Agape4all

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Agape4all 1 Agape4all

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

The service is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides 6 shared-living premises that are limited to accommodating looked-after children or care leavers.

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provider

The service manager, who is also the nominated individual, and the director were in position before the service registered with Ofsted in September 2024.

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provider

At the time of this visit, the service was providing support and accommodation for 3 children aged 16 and 17.

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provider

The provider was not given notice of the visit. Three of the provider’s premises were visited, and 2 children were spoken with.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out after Ofsted received information that children supported by this provider may be at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted also received a complaint from a child. The child raised concerns about the standard of their accommodation and staff’s ability to communicate with them, as the staff cannot speak English fluently. Ineffective communication led to a significant incident, resulting in a child attacking staff, damaging property and the police being called. This incident occurred after a child did not understand a staff member’s request.

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This monitoring visit

Significant shortfalls in the support the children receive and safeguarding practice, including the safe recruitment of staff, were identified at this visit. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Agape4all 2 The accuracy of information that is captured in the children’s records is questionable. Discrepancies were identified in the information shared by leaders and managers and in a number of children’s documents.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of serious events involving children, as required by legislation. This has prevented Ofsted from having an accurate understanding of how the service keeps children safe and from carrying out its regulatory functions.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s emerging risks are not known by all involved agencies, as communication is poor. Managers do not consistently report safeguarding incidents to local safeguarding teams. Social workers and local partner agencies are not always kept up to date on risks to children.

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This monitoring visit

The management of risks for children is poor. Children’s support plans and risk assessments fail to provide direction to staff on the action to take if strategies to keep children safe are not working. Furthermore, the mitigation measures identified in these plans were not implemented in practice. Children do not consistently receive a return home interview, structured key-work sessions or structured interventions when they return home after being missing.

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This monitoring visit

The systems in place to help children manage their behaviour more appropriately are ineffective. Incident reports for children who are involved in serious criminal activity and prolonged missing-from-care episodes lack accurate information. Consequently, leaders, managers and staff do not know what has occurred, the action taken and how effective this action has been in supporting the children to become safer.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s accommodation is not welcoming and homely. This finding backed up a complaint made by a child. Two of the homes visited were very cold. There was damage to walls and doors, an unsanitary bathroom and a window in one kitchen could not be opened. Furthermore, the use of restrictors on windows and locking the back door and rear garden gate restricts children’s freedom.

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This monitoring visit

Processes for recruitment of staff are poor, as safe recruitment practice is not followed. The registered service manager has not scrutinised candidates thoroughly to ensure that are suitable to work with children. Many staff have no previous experience of working in care or in support roles with children, and they do not have any qualifications or skills to do so. The provider’s failure to comply with Home Office requirements has resulted in their overseas sponsorship licence being revoked. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Agape4all 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;

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Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with children to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies, and share information where relevant to keep children safe. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(f)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 15 March 2026

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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

ensure that staff work effectively as a team, where appropriate, to meet the needs of children;

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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; 15 March 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Agape4all 4 implement recruitment practices that ensure staff are suitable to work with children and to keep them safe from harm. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(b)(c)(e))

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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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)(f)) 15 March 2026

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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—

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Requirement Due date

are adequately maintained so as to provide a welcoming and homely environment within both individual and shared living spaces. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(viii)) 15 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records “case records”) in relation to each child accommodated by the supported accommodation undertaking which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 2

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 15 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Agape4all 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and 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: Agape4all 6

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Inspectors

Stephen Challis, Social Care Inspector Phyllis Dyer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Agape4all 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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