Mavayah Living LTD

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Mavayah Living LTD 1 Mavayah Living LTD Registered provider: Mavayah Living

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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. It offers accommodation for up to 10 looked-after children or care leavers in shared or group living arrangements over five premises.

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provider

At the time of this inspection, three looked-after children aged 16 and 17 were accommodated in three different premises.

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provider

In November 2023, both the organisation and the registered manager, who is also the nominated individual, registered with Ofsted.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 6 October 2025 and started that day. The inspector was on site from 8 to 10 October 2025.

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Outcome

Consistently strong service delivery leads to typically positive experiences and progress for children. Where improvements are needed, leaders and managers take timely and effective action. The next inspection will be within approximately three years.

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Summary of findings

Children feel happy and safe living in their homes. They know they can contact staff for help when they need it. They receive support from staff who are attuned to their needs and vulnerabilities.

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Summary of findings

Staff take time to get to know children’s lives and collaborate with other professionals. This helps staff and children work together to develop meaningful support plans.

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Summary of findings

Children and staff have trusting and positive relationships. Children feel valued and heard. This helps children to feel nurtured, have self-worth and have a sense of belonging. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Mavayah Living LTD 2 Leaders and managers have high expectations and standards. They provide staff with good support and training. Staff feel valued. This helps ensure that children receive support from a consistent team.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers lack some understanding and knowledge of what incidents they should report to Ofsted. However, this has not affected the quality of support children receive. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Mavayah Living LTD 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children benefit from consistent support from a caring and committed team of permanent staff who are committed to their welfare. Children are heard, supported and encouraged, which gives them a sense of belonging. Children and staff develop a trusting relationship. This helps the children to make progress because they feel safe and valued in their homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children have support plans that identify their individual starting points and primary needs and are updated regularly. Children have a range of needs, from enhanced support to meet their social and emotional needs to support for the fine-tuning of their independence skills. Staff strive to ensure that they have a diverse range of skills, and this helps ensure that they can support the children effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children are treated with dignity, and their identities, backgrounds and histories are respected. They receive sensitive support that helps them build confidence and make progress. For one child, the staff have gone above and beyond to ensure that they have the knowledge to provide support that is sensitive, nurturing and appropriate for their needs. This is helping the child feel valued and accepted and rebuild their relationship with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children are supported to maintain and develop safe and positive relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff and managers work collaboratively with external professionals and family members to promote positive outcomes for children. When this is not possible, staff take time to help children understand why and to process their emotions and feelings about their individual circumstances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children benefit from a well-planned life skills programme in preparation for independence. This is delivered at a pace that suits each child. Staff teach life skills while helping children reduce risks. When staff have concerns about a child’s progress and plans, they are confident in challenging placing authorities to ensure that decisions are in the child’s best interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most children have access to education, training or employment and are given equal opportunities regardless of disability or background. For those not in education or employment, staff are supporting them in finding the right opportunities for future progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children know how to raise concerns and understand that their complaints are taken seriously. Children said they can talk to staff any time and feel comfortable in approaching any member of staff with their issues, concerns or complaints. Staff respond clearly and make changes when needed, demonstrating that feedback leads to improvement. Staff regularly consult children about their views, wishes and feelings and involve them in their support plans. They also have access to independent advocacy or visitors to help ensure that their voices are heard and their rights upheld. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Mavayah Living LTD 4

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How well children are helped and protected

Children are supported in accessing universal health services for physical, emotional and mental health needs. When children’s health needs require specialist services, staff make necessary referrals and/or work in collaboration with other agencies. For example, they offer an in-house counselling service and help children access child and adolescent mental health services. This helps children overcome barriers that may prevent them from receiving the support they require, as well as helping them maintain overall good physical and mental health. Medication is managed safely, and independence is built whenever possible.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children feel safe where they live due to clear boundaries and calm, consistent responses from staff. Children know they can talk to trusted adults if they are worried, and support is always available, even in emergencies. Staff work hard to protect children from harm, including exploitation, bullying, discrimination and self- harm.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff are attuned to the reasons why children may become upset and what the triggers are, and they use their understanding to help children process, understand and regulate their emotions and feelings. Behaviour is managed positively using de- escalation strategies and therapeutic approaches. There is currently no use of restraint.

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How well children are helped and protected

Risks such as going missing, substance misuse or criminal exploitation are well understood and carefully monitored through individual risk assessments. When children go missing, responses are coordinated and timely. Statutory guidance is followed, and independent return home interviews are offered. Plans are in place to reduce the risk of harm, and there is evidence that risks are being safely managed.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff understand safeguarding procedures, and concerns or allegations are passed timely to placing authorities and handled in line with statutory guidance and the provider’s policy. Collaborative working takes place with the police, local safeguarding agencies and relevant services, and internal investigations are carried out in a timely manner. Both the child and any adults involved are supported throughout the process, and direct work is usually attempted with children to prevent future risks of harm or unwanted behaviour.

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How well children are helped and protected

The premises are secure and comfortable, and they allow privacy. Most feel warm and nurturing. Their locations allow easy access to education, training and community life, helping children feel included and confident.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers adhere to safer recruitment procedures. This helps prevent unsuitable people from being recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have created a culture that places children’s safety and support needs at the centre of the service. They have high aspirations for children Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Mavayah Living LTD 5 both while using the service and for their futures. They are attuned to children’s individual needs and advocate for them and their best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers ensure that staff’s values and visions align with the ethos of the organisation. Leaders and managers confidently challenge staff members when their values and visions do not align.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Following the monitoring visit in September 2024, leaders and managers have learned to respond quickly to concerns and complaints, ensuring that issues are fully investigated and resolved. They work closely with placing authorities, external professionals and families when needed and act decisively when statutory responsibilities are not being fulfilled. However, leaders and managers have not always notified Ofsted of incidents when they should have.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager and staff work collaboratively with other agencies involved in children’s support. One professional said, ‘They are supportive and accommodating of professional visits,’ which can be ‘difficult to coordinate’ and involve several workers each week for one child. Communication with professionals is generally positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Placement decisions balance the needs of existing children and those moving in. However, leaders and managers have not always sufficiently assessed known risks arising from some children’s prior experiences at the time of admission to ensure that they are suitable for supported accommodation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Children are supported by a team of staff who are invested in their futures and their preparation for adulthood. Staff complete an induction plan with leaders and managers and participate in ongoing learning. They are encouraged to reflect on their learning and practice and provide feedback to the manager, which she uses to develop the service. Staff said they enjoy their work and feel valued by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Monitoring of the service is thorough. Leaders and managers review all aspects of the service delivery and consider the impact on children. They are effective in developing new ideas and solutions to improve the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager’s leadership style is one of consultation and collaboration with children and staff. She ensures that staff understand the reasons why new approaches, strategies and developments are implemented. This helps promote a culture of working together to improve the services that are available for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive regular supervision focused on children’s progress and emotional well- being. Training and professional development are prioritised and evaluated to ensure that they lead to improved practice. The manager is invested in staff development and career progression. When new needs arise, or gaps in staff knowledge are identified, the manager and staff research and source relevant training or guidance. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Mavayah Living LTD 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 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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the event concerned; 21 October 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Mavayah Living LTD 7 any other individuals or organisations who or which have been notified;

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

is made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f) (4)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should challenge any accommodating authority that asks them to accept a child without having complete and current information about the child and their needs in the form of relevant plans. Accepting a child for placement/accommodation without the necessary information is normally unacceptable, except in an emergency, whereby this information should be shared urgently. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 17)

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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: Mavayah Living LTD 8

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Micaela Marston

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: director@mavayahliving.co.uk

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Inspector

Shelley Chowdhury, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Mavayah Living LTD 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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