Freshstart Care Solutions

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Freshstart Care Solutions 1 Freshstart Care Solutions Registered provider: Freshstart Care Solutions

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is operated by a private provider. They can accommodate up to 17 individuals across 7 properties. At the time of this inspection, 3 looked-after children aged 16 and 17 were accommodated in one non-ring-fenced shared property.

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provider

The service manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 16 March 2026 and started that day. The inspector was on site on 18 and 19 March 2026.

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Outcome

Inconsistent quality of service delivery adversely affects some children’s experiences, and this may limit their progress. Leaders and managers must make improvements. The next inspection will be within approximately 18 months.

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Summary of findings

Staff have nurturing relationships with children. Children feel positive about the support they receive. They are happy, have fun and enjoy their living environment.

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Summary of findings

Children feel safe in their home. However, leaders and managers’ responses to some specific risks are not always as strong or effective as they should be.

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Summary of findings

Accommodation is of a generally good standard. This helps children to take pride in their environment and respect their surroundings.

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Summary of findings

A small consistent team of staff help children to develop their independence skills, helping them to prepare for adult life.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers’ oversight and quality assurance of the service are not consistently effective. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Freshstart Care Solutions 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children are supported by staff who know them well. Staff work across the provider’s children’s home and supported accommodation. Children experience continuity of support from staff

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff spend time with children to help them develop practical life skills. They do tasks together such as cooking, cleaning and shopping. Staff record activities that have been completed but do not record progress clearly One child said they no longer need support for most things, however, they know they will get it if they ask staff for help.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children have support to engage in education and training, and the staff are understanding in their approach to helping them. Staff know that children may have had poor experiences of school in the past, which can be a barrier to their engagement. All are provided with tutors to support their academic achievement. Staff liaise with education providers, including colleges. One child attended college and successfully gained a qualification towards their chosen profession.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff help children to maintain significant relationships and regularly check in on children when they spend time alone, which reduces isolation. Children have mobile phones and access to Wi-Fi throughout their homes, which helps them feel connected to others. Family members are included in social events. Children identify this as a strength of the support they receive. One child happily spoke of the support she got to get her passport to use for travel with a family member.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to move on from the service. One child said they want to remain with this provider. Leaders and managers are exploring this with the placing authority. Children who have left the service keep in touch and are positive about their transition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s accommodation is generally well maintained, welcoming and homely. The quality of the furniture and furnishings is of a high standard across the 2 properties visited. The rooms are well kept and comfortable. However, although children have personalised their bedrooms, the lounges are impersonal, detracting from the otherwise homely environment.

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How well children are helped and protected

Some children have been identified as being at risk of particular harms. This is reflected in their support plans and risk assessments. Staff engage in relevant training to help improve their knowledge and skills to identify and act on signs of harm. However, the interventions from staff do not go far enough to reduce the risks for some children.

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How well children are helped and protected

The number of occasions when children have gone missing has been high. Although staff take some action in response to these incidents, leaders and managers do not sufficiently explore the reasons children go missing with the placing authority. This Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Freshstart Care Solutions 3 limits their understanding of these and other risks and means support plans are not always effective or reflective of the cumulative risks.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff support children to live alongside each other by mediating and addressing issues which may arise between them. This helps children to learn about compromise and respect in relationships.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children take responsibility for administering their own medication and learn to maintain their physical health. Staff ask children about their emotional and physical wellbeing and accompany them to appointments. Staff work with specialist services when children need additional help, for example with their use of substances. Children access help quickly when they need it most.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The nominated individual and registered service manager are aspirational for children. However, these aspirations have not consistently led to good oversight. They both know the children well and are child centred in their approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers’ oversight of written records, including support plans, risk assessments and appraisals, is weak.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The staff team have the skills to work with vulnerable children. Staff employed to work in the service can gain formal qualifications related to their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff have regular supervision from leaders and managers. They share good practice and reflect on how they meet children’s needs. Monthly team meetings and management discussions provide further opportunities for reflection and oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers complete staff appraisals. However, these do not include feedback from children, colleagues and external professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager does not consistently report all serious notifiable incidents to Ofsted. This means that Ofsted was unable to review these incidents in a timely manner. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Freshstart Care Solutions 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child goes missing repeatedly or engages in other risky behaviours, the accommodating authority, in consultation with the registered person and the child’s key workers, should convene a risk management meeting to develop a strategy for managing risks to the child, which should be reflected in their support plan. The strategy should be agreed with the child’s accommodating authority, the local authority where the setting is located if different from the accommodating authority, and the local police. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 55)  The registered person should ensure that they have effective oversight. There needs to be an appropriate management and organisational structure to support oversight. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 5)  The registered person should ensure that they consider the frequency of incidents

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Recommendations

and judge whether their cumulative effect makes notification appropriate even if each event in isolation would not warrant this. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 60)

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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: Freshstart Care Solutions 5

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Freshstart Care Solutions

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Supported accommodation provider details

Nominated individual: Antoinette Nottidge-Everest

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Judith Ighavodha

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: info@freshstartcaresolutions.co.uk

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Inspector

Clare Hannah, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Freshstart Care Solutions 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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