Woodland Initiative

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 1 Woodland Initiative Registered provider: Woodland Initiative Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

A private provider owns this supported accommodation service. It provides accommodation in five self-contained units specifically for the sole use of one person.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, four looked-after children or care leavers aged 16 and 17 were using the service.

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provider

The organisation and the previous service manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024. The nominated individual and registered service manager roles were held by the same person, who was also the director of the organisation. They resigned from the role in August 2024. A new manager took on both roles and registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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provider

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

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Outcome

Serious or widespread weaknesses lead to significant concerns about the experiences and progress of children. Leaders and managers must take urgent action to address failings.

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Summary of findings

The provider does not operate this service in accordance with The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Children whose needs are complex and whose risks exceed the scope of the Regulations have been admitted to this service. This places them at risk of harm.

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Summary of findings

Poor management monitoring systems have significantly affected the registered service manager’s ability to oversee the supported accommodation undertaking effectively. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 2 Safer recruitment practices are not consistently applied, which could expose children to unsuitable adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children who live in this service are not safe. This is because their complex needs and risks to their safety exceed the scope of a supported accommodation service. Staff do not have the skills and experience needed to support these children. This places them at risk of significant harm, and some children have suffered harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Practice across this service includes high staffing levels, the removal or the locking away of children’s medication and the removal of sharp knives and cleaning products. Children do not have keys to their homes, and they have no autonomy over their finances, receiving their allowances in instalments or vouchers. These practices do not prepare children for adulthood, which means that children’s progress is limited.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The experiences and progress of some of the children who have now left the service are not known. This is because crucial information about their time in the service is missing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

One-to-one discussions between staff and children are not aligned to their support plans. This is because these sessions are reactive and not planned. This is a missed opportunity for staff to prioritise and focus on specific topics to help children to develop their independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The absence of professional curiosity has allowed potentially discriminatory behaviours to go by with little or no exploration and challenge. This does not help children to understand how their beliefs and behaviours may affect others emotionally or influence how people respond to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s accommodation is not consistently well maintained or homely throughout. The registered service manager has not been quick to respond to repairs and remedial work when required to ensure that the children live in safe and comfortable environments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most children access primary and specialist health services that support their physical health and emotional well-being, including their past and current traumas. It remains unclear how children who decline specific health appointments, such as the dentist and hospital, are supported to ensure that they attend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff recognise the importance of encouraging and supporting children to develop their talents and skills by helping them to take up bespoke learning opportunities. For children not in education, employment or training, staff continue to provide support to help children overcome barriers to their learning. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 3 Staff support children to maintain relationships with their friends and family. Children said that they appreciate this support. Other children said that they like the staff and feel that they have good relationships with them.

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How well children are helped and protected

Some children are at risk of significant harm and, in some cases, have been subjected to harm. This is because known risks for some children are not included in their plans, which means that these plans do not inform or guide staff on how to respond to certain risky behaviours.

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How well children are helped and protected

Safer recruitment practices are inconsistently applied. For example, there are significant gaps in the employment history for some staff. Discrepancies in employment start and end dates have not been checked by the registered service manager. This does not sufficiently protect children from unsuitable adults.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children who go missing or have been subject to exploitation receive a coordinated response by managers and staff working in collaboration with the police and social care services. Other professionals raised no safeguarding concerns and report positively about the collaborative work practices with this service.

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How well children are helped and protected

Safeguarding training helps staff to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns. However, not all staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the allegations management process. This lack of clarity could undermine an investigation process.

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How well children are helped and protected

Health and safety checks are in place. However, a trip hazard at one of the premises has not been identified and made safe.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff draw on their positive relationships with children to de-escalate incidents. Relevant training about trauma helps staff to strengthen their understanding of the impact that children’s backgrounds and previous experiences have on their emotional well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that only children who are ready to live in supported accommodation, and have the skills to do so, are admitted to the service. Consequently, staff are attempting to provide care to children without the skills or experience to do so, and outside of the scope of the Regulations. This practice increases the risk of harm to vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Weak oversight by leaders and managers since the service was registered means that significant shortfalls have not been identified or addressed. These failures have directly affected the quality of service offered to children, their experiences and their progress towards adulthood. The electronic monitoring systems previously used across the service did not support the registered service manager in their role. A Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 4 new electronic system is being implemented but is not yet fully embedded. Consequently, not all required documents were available for this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have failed to send required quality of support reviews to Ofsted since the service was registered in June 2024. This has been a missed opportunity for the registered service manager to reflect on and evaluate the service delivery and performance. This failure also delays improvements and does not provide assurance that leaders and managers understand the regulatory framework.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The statement of purpose and children’s information have not been kept under review to ensure that they are fully compliant with the Regulations. The admissions and discharge register of all children, past and present, is not in place. This prevents the registered service manager from monitoring and accounting for children effectively, both now and in the future. While there is a workforce plan in place, this does not include the relevant information to support the development of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have failed to notify Ofsted of all serious events. This prevents Ofsted from monitoring how leaders and managers respond to incidents of concern and fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff report that they feel supported by managers. They receive regular supervision, training and out-of-hours support. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 5

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

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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 (1);

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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)(e)(f)) 16 November

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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— 16 November Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 6 are adequately maintained so as to provide a welcoming and homely environment within both individual and shared living spaces;

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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. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(viii)(ix))

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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

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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(b)(f)) 16 November

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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. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(f)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s risks are reflected and updated in their written plans. The registered person must ensure that all staff understand the allegations management processes. 16 November

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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— 16 November Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 7 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.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of support review, the registered person must produce a written report setting out the actions the registered person intends to take as a result of that quality of support review.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the review report to the CIECSS within 28 days beginning with the day on which the report is completed, and make a copy of it available on request to each child’s accommodating authority. (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep records of other information relating to the supported accommodation undertaking set out in Schedule 3. The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

maintain the records in Schedule 3, which may be kept in electronic form;

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ensure that the records are kept up to date;

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ensure that the records are accessible to children, the CIECSS and each accommodating authority;

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retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry.

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Requirement Due date

A record in the form of a register showing in respect of each child— 16 November Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 8 the date of the child’s admission to the premises used as supported accommodation,

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the date on which the child ceased to be accommodated in the premises,

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Requirement Due date

the child’s address immediately before being accommodated in the premises,

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the child’s address on leaving the premises,

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Requirement Due date

the child’s accommodating authority, and the statutory provision under which the child is accommodated. (Regulation 25 (2)(a)(b)(c)(d) and Schedule 3 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must maintain a suitable register of children who live or have lived at the supported accommodation service and ensure that records are readily available and retained within the required timescales.

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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

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

before a child arrives or upon a child’s arrival, ensure that the child is given a written guide, in an accessible format, containing information about—

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Requirement Due date

the support and accommodation provided by the supported accommodation undertaking;

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available, how the child may access that support or those services, and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy;

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Requirement Due date

what services and facilities are available that take account of children’s needs arising as a result of cultural differences or disability. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(c)(j)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 16 November Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 9 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it, and

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Requirement Due date

notify the CIECSS of any revisions and send the CIECSS a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 9 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the information in the document is consistently in line with the Regulations. 16 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile, in relation to the supported accommodation undertaking, a plan (“the workforce plan”) which covers the following matters in respect of the recruitment and employment of all staff—

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Requirement Due date

the experience and qualifications of managers and other staff, and any further training required for those managers and staff;

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Requirement Due date

the processes and timescales for staff to complete induction, probation and core training, including in safeguarding and health and safety;

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Requirement Due date

the process for managing and addressing poor performance;

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Requirement Due date

the process and timescales for supervision and monitoring of staff.

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Requirement Due date

keep the workforce plan under review and, where appropriate, revise it, and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the workforce plan available on request to the CIECSS. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e) (2)(a)(b)) 16 November

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 10

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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: Woodland Initiative 11

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Woodland Initiative Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Brimahar, Lowfield Lane, Fitling, Hull HU12 9BJ

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Michelle Ford

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: referrals@woodlandinitiative.co.uk

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Inspector

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Woodland Initiative 12 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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Inspector

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