Marvellous Care

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Marvellous Care 1 Marvellous Care Registered provider: Marvellous Properties Limited

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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 offers accommodation for up to 18 children and young people in 3 ring-fenced shared accommodation premises.

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provider

At the time of this inspection, the service was providing support for 9 children aged 16 and 17.

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provider

The service manager registered with Ofsted at the same time as the provider in August 2024.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 23 February 2026 and started that day. The inspector was on site on 25 and 26 February 2026.

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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.

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Summary of findings

Children enjoy living in their homes. They feel safe and have hopes and aspirations for their future.

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Summary of findings

Children have a voice. They are consulted about the support they receive.

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Summary of findings

The provider supports many separated children who are seeking asylum. Respecting children’s cultural identities while supporting their journey to independence is a key focus of the service.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding is paramount. One child reported feeling ‘100% safe’ in their home. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Marvellous Care 2 Children have positive relationships with staff and can identify a trusted adult they can talk to about any worries or concerns.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers are committed to creating a stable and experienced staff team that can support children safely and effectively as they prepare for independence.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers want the best for children and are committed to continued improvement across the service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Marvellous Care 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children

A committed and dedicated staff team prioritises children’s needs so they feel supported and welcomed into their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children feel well supported by the staff. One child said that staff help them when they need it. Children said that staff support them in finding work, engaging with activities they enjoy, such as music, and developing their emotional skills. One child said that when they are frustrated, the staff try to calm them down. Another child described feeling ‘very comfortable’ and ‘happy’ where they live.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The provider supports many separated children who are seeking asylum. These children know what to expect in the service, as the provider has translated the young person’s guide for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff engage well with all children. They use various approaches to engage children who speak English as an additional language. The use of interpreters and translation applications helps staff communicate effectively with children. This approach, and the support that staff provide to children to enrol in courses such as English for speakers of other languages, helps children with their asylum applications.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

A strength of the service is that the support that staff provide helps children prepare for independence. The organisation’s independent living skills programme helps children learn important life skills in fun and creative ways. Staff teach children practical life skills during planned support sessions, and children can track their progress with the development of these skills. An empathetic staff team also understands and supports children’s emotional journeys as they move towards independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff are ambitious and encourage children to engage with education, training and employment. The staff are innovative in identifying opportunities for children to participate in some form of learning, and they provide support for children to attend college. One social worker said, ‘The staff have continued to encourage participation in vocational education, football mentoring, and skills-building opportunities.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Managers and staff ensure that children feel welcomed and comfortable in their homes. However, children’s privacy has not always been protected, as there have been instances where closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras have included sound. The provider took effective action to disable this function in all the properties before the end of the inspection.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children report feeling safe in their homes. The stable team of staff provide consistent support that helps them build strong relationships with children. All children have an allocated direct worker. However, children know they can approach Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Marvellous Care 4 any member of staff, including the managers, for support or to raise concerns at any time. This enhances children’s sense of security.

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How well children are helped and protected

Safeguarding children is paramount. The staff know all the children well, so they can quickly identify any potential areas of risk that might arise. Effective interagency working ensures that there is a coordinated, multi-agency working approach to managing risks. As a result, there has been a reduction in children going missing from their homes. One social worker said, ‘The key strengths of the service include the warmth and friendliness of their staff, their prompt response to concerns, and their effective interagency working.’

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How well children are helped and protected

Children’s welfare is prioritised, as staff know their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff clearly understand how to report safeguarding concerns and are aware of the whistleblowing procedures. Leaders and managers have implemented an effective training programme that ensures staff provide support for children that is safe and impactful. Staff receive training on topics such as adverse childhood experiences, conflict resolution and de-escalation skills, safeguarding, child sexual exploitation, county lines and exploitation.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff set clear and consistent boundaries that contribute to children feeling safe, and serious incidents are rare. Staff manage safeguarding concerns well and report them in a timely manner to children’s social workers. However, leaders and managers have failed to notify Ofsted of some serious incidents involving the police. This oversight prevents Ofsted from being assured that the provider has responded to these situations quickly and effectively.

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How well children are helped and protected

Safer recruitment processes are in place. However, in some instances, the managers have not followed the provider’s processes. Failing to carry out overseas checks, explore gaps in employment and seek written references before staff commence employment undermines the provider’s assurance that all staff are safe and suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager is a passionate and inspirational leader. They lead the team by example, creating a positive ethos and culture across the service. The manager is an experienced and dedicated individual who continually strives to provide children with high-quality support to help them acquire the necessary skills to live independently. These values underpin the staff’s daily work. One member of staff said that managers and staff always ensure that young people feel respected, valued and heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers visit the homes on a regular basis, and, as a result, they know the children and staff well. The registered service manager cooks a meal with children in each home on a weekly basis. This helps create a family-like atmosphere and sense of community and belonging in the homes. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Marvellous Care 5 Children receive good support from a consistent, experienced staff team. Leaders and managers are strong in their workforce development. They enhance the staff’s skills and provide training opportunities, which aids with sustaining staff retention. Staff turnover is low, and many staff have worked for the provider for several years. This provides continuity of support for children. A staff member described the management team as ‘approachable’ and ‘responsive’ and said that they feel supported in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive regular and effective supervision sessions that consider and prioritise children’s needs. Supervision sessions are also an effective space to constructively challenge staff and support their professional development. However, staff do not receive an annual appraisal. This prevents managers and staff from formally reviewing their performance and strengths and identifying areas of continued improvement against agreed objectives. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Marvellous Care 6

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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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered may only employ a person—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person is satisfied that the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 1. (Regulation 17 (1) (2) (3)(d)) 31 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 18 (4)(c)) 31 May 2026

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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 an allegation of abuse against the supported accommodation undertaking or a person working for it;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry— 31 March 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Marvellous Care 7 is instigated, or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry);

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Requirement Due date

there is an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint of a child;

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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)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any use of CCTV is as minimally intrusive as possible and respects the privacy of young people. The registered person must ensure that the service complies with data protection law, protects young people’s privacy and personal data, and informs young people about the use of any surveillance or monitoring equipment and its purpose. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 30)

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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: Marvellous Care 8

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Marvellous Properties Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 409 to 411 Croydon Road, Beckenham BR3 3PP

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Alisha O’Connor Campbell

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: info@marvellous-care.co.uk

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Inspector

Julie Cresswell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Marvellous Care 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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