Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd

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Registered provider: Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This service is operated by a private provider and offers accommodation for up to 23 children across five properties that are not limited to accommodating looked-after children or care leavers. The provider operates in north-west England. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing supported accommodation for 13 children.

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provider

The provider registered in July 2023. The nominated individual and registered service manager have remained in post since registration.

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

Ofsted carried out a full inspection from 29 September to 2 October 2025. Serious and widespread shortfalls were identified in relation to safeguarding practice and management oversight. The service was given an outcome 3 inspection judgement. The provider was failing to ensure that the supported accommodation undertaking was being run effectively, and leaders and managers did not understand what was required of them. As a result, the provider was issued compliance notices in relation to regulations 4 and 7.

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

The purpose of this latest visit was to monitor the progress made in relation to the compliance notices issued on 13 October 2025. The inspector visited two of the premises and spoke with the registered service manager, staff and children.

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

The provider has devised an admissions checklist that sets out a clear process when managing referrals for children. The registered service manager and nominated individual are solely managing referrals to ensure that this process is followed. Leaders and managers now consult with other agencies more effectively, which is a key change to this process. This means that they can be assured that children’s needs can be safely met in the service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd Leaders and managers use a more robust checklist to help them ensure that referral information is embedded in children’s plans. The provider has used this process; however, not all relevant information is included in children’s plans. For example, the cultural and linguistic needs of a child recently moving into the accommodation were not transferred to the child’s plan. This limits staff’s understanding of the child’s

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

needs. Therefore, the provider has not demonstrated that they have been able to meet this requirement.

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

The provider is developing a new case management system. Leaders and managers believe this will help them improve their monitoring of the service.

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

The provider shares updates with agencies on a weekly basis, including children’s plans on a monthly basis. This helps agencies to view and contribute to children’s plans and ensures that they have relevant information without delay.

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

The provider has met with various local authorities to discuss the outcome of the full inspection and is working closely with commissioners. The provider has demonstrated how they are working with agencies to ensure that children are suitable for supported accommodation. They are more aware of the relevant agencies that they need to raise concerns with if children’s needs can no longer be met in the provision.

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

The provider no longer accepts emergency referrals unless they can be assured that they have accurate referral information and that children’s vulnerabilities are minimal. The provider has revised its statement of purpose. However, this still does not fully reflect the service being delivered.

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Inspection date: 3 December 2025

Leaders and managers have devised recruitment checklists to help them safely recruit staff. The provider has retrospectively reviewed recruitment files; however, these checks have not considered employment gaps, for example. This has now been rectified by the provider. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd

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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. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must implement a revised statement of purpose that sets out how the service will operate and implement a system for monitoring the service and the outcomes for children in line with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 1 February 2026

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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 plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child; 1 February 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd 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. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

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

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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: Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Andrew Ramsey

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Inspector

Helen Wallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Life Skills Supporting Accommodation Ltd 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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