Liberty ILS ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Liberty ILS Ltd 1 Liberty ILS 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 four children in self-contained units where the accommodation is for the sole use of the child.

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provider

At the time of this monitoring visit, this service was providing supported accommodation for three children aged 16 and 17.

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provider

The service manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a full inspection from 10 to 14 February 2025. The inspector found serious and widespread weaknesses leading to significant concerns about children’s experiences and progress. Following that inspection, Ofsted issued three compliance notices, regarding the safety and protection of children, the leadership and management of the service and the notification of serious events. In addition, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

On 25 March 2025, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit to review the progress against the compliance notices and accordance with the notice restricting accommodation. The compliance notice regarding notifying Ofsted of serious events had been met, and some progress had been made regarding the protection of children and the leadership and management of the service. However, the compliance notices regarding the protection of children and the leadership and management of the service were reissued and the notice restricting accommodation remained in place. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Liberty ILS Ltd 2 The purpose of this latest monitoring visit was to consider the further progress made against the remaining compliance notices and to ensure that leaders and managers have adhered to the notice restricting accommodation. The inspectors spoke with leaders, managers and staff and reviewed documents and records.

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This monitoring visit

No children have been admitted since the notice restricting accommodation was served.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager has reviewed the support children receive. He has made changes to policies to ensure that staff practice is aligned with the statement of purpose and The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. For example, staff can now search children’s bedrooms when they are concerned that children are using drugs or when children may be at risk of harm. Also, he has collaborated with social workers to ensure that children receive help from specialist services when needed. These changes positively impact on children living in the premises.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager has reviewed the admissions policy. The policy no longer places the emphasis on children telling the provider they are ready to live in supported accommodation. It now requires the registered service manager to seek information about the child’s current circumstances, vulnerabilities and history, which he will evaluate prior to agreeing a child’s placement. Due to the notice restricting accommodation, Ofsted has been unable to assess the effectiveness of the new admissions procedure in practice. As a result, Ofsted will continue to monitor the safety and the effectiveness of the service.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager has sourced and implemented a range of training courses to help staff understand the needs of children and how to keep them safe. All the staff have completed training courses in safeguarding children, child criminal exploitations and sexual exploitation and adverse childhood experiences. Additionally, staff must complete a quiz following each course, which the manager evaluates to assure himself that staff are able to apply theory to practice. Feedback and additional support are provided to staff when gaps in knowledge are identified. Staff demonstrated that they understand the indicators of child exploitation and the action they would take if they were concerned a child was at risk of exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager has reviewed the statement of purpose and made changes to reflect new policies and practice. For example, children who require two members of staff to meet their needs will no longer be assessed as suitable to live at the premises. However, the statement of purpose states that children living in the premises will receive support from one staff member 24 hours a day when they first move into the placement. This does not align with the provider’s registration conditions to provide support in self-contained units where the accommodation is for the sole use of the child.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this monitoring visit, Ofsted concluded that the compliance notices regarding the protection of children and the leadership and management of the Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Liberty ILS Ltd 3 service have been met. The notice restricting accommodation will end on 8 May 2025.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement raised at the full inspection relating to the support standard and the recommendation relating to formal supervision for managers and staff were not fully reviewed at this monitoring visit and are repeated. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Liberty ILS Ltd 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 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

engage and work with the accommodating authority if the registered person has concerns or if the child’s support needs to be changed, including where that change may mean that the child requires more intensive support;

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Requirement Due date

in the event that the registered person or a member of staff considers that an accommodating authority or a relevant person is failing to provide the support set out in a child’s relevant plans, make representations, or, as the case may be, enable staff to make representations, to the accommodating authority or relevant person with a view to ensuring that the child’s needs are met;

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Requirement Due date

ensure a plan for support is in place to support the child to develop the resilience and skills required to transition out of supported accommodation when the child is ready to live more independently. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(c)(f)(h)(k)) 21 March 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Liberty ILS Ltd 5 The registered person must compile a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the following matters in respect of the supported accommodation undertaking—

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Requirement Due date

the category or categories of supported accommodation it offers;

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Requirement Due date

the services it provides for children it accommodates and supports. (Regulation 9 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure the service is operated in line with the conditions of registration, self- contained units where the accommodation is for the sole use of the child. 7 July 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the registered service manager, receive supervision of their practice from a suitably skilled and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children accommodated in the setting. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 51)

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Liberty ILS Ltd 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Darrell Lewis

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Inspector

Beth Forster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Liberty ILS 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 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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