Semi-Independent House Limited 16+

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Semi-Independent House Limited 16+ 1 Semi-Independent House Limited 16+ Registered provider: Semi-independent House Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

A private provider operates this service.

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provider

The service offers accommodation for up to 10 children in three premises, ring fenced for accommodating looked-after children and care leavers. These properties are all located in a city in the East of England.

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provider

At the time of inspection, the service was providing supported accommodation for nine 16 to 17-year-old looked-after children. The service was also supporting one adult care leaver.

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provider

The nominated individual and registered service manager both registered with Ofsted in September 2023. The service was registered in November 2023.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 13 October 2025 and started that day. The inspector was on site from 15 to 17 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 3 years.

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Summary of findings

Children feel safe and welcomed into the service. They are enrolled in education and registered with a doctor, dentist and optician promptly.

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Summary of findings

Staff have developed a specialism with working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. They support them with their immigration matters in a non-judgemental way. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Semi-Independent House Limited 16+ 2 Efforts are made to communicate effectively with children with language barriers and key documents are translated to ensure they feel informed.

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Summary of findings

Staff support children with their independence skills and are involved in settling them into their new accommodation post-18.

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Summary of findings

Senior managers are approachable, trusted and respected by children and staff. Leaders encourage feedback to help improve the service.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children say that they feel safe in their homes and praised staff for making them feel welcomed to the service. Children can personalise their bedrooms to help them feel more at home. Children spoke of staff going above and beyond to resolve any problem they might have. One child commented that staff feel like an extension of their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff have developed a specialism in working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. They work in collaboration with the local authority to support children with appointments relating to their asylum applications.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff introduce children to local landmarks, shops that cater to particular ethnic groupsand places of worship, which helps children integrate into the surrounding community. The provider arranges group-led activities which enable children to broaden their experiences of living in the UK and help children make new connections.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children described staff as caring and trustworthy people who praise their learning accomplishments. Children’s education and health needs are closely monitored, ensuring barriers are addressed. Children are encouraged to share their opinions in regular house meetings, which improves stability in the homes. One-to-one sessions are regular and responsive to children’s needs. However, recordings are not always clear enough to enable action plans and progress to be tracked.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children are supported with their independence skills and staff oversee house moves when they turn 18. Children are taught practical skills, such as painting and decorating, to help them feel ready to move on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children live in accommodation that is close to the city centre and local colleges and amenities. Children did not raise issues with their accommodation; however, all properties showed some areas of disrepair, with kitchens and bathrooms needing some modernising. Walls in the properties, especially in communal areas, lacked homely features. Outside garden areas need attention to optimise children’s enjoyment of these social spaces. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Semi-Independent House Limited 16+ 3

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How well children are helped and protected

Children build trusting relationships with staff, many of whom have worked for the provider for a prolonged period. This enables consistency and helps children feel safe and secure. Staff are trained to respond to children in a person-centred manner. This helps children feel that their needs are understood and responded to in a non- judgemental way.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children and staff are aware of how to raise complaints, and policies are in place to manage any allegations if they arise. Important documents are translated to ensure that children are appropriately informed when they first arrive. Children are aware of house rules and service expectations.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff have an understanding of local risks to vulnerable children. They build children’s resilience to bullying and peer pressure. Staff have developed strategies to help children with language barriers understand risks around exploitation.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff and managers liaise with one another when concerns arise and update support plans accordingly. Professionals praised staff for their prompt, caring and nurturing multi-agency approach. Staff have experience in dealing with safeguarding matters and know the appropriate protocols to follow to ensure that children are monitored and kept safe.

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How well children are helped and protected

When risks for children are identified, support is drawn from regional and national agencies. This helps reduce children’s confusion and anxiety, particularly for those struggling with their asylum application.

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How well children are helped and protected

Safer recruitment checks and training schedules are closely reviewed to ensure that children are supported by staff who are safe and appropriately trained and educated.

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How well children are helped and protected

Missing-from-home protocols are in place; however, staff do not always monitor whether children are adhering to house rules, specifically relating set curfew times. This reduces the service’s ability to accurately detect and promptly respond to incidents within the homes and when children go missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The service benefits from a stable staff and management group who are passionate and aspirational for the children they support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have responded positively to recommendations following local authority monitoring visits. Managers have implemented new practices, including an updated key-work session document and increased auditing practices. Internal systems are in place to monitor the whole service, to ensure there is a Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Semi-Independent House Limited 16+ 4 consistent delivery of support. Findings from monitoring systems are shared appropriately with staff. Managers promote staff training and development. A mixture of online and face-to- face training is provided and leaders make good use of multi-agency opportunities when they arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers make sure they maintain a physical presence in the homes, which helps develop trust and stability for children. This also helps managers react promptly to concerns that arise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive regular supervision. This helps ensure they have access to support and oversight in their role. Staff feel that leaders and managers care about their welfare, listen to their concerns and are receptive to their solutions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have not always ensured that they have promptly informed Ofsted when premises cease to be used. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Semi-Independent House Limited 16+ 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the supported accommodation offers a nurturing, supportive and homely environment that meets the needs of young people, where they feel welcome. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 29)  The registered person should ensure that arrangements are in place for staff to maintain regular and sufficient contact with the young people to be able to identify any safeguarding risks, mental and physical health issues, signs of harm, and/or if the young person has gone missing. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 23)  The registered person should ensure that if the premises cease to be used, or are intended to be ceased for use, then the registered person must give notice to Ofsted in writing not more than 10 working days from when the registered person becomes aware of that decision. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation

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Recommendations

Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 64)

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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: Semi-Independent House Limited 16+ 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Semi-independent House Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 51 Ploverly, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE4 6HZ

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Jodie Clingan

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: semihouse@virginmedia.com

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Inspectors

Chris Jay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Semi-Independent House Limited 16+ 7 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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Inspectors

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

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