BetterOasis Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 1 BetterOasis Limited

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Registered provider: BetterOasis Limited

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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. It offers accommodation for up to 32 looked-after children and care leavers in 11 group living homes. The provider operates in the East of England and the West Midlands.

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provider

At the time of the visit, the service was providing support for seven children aged 16 and 17 years.

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provider

The service manager registered with Ofsted at the same time as the organisation, in April 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a full inspection from 9 to 11 July 2025. Significant shortfalls in leadership and management and safeguarding resulted in a notice restricting accommodation for any new children and two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s progress towards meeting the steps identified in both compliance notices and to determine if the concerns that led to the notice restricting accommodation being issued have been addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, the notice restricting accommodation of any new children remains in effect, and both compliance notices are reissued.

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This monitoring visit

No children have been admitted since the initial notice restricting accommodation was issued. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 2 While some progress has been made towards the actions identified in both compliance notices, concerns remain about the safety of children and the effectiveness of leadership and management in the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

One child whose needs are unsuitable for supported accommodation continues to live at one address. Despite concerns raised at the full inspection about the level of support the child receives, the child has a minimal number of support hours from staff. Following an incident that required police involvement, police raised concerns about the child being alone in the property overnight. Following this, staffing levels were increased to include overnight staffing. This does not demonstrate that leaders and managers are proactive in making decisions to ensure that children are receiving the correct level of support.

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This monitoring visit

Some members of staff have received enhanced safeguarding and childhood exploitation training, but not all have undertaken this training. There are gaps in some staff’s understanding of the important ways to keep children safe. Leaders and managers have not demonstrated that they have considered how the learning from training is then implemented to enhance staff’s practice.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has introduced a new policy relating to family and personal relationships in the organisation. The policy states that family members will not directly line manage one another, but it does not state that there is an expectation for personal relationships to be declared. Despite the new policy, leaders and managers have not fully addressed the risks of a closed culture.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s living premises are not always maintained to a consistent standard. Staff are not proactive in identifying and addressing maintenance concerns. For example, staff had not identified a warning message on a boiler and damage to flooring before this visit. This fails to ensure that the property feels homely and welcoming to children.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s support plans and risk assessments have been updated and more accurately reflect their current needs, as well as providing guidance to staff about how to support children and ensure that they are safe. Leaders and managers now have more oversight of these documents and ensure that they are fit for purpose.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has updated the organisation’s statement of purpose to ensure that it only offers supported accommodation and does not make references to services that are not within the scope of supported accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, one manager overseeing part of the supported accommodation service has left the role, and other managers have stepped in and visit the area at least twice a week. This helps to ensure that staff receive management support and oversight. Managers have spoken with staff to ensure that they understand their roles and the ethos and values of the organisation. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 3

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

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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

prepare and implement child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies;

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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)(a)(ii)(iii)(b)(f)(ii)) 26 September

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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— 26 September Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 4 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 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)(c)(f))

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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 premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child individually and all children collectively;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

comply with all relevant statutory provisions dealing with health and safety or fire safety matters. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(v)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that robust fire safety assessments are carried out by a suitably skilled and qualified person. 26 September

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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 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; 26 September Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 5 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

ensure that processes are in place to enable children to access support from other organisations and community services, such that they are encouraged and enabled to access a range of services, including those offered by advocacy organisations and training providers. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) in relation to each child accommodated by the supported accommodation undertaking which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 2,

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 26 September

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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; 26 September Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 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

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: BetterOasis Limited 7

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Tapiwa Kundoro

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Inspectors

Leah Stannard, Social Care Inspector Beth Forster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 8 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

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

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