Dreamss

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

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is owned and operated by a private provider. The service provides up to 11 group living premises that are limited to accommodating looked after children and care leavers, and 8 single-occupancy premises.

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provider

The provider can accommodate up to 65 children. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing support for 35 children aged 16 and 17.

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provider

The service manager, who is also the sole director and nominated individual, registered with Ofsted in January 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this monitoring visit in response to concerns that the provider was operating outside of their conditions of registration by admitting children to their single occupancy premises, who are not yet ready to safely live alone.

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This monitoring visit

As part of the monitoring visit, the inspector met with the registered service manager, spoke to staff members and contacted the placing authorities for some of the children.

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This monitoring visit

All of the children living in single occupancy premises have complex needs that require a minimum of one-to-one support from a staff member 24 hours a day. For 2 of these children, their needs are so complex that they require 2 staff members to provide their support. The risks to these children include, but are not limited to, exploitation, physical and verbal aggression towards others, the carrying of weapons, sexualised behaviours and radicalisation. The registered manager’s Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Dreamss 2 decision to admit these children demonstrates a failure to operate within The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023.

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This monitoring visit

For some children, their placements have been agreed with high levels of support to manage complex risks and keep children safe from the onset. While for other children, new and emerging risks have resulted in children moving from group living premises to single occupancy premises with increased staff supervision. As a result, the registered service manager is operating their solo occupancy premises outside of the conditions of their registration.

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This monitoring visit

Recorded strategies to reduce risks to children are restrictive and intrusive. For example, the monitoring of calls and social media, location monitoring through Global Positioning Systems (GPS) on children’s mobile phones and supervised community activities. Furthermore, children are not involved in decisions about their support. The registered service manager said that poor oversight of children’s risk assessments had led to incorrect information being recorded in these plans. This raises concerns about how children are being supported effectively through consistent strategies, and how managers ensure they have oversight of the service and children’s support arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s register does not record the required information. For example, the date the child moved into the service or the address where each child resides before and after their time spent living in this service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Dreamss 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard 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 work effectively as a team, where appropriate, to meet the needs of children;

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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)(b)(f)) 3 May 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 children are encouraged and enabled to take a lead role in determining the support they receive and to participate in and influence how the supported accommodation operates; 3 May 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Dreamss 4 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

co-operate with the child's accommodating authority in agreeing the child's placement plan or, as the case may be, pathway plan. (Regulation 7 (1)(2)(a)(c)(d))

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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. (Regulation 25 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d) 3 May 2026

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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: Dreamss 5

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Cecelia Russell

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Inspector

Beth Forster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Dreamss 6 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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