LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service

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Registered provider: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This service is owned and managed by a private provider. The service provides 18 premises, some of which are single occupancy and some that are shared accommodation not limited to providing support for looked-after children and care leavers.

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provider

At the time of this monitoring visit, this service provided supported accommodation for 34 children aged 16 and 17 years old.

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provider

The service manager and nominated individual have remained in post since the service registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out due to a number of high-risk incidents occurring that involved children living in the accommodation. Ofsted also received a complaint that raised concerns about management oversight. During the visit, one shared- living accommodation was visited, and two children were spoken with.

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This monitoring visit

The concerns raised in the complaint are not substantiated. There are no significant safeguarding concerns. There are some shortfalls in leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

Children speak positively about living in the accommodation. They gave positive feedback about staff and the support they provide. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service Staff know the children well. They have a good understanding of children’s needs, their progress and current risks. They spoke positively about children and show a genuine interest in their lives. Most support plans demonstrate the good quality of support that staff provide children. Examples include staff sourcing funding for one child to access therapy sessions and a grant for another child for coaching sessions.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are inconsistent. They do not always robustly consider the needs of all children in the home. For example, when a child with a history of violent behaviour moved in, the risks to other children living in the accommodation were not assessed. Staff do not have a formal way of assessing the compatibility of children and young adults before they move into the accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers respond well to safeguarding concerns. There have been incidents where children have been at risk of harm or suffered actual harm. The team responds in a timely way and engages with other agencies to help safeguard children. Staff support children appropriately during challenging incidents. However, managers do not always notify Ofsted when serious incidents occur. Ofsted was not informed when a child was arrested and when a child was taken to hospital. This prevents the regulator from having effective oversight of the service and assessing the risks to children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers take decisive action when staff’s actions do not reflect the ethos of the service or prioritise children’s best interests. They use well-monitored performance management plans and disciplinary procedures with employed staff. However, for agency staff, the procedures for addressing shortfalls in practice lack sufficient involvement from the managers.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers undertake safer recruitment checks with their employed staff. However, they rely on agencies to conduct checks on agency staff. There is limited scrutiny of this information. Managers cannot be confident that all agency staff are suitable to work with children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have access to a wide variety of training. Additional training is provided when children’s needs require this. New staff take part in a robust induction programme. This prepares them for the role and helps the manager monitor their progress. However, crucial training is not given to all agency staff. This means that managers cannot be assured that all staff have the appropriate skills and understanding to support vulnerable children effectively. Incidents have occurred where agency staff have used physical intervention to manage children’s behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders respond to complaints effectively. They meet with children to discuss their concerns and try to find effective resolutions. They use external professionals to conduct independent investigations when substantial concerns are raised about the service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service The registered service manager has good oversight of the service and the needs of children. However, the information that is available to them is not easily accessible. This is due to the service storing staff and children’s records on several different systems. Collating information is cumbersome and limits the management team’s ability to have a thorough overview of how well the service is operating.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers use external consultants to assist them in understanding the strengths and vulnerabilities of the service. This helps to drive improvements that make a difference to children’s experiences and progress. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service

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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 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.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the needs of all children are considered when a child is accommodated in a shared living premises. The impact of any risks to others that have been identified should be fully assessed. 31 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

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 31 October 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service 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

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work for the purposes of providing supported accommodation or, as the case may be, for the supported accommodation undertaking, despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 1 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of that Schedule are incomplete,

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 1,

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional, and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 1, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person. (Regulation 17 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d) (4)(a)(b)(c)(d) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that appropriate safeguarding checks have been completed for agency staff and security guards working with children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if— 31 October 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service there is any [other] incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(f))

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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.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff who work with children in the service but are employed by other agencies should have access to training that supports them to fulfil their role safely. 31 October 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that managers actively scrutinise the settings and make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. In particular, they should ensure that monitoring and review systems are fit for purpose and support the scrutiny and development of the service to meet children’s needs. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 53)

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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: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 1 Wellington Way, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2FZ

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Jennifer Endean

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Inspectors

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Penelope Kutz, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: LiveWest Young People’s Supported Accommodation Service 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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