Woodland Initiative

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: 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 that are specifically for the sole use of one person.

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provider

At the time of the monitoring visit, three 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 roles in August 2024. A new manager took on both roles and registered with Ofsted in June 2025. They left the service on 14 November 2025.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a full inspection from 6 to 10 October 2025. The inspection found serious and widespread weaknesses, leading to significant concerns about the leadership and management of the service.

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This monitoring visit

Following that inspection, Ofsted issued three compliance notices. These related to the leadership and management of the service, the standard of children’s accommodation, notification of serious incidents, staff recruitment, the referral process and compliance with the statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to consider the progress made against the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the inspection, one child has been discharged from the service. No children have been admitted since the compliance notices were served. However, the Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Woodland Initiative 2 provider continues to accommodate three children whose complex needs and risks are beyond the scope of supported accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has implemented management monitoring systems to ensure that the children’s accommodation is consistently well maintained. There is now a shared understanding in the staff team about everyone being accountable to providing safe and homely environments. Furthermore, all staff have been issued with guidance about reporting any repairs at the children’s accommodation. This has facilitated rapid responses and subsequent improvements. A health and safety checklist is regularly monitored by staff and management, which ensures that any avoidable hazards are quickly removed.

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This monitoring visit

The new systems to monitor and escalate serious incidents to Ofsted have led to an increase in the number of notifications submitted to Ofsted. This reflects the provider’s improved understanding of what is required.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to demonstrate that they are complying with the statement of purpose. This is due to them still accommodating children whose needs are outside what the service can offer. Similarly, the provider was unable to provide sufficient evidence of effective referral and admission processes.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to demonstrate sufficient evidence that safe recruitment practices are consistently followed. As a result of these shortfalls, the compliance notice has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

During the monitoring visit, there was a lack of clarity about the staff members’ access to all children’s risk management information. This does not provide assurance that staff are fully guided to manage children’s individual risks.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the last inspection are outside the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Woodland Initiative 3

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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)) 4 January 2026

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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; 4 January 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Woodland Initiative 4 are enabled to keep themselves safe;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(a)(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 and the full risk management information is available to staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff understand the allegations management processes.

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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.

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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 4 January 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Woodland Initiative 5 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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

the date of the child’s admission to the premises used as supported accommodation;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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. 4 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs. 4 January 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Woodland Initiative 6 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))

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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. 4 January 2026

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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; 4 January 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Woodland Initiative 7 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))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: Woodland Initiative 8

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Woodland Initiative Limited

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Inspector

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Woodland Initiative 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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Inspector

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