in reporting several occurrences. This limits Ofsted’s ability to ensure that the provider has taken the required action to keep children safe.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not always recruit staff using safer recruitment processes. Shortfalls include the failure to seek a reference from an individual’s most recent employer. It also includes the failure to identify a discrepancy in employment dates and incomplete information known about agency staff. This compromises the effectiveness of the recruitment process, which is designed to ensure the integrity of all those employed.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff routinely receive training in de-escalation and behaviour management. Primarily, children have positive relationships with staff and respond to their advice to prevent their behaviour from escalating. There have been no physical interventions since registration. This demonstrates that staff can manage behaviour well.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff understand children’s risks. Children benefit from a considered risk management plan, along with targeted key working. This helps children gain a better understanding of their vulnerabilities, so they can make informed decisions to keep themselves safe.

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How well children are helped and protected

Managers complete location assessments before opening new premises. However, assessments do not include consultation with other safeguarding bodies or outline risks posed to children by the local environment, such as proximity to railway lines. This limits their effectiveness when deciding whether the premises are suitable for a child to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager is appropriately qualified and experienced. She is an enthusiastic leader and her introduction to the role has been very well received by staff. She has the respect of children and staff and has plans for further improvement. However, she currently has limited time to invest in these as she also has responsibility for another part of the provider’s social care business. While senior managers acknowledge this, they have yet to address it. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 4 Staff benefit from regular supervision and an annual performance appraisal. The introduction of specific casework supervision also means that time is devoted to ensuring that each child is progressing in line with their support plan. It also ensures that staff are confident in what they are doing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff have access to a range of training to equip them in their role. They also complete a level 3 childcare qualification. Senior staff also receive support to complete a qualification in leadership and management. This helps to motivate staff and ensures that they have the knowledge they need to provide good-quality support to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There are weaknesses in the auditing and monitoring of the service. There has been no formal consultation with children, staff or partner agencies to help managers target areas for improvement. Consequently, this invaluable feedback was missing from the provider’s quality of support review. There was also some delay in completing the first review document. This hinders the provider’s ability to make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Monitoring systems are not robust. Leaders and managers do not have a clear understanding of all safeguarding incidents. Their records do not reflect some of the serious incidents notified to Ofsted. This limits their ability to reflect and learn from these incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have not routinely updated the statement of purpose. It does not reflect current practice or changes in the organisation. Updates that have been made have also not been sent to Ofsted, as required. This limits their effectiveness, as the information about the service is out of date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Some essential information for children is not readily available. For example, the provider has no admission and discharge register, therefore crucial information is missing from the provider’s records. In addition, managers have not always identified or chased missing local authority documentation. This leaves children’s records incomplete. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care 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 registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if—

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all serious incidents are notified to Ofsted without delay. 11 April 2025

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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; 30 June 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 6 any relevant research and developments in relation to the way in which the needs of children are best met. (Regulation 32 (1) (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that reports contain accurate detail and are completed and forwarded to Ofsted once every six months and include consultation with children, staff and other professionals.

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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 location of the premises used as supported accommodation is suitable for the category or categories of supported accommodation provided, by—

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Requirement Due date

reviewing the appropriateness and suitability of the location of each of the premises used as supported accommodation (“a location assessment”), and in doing so, consulting and taking into account the views of each relevant person;

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Requirement Due date

carrying out a location assessment of each of the premises used as supported accommodation at least once in each calendar year;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

are suitable for the purposes of supported accommodation and are accessible, safe, secure and well-maintained;

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Requirement Due date

are designed, furnished and maintained to remove avoidable hazards which could pose a health and safety risk to children. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)(vi)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that a location assessment is completed for each premises highlighting local environmental risks, including the views of other safeguarding partners. In addition, ensure that fire exits to properties can be accessed safely in an emergency and that any maintenance issues raised by children are swiftly actioned. 11 April 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 7 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (4), the registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual for the purposes of the provision of supported accommodation, or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work for the supported accommodation undertaking in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work for the supported accommodation undertaking,

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person is satisfied that the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character,

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the experience, qualifications and skills appropriate for the work that the individual is to perform,

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform, and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 1. (Regulation 17 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that a reference is always sought from an individual’s most recent employer; that discrepancies in employment dates are explored and full information is known about agency staff employed. 11 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. 11 April 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 8 A record in the form of a register showing in respect of each child—

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Requirement Due date

the date of the child’s admission to the premises used as supported accommodation,

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the child ceased to be accommodated in the premises,

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Requirement Due date

the child’s address immediately before being accommodated in the premises,

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Requirement Due date

the child’s address on leaving the premises,

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Requirement Due date

the child’s accommodating authority, and

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Requirement Due date

the statutory provision under which the child is accommodated. (Regulation 25 (1) (2)(a)(b) Schedule 3, (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, maintain a register of all children who have resided in their supported accommodation provision.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it, and

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Requirement Due date

notify the CIECSS of any revisions and send the CIECSS a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 9 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this document must be regularly updated to ensure that it is current, and it must be forwarded to Ofsted. 11 April 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they actively scrutinise the settings and make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. The registered person should ensure that they regularly audit records so that they can escalate any concerns regarding any missing documents, in order to provide the most effective support to children. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 53) Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 9  The registered person should ensure that children are included in discussions about their support plans and should be encouraged to express their views, wishes and feelings, taking a lead role in shaping their support package. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 35)  The registered person must specify the procedures to be followed and the roles

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Recommendations

and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from home. In particular, ensure that children’s missing-from-home protocols are clear regarding appropriate times that children should be reported missing from home, dependent on their individual needs. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 55)

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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: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 10

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 3 Canberra House, Priors Haw Road, Corby Gate Business Park, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 5JG

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Charlene Underwood

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: enquiries@dwellinsocialcare.co.uk

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Inspector

Mandy Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 11 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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Inspector

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