The Halfway Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Halfway Limited 1 The Halfway Limited Registered provider: The Halfway Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This service is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers accommodation and support for up to 8 children and young people in 2 shared, group-living homes limited to looked-after children and care leavers.

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provider

At the time of this inspection, the service was providing accommodation for 6 children aged 16 and 17 years. The provider and service manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 26 January 2026 and started that day. The inspector was on site on 29 and 30 January 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. The next inspection will be in approximately 3 years.

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Summary of findings

The accommodation is currently for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Children say they feel safe and are happy in their homes. Staff know children well and are aspirational for them to achieve their goals. Most children are in education and say that staff support them well to access opportunities.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers are visibly present and know the children and staff well. They ensure staff are trained and supported to enable them to help children develop in skills and confidence.

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Summary of findings

Children live in clean and well-decorated homes. Children and staff take pride in their homes and aim to maintain a homely and welcoming environment. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Halfway Limited 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children say they enjoy living in their homes. They feel safe and make good progress. Children are supported to access opportunities through education and sport, which enables them to develop confidence and to feel part of the community. Children say they are proud of their achievements, for example in boxing and football.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff are ambitious for the children and have high aspirations for them. The majority of children are in education and are achieving well. There are excellent links with the local college, ensuring a seamless approach to supporting children to thrive in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children get along well with staff and the other children living with them. Children often share meals together, and staff support children to develop their confidence in cooking and build their skills towards greater independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children observe their culture and faith; the staff support them to do this, and the provider has good connections with local groups to promote this. Children are provided with items to enable them to practise their culture, such as religious texts and prayer mats. This means children feel valued and sure that their individuality and uniqueness is important.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The homes are well maintained and furnished to a good standard. They are homely and welcoming and cater to children’s individual needs. They provide children with everything they need to live independently. Communal areas provide children with places to relax and socialise. Children have a sense of belonging and are proud of their homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children generally move on from their home in a planned way. The provider recognises that the move-on process for children can be challenging at times, and they work closely with other professionals to ensure this is managed well and children are supported throughout. The manager and staff advocate for children to ensure they receive the support they need when they take their next steps.

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How well children are helped and protected

The environment is safe and supportive for children.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff know each of the children well. They are adaptive in the support they offer and build strong relationships with children, which enables them to grow in confidence. Staff recognise the impact of trauma on the children and are mindful of this in the work they do, giving children time and space when appropriate and providing a safe space to talk when needed. Children say that staff support them well.

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How well children are helped and protected

The training and supervision that staff receive help them to fulfil their role and increase their knowledge and skills to support children. This helps children to feel safe in their home and to feel able to tell staff if they have any worries or concerns. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Halfway Limited 3 Leaders and managers complete appropriate pre-employment checks to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities of the children. The staff know how to consider individual children’s risks, for example the risk of illegal working and exploitation. The staff recognise how the trauma children have experienced may impact on their behaviour. They seek to understand children and their experiences, and this enables children to feel protected and well supported.

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How well children are helped and protected

Feedback from other professionals, such as social workers and college staff, is positive. Professionals say the provider communicates well with them, providing detailed monthly reports that look at all important aspects of the child’s life. Professionals say they are confident that children’s needs are prioritised and that children are safe and happy. There have been no complaints from children.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children rarely go missing from their homes. Staff speak confidently about how they support children when they are upset or worried. Serious incidents and behaviours that challenge staff do not happen often, and when incidents do occur, they are managed well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers are passionate about the work they do. They are experienced and strive to improve the outcomes for the children they support. A particular strength of the service is their knowledge of and links with local community organisations, which enables them to access a good range of opportunities for children to achieve their goals and aspirations, both culturally and socially.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers are physically present and know each of the children and staff well. While considering which children would be the most suitable for supported accommodation, they think carefully about which children are likely to live well together, and this helps to ensure that where children live is safe and comfortable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff speak highly of leaders and enjoy working in the organisation. They feel that their views are heard and say their managers are available, supportive and approachable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers ensure staff receive good-quality external supervision and reflective practice, which enables them to work with children in a way that is consistent with the ethos and values of the service. This also ensures staff are well supported to manage the challenges that may arise in their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers record safeguarding concerns and share these in a timely manner with the children’s social workers. However, since registration, they have Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Halfway Limited 4 failed to notify Ofsted of one serious incident involving the police. This prevents Ofsted’s oversight of how the provider responds to protect children from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The provider uses a mix of electronic and paper-based records, which is functional. However, leaders and managers recognise that a more cohesive system would make future access to records more streamlined for children. Leaders and managers have a plan in place to improve the system, which will ensure children’s records are more accessible should they wish to see them in the future. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Halfway Limited 5

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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 notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if —

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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)(b)(f)) 24 April 2026

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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: The Halfway Limited 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: The Halfway Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Simon Medley

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: simon.medley@btinternet.com

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Inspector

Karen O’Neill, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Halfway Limited 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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