BetterOasis Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 1 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 support and 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 six 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 and two compliance notices being issued.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit then took place on 27 August 2025 to monitor the provider’s progress towards meeting the steps in both compliance notices and to determine if the concerns that led to the notice restricting accommodation being issued had been addressed. That visit found that although some progress had been made, the steps in the compliance notices had not been sufficiently met. Following that visit, the notice restricting accommodation remained in effect, and two further compliance notices were served.

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This monitoring visit

This was the second monitoring visit. The purpose was again to assess the provider’s progress towards meeting the steps in the compliance notices and to determine if the concerns that led to the notice restricting accommodation being issued have been addressed. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 2 Leaders and managers have complied with the restriction of accommodation notice. They have not admitted any children into the service since the last full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has made sufficient progress to reduce the concerns that led to the serving of the compliance notices and the restriction of accommodation. No further compliance notices have been issued, and the provider is no longer restricted from accommodating children under the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Where further assurance is needed, requirements have been raised and will be reviewed as part of further inspection activity.

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This monitoring visit

Most of the actions identified in the compliance notices have been addressed. The provider has taken the decision to reduce the number of children they support, to help ensure the service is sufficiently resourced to meet individual needs. They are no longer seeking to accommodate children whose needs fall outside the scope of supported accommodation. Consequently, plans have been made for children with more complex needs to move to homes that are better suited to their needs. Additionally, some young people have reached adulthood since the previous visit.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have accessed relevant training opportunities. They have used the knowledge gained from this training to help staff to understand safeguarding responsibilities. They have also ensured that support staff have completed the necessary training to improve their understanding of safeguarding risks and possible exploitation that the children may face.

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This monitoring visit

New managers are working with staff to monitor the impact of training and to reinforce improvements in the support provided to children. However, staff are not receiving supervision consistently, and the recording of staff supervisions varies in quality. This does not provide assurance that some staff are being given sufficient opportunity to reflect on their practice, receive guidance and develop professionally.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are developing an electronic referral process to assess the suitability of their provision for individual children and to increase the likelihood of a consistent, systematic approach to decision-making. This process has not yet been tested in practice, and therefore its likely effectiveness cannot be assessed.

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This monitoring visit

The level of oversight by the registered manager in certain areas of practice requires improvement. Although the manager has access to relevant reports, records and documentation, there is a lack of scrutiny to ensure that risk assessments and children’s support plans are an accurate reflection of their needs. This limits the effectiveness of leadership in driving improvements in the quality of support.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have strengthened policies and recruitment procedures. This increases the potential that risks associated with closed cultures are clearly understood and mitigated effectively. The updated policy has been shared with all staff, and managers have held discussions to clarify expectations and reinforce professional standards. In addition, the registered manager has commissioned an Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 3 external agency to provide independent oversight and, where necessary, conduct impartial investigations.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised outside of the previous compliance notices were not reviewed as part of this monitoring visit. Therefore, they are restated and will be reviewed as part of the next inspection. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 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 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 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)(f)(ii)) 31 October 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

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)(f)) 31 October 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 5 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.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 October 2025

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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;

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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; 31 October 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 6 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

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 October 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;

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Requirement Due date

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)) 31 October 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 7 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 8

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Tapiwa Kundoro

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Inspectors

Eileen Bultitude, Social Care Inspector Leah Stannard, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: BetterOasis Limited 9 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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