Advance Social Care Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 1 Advance Social Care Limited Registered provider: Advance Social Care Limited

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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 service can accommodate up to 25 children living in single occupancy accommodation and up to 54 children living in 21 shared premises that are limited to looked-after children and care leavers aged 16 or 17. The provider operates in the north west of England.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, 35 looked-after children or care leavers aged 16 or 17 were being accommodated.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 8 September 2025 and started that day. The inspectors were on site from 10 to 11 September 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 within approximately 18 months.

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Summary of findings

Accommodation is of a good standard; children speak positively about their accommodation. Leaders and managers are taking action to address maintenance issues.

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Summary of findings

Staff have high aspirations for children. Careful consideration is taken to ensure that children’s cultural and religious needs are understood and met.

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Summary of findings

Staff are well supported and feel valued. Supervision is meaningful, and training needs are met well.

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Summary of findings

Ofsted has not been notified of all serious incidents.

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Summary of findings

Children’s plans do not include key information from referrals. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 2 Children who are outside of the scope of supported accommodation have been admitted to the service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s accommodation is welcoming, and most children report feeling happy in their accommodation. One child raised concerns relating to disturbances from a neighbouring property, which was managed as a complaint. Leaders and managers worked closely with the children to address the issues and provided a formal outcome. Such approaches mean that children feel listened to and, in this case, comfortable in their accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to have high aspirations, and achievements are regularly celebrated. Staff have created a suite of resources for children, with QR codes directing children to practical videos. These resources are easy to access and provide children with important information. This helps children to develop good independent living skills and allows staff to track progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most children are in education. Staff support children with college enrolments and employment opportunities. For example, staff encourage children to create a CV, engage in practice job interviews and understand what it means to pay tax. This approach helps children overcome barriers to accessing education or employment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff arrange regular social activities for children. These are accessible to all children, including those that have moved out of the accommodation. Broadcast channels and newsletters enhance communication between staff and children. Children can look back at these to relive their positive experiences. The focus on activities supports children to develop friendships and try new experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers regularly seek children’s views about the quality of support they receive. For children who speak English as an additional language, staff use communication tools and speak a range of languages. This promotes inclusivity for all children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Managers and staff are sensitive to children’s cultural and religious needs. Staff encourage children to complete workbooks that explore their heritage. This helps staff to support children with their cultural and religious needs. Staff also support children to find suitable places of worship and provide them with any essential religious items. This helps children develop a sense of belonging in their new community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

When children are ready to move on from the service, staff and managers support them to understand their entitlements. In some cases, children move into accommodation provided by the service as a private tenant. This helps children to feel better prepared for independent living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Plans for children are not always meaningful, with some lacking key information. Information from referrals is not always embedded in children’s plans. This limits staff’s ability to understand the needs of children. In one case, a child was known to be associated with gangs when moving to the accommodation, but this was not Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 4 identified in the child’s support plan. As a result, staff did not support the child specifically with this issue.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children report feeling safe, know the staff well and can access support out of hours. The provider is not reliant on agency staff, as these are only used for short periods for a specific need. Children benefit from this approach as this allows trusting relationships to be developed with staff.

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How well children are helped and protected

Where concerns are raised around staff practice, leaders and managers take prompt action. In one instance, a thorough investigation was conducted by the registered person, working with safeguarding bodies. The investigation was thorough, identifying clear actions to ensure that children were safeguarded. Leaders and managers provided feedback to staff and facilitated retraining to ensure that incidents are not repeated.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers complete safer recruitment checks when employing new staff. However, they do not always attempt to verify information or demonstrate curiosity for those that have lived abroad. This means that leaders and managers cannot be confident that some staff are suitable to work with children.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff do not follow set procedures when children are missing from their home. They do not always ensure that they are satisfied that children are safe when they are away from home. On one occasion, a child was away from their home for over two days, and during this time, staff did not contact them.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not always consider children’s needs and risks when placing children to live together. One child had to move from the service due to the unsuitability of the placement and the risk to themselves and others. The lack of consideration when assessing children being placed together limits children’s progress and has led to incidents of harm.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff create risk assessments for children; however, they do not include all known behaviours and risks. Significant details are missing, including information from referrals and children’s newly identified vulnerabilities. This prevents staff from having a clear understanding of the children’s needs and how to best respond.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff from different agencies speak positively about the service that children receive. They believe that staff understand the children’s backgrounds and meet their cultural and religious needs. The registered service manager demonstrates a passion for his role, wanting the best outcomes for both staff and children. One member of staff commented, ‘I have always felt heard, respected and valued.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager prioritises training and staff development. They use monitoring systems, including regular supervision, to ensure that staff training is Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 5 routinely completed. This ensures that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers regularly monitor the quality of support provided. Regular forums take place for both staff and children, and feedback is used to improve children’s experiences. The registered manager has a clear vision for growing the service, and to support this, more managers have been introduced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not always consider the potential impact of family relationships at work. The registered person directly line manages a close relative, increasing risks of a closed culture. However, steps have now been taken to ensure that an appropriate policy is now in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager accepts children into the service who are not ready for supported accommodation. Agencies provide sufficient information when they complete referrals. A referral for one child clearly detailed the complexity of their needs, for example, but they were still accommodated in the service. As a result, the service does not operate in line with its statement of purpose as some children are not in scope for supported accommodation. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 6

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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

are protected from harm. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that processes are in place to ensure that children who are away from the premises are in a safe place. 2 November 2025

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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

implement recruitment practices that ensure staff are suitable to work with children and to keep them safe from harm. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children admitted to the service are suitable for supported 2 November 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 7 accommodation and that safer recruitment practice is followed, ensuring that sufficient checks are completed.

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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. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children have plans that are based on initial referral information and are regularly reviewed and reflect the needs of children. 2 November 2025

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation;

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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

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry);

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Requirement Due date

there is an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint of a child;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f)) 2 November 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 8 In particular, the registered person should ensure that all serious incidents are notified to Ofsted without delay.

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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: Advance Social Care Limited 9

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Advance Social Care Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: info@advancesocialcare.co.uk

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Inspectors

Helen Wallis, Social Care Inspector Steve James, Social Care Inspector Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Advance Social Care Limited 10 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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