Upwards Care Solutions

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Upwards Care Solutions 1 Upwards Care Solutions Registered provider: Upwards Care Solutions Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

A private provider operates this service. It offers accommodation for up to 93 children in 29 group-living homes for the use of looked-after children and care leavers. The provider operates in North East Yorkshire and Humber and the North West area.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, 37 looked-after children or care leavers, aged 16 and 17, were using the service.

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provider

The service registered with Ofsted in May 2024. The registered service manager post has been vacant since August 2025, and the nominated individual post has been vacant since February 2026. A new nominated individual has submitted an application to Ofsted.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 23 March and started that day. The inspectors were on site from 25 to 27 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

Leaders and managers now have clear and consistent expectations for staff and managers across the organisation. This has helped to improve practice.

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Summary of findings

Children are becoming increasingly safe and are making progress towards their individual goals.

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Summary of findings

There are occasions when leaders and managers are too slow to address the impact that children’s behaviours may have on other children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Upwards Care Solutions 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most of the children spoken to said that they like where they live and feel supported by the staff. In one home children consistently described the culture as one of a ‘family unit’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers carefully consider the needs of children before agreeing their placements. The new admissions procedures ensure that only children who are ready to live in supported accommodation move in. Leaders and managers who carry out this assessment work receive training to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to carry out this work in line with the organisations statement of purpose.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Increasingly, children are engaged in education, training or employment. For those children who are not, staff work to identify barriers and help children to develop self confidence to achieve their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are welcomed into their new home by staff who have the skills to meet their needs. For example, staff working in these premises are often selected because of their multilingual skills. Cultural and religious needs are quickly identified and met through links in the local community. Particular attention is paid to children’s past experiences and the impact of these on children’s physical and mental health. Staff work closely with specialist agencies to ensure that this cohort of children receive the support that they require to settle into their new communities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

For some children, the design of the accommodation that they live in has negatively impacted on their experiences and their health. Two premises visited have small ‘box bedrooms’ where children do not have enough room to store their personal belongings or relax. One child who is particularly tall, choose to move out of the premises to live with a family member due to discomfort sleeping in a single bed. Leaders and managers failed to identify that this was not suitable at the time the child moved into the premises.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

When children express dissatisfaction with an element of their support, or their accommodation, leaders and managers fail to recognise or record this as a complaint unless children complete a formal complaints form. This does not help children to feel valued or listened to. Equally, children’s concerns are not consistently addressed.

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How well children are helped and protected

For most children, they live with peers who they can safely cohabit with, without any cause for concern. However, for some children the known needs of their peers negatively impact upon their health and wellbeing. For example, one child said that they had to move out of the premises for a short period of time due to their peer’s daily cannabis use. Staff and managers failed to address the behaviour of concern in line with their own policy. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Upwards Care Solutions 3 When children are thought to have dangerous or illegal items in their bedrooms, staff do not consistently carry out room searches. Staff spoken to had different views about entering children’s bedrooms without their permission or consent. As a result, children remain exposed to these items that may cause them harm.

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How well children are helped and protected

Significant developments have been made to ensure that children are co-designing their support. Children’s views, thoughts and feelings are now at the centre of their plans and kept under regular review by staff and the child. This helps children to develop autonomy over their lives as they near adulthood.

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How well children are helped and protected

Similarly, direct work focuses on children’s areas of development and vulnerability. Because children are involved in the design of their support their engagement with direct work sessions has improved. When required, staff support children to access specialist help from other agencies who are skilled to meet children’s individual needs. This helps children to learn the skills that they need to live independently in the future.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff know and understand children’s vulnerabilities. Most of the staff spoken to were curious about children safety. They use their professional curiosity to understand if children are at risk. Sharing information about changes in children’s needs or new emerging needs is now standard practice in the organisation. This helps to ensure that children receive the right support at the right time to become increasingly safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The directors have failed to appoint a suitable person to manage the service since August 2025. Additionally, following a restructure the nominated individual has relinquished their role and moved on from the organisation. Directors of the organisation have adopted operational roles to provide increased oversight during this period. Whilst a multi-layer management structure is in place to ensure the day to day running of the service is safe and in line with organisational policies. This structure has minimised the impact of the registered managers post remaining vacant for over 6 months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Revised policies and procedures have been implemented in the organisation and these better align with statutory guidance and regulations. While carrying out a review of these policies, leaders and managers consulted with a range of stakeholders to ensure the changes made are effective. Although these changes are now in place, they are not yet fully embedded in practice. Leaders and managers continue to work to implement their new approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The mandatory training offer provides staff with a broader range of knowledge and skills that better reflects the needs of the children living in the premises. However, not all staff have completed their training. As a result, leaders and managers cannot assure themselves that staff have the skills and knowledge they need to carry out their duties. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Upwards Care Solutions 4 Safer recruitment practice and staff induction programmes have significantly improved, and there is also now a focus on learning from reflective practice. This is gradually being embedded across the organisation. For example, reflective supervision, post incident reflection and monthly reflective sessions with the children take place. Staff said that they benefit from this new reflective approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have designed and implemented a formal monitoring system to help them to understand the areas of strength across the service, and those areas that require development. This monitoring system allows leaders and managers to identify patterns and trends for individual children but also across geographical areas. As a result, actions are quickly identified and completed. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Upwards Care Solutions 5

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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 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 arrangements are in place for the supervision, training and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(g)) 27 May 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 designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child individually and all children collectively. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(v)) 27 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

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. 27 May 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Upwards Care Solutions 6 (Regulation 7(1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint an individual to manage the supported accommodation undertaking if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered service manager in respect of the undertaking, and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the supported accommodation undertaking. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 27 May 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a policy on staff entering children’s bedrooms and that this is communicated from the outset to all children. young. A child’s bedroom should not generally be entered without their permission or advance notice, such as for a facilities inspection where relevant. Immediate searching without permission may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a safety risk to the child or another person. If staff need to enter a child’s bedroom without permission or advance notice, they should inform the child that they are entering the room and explain the purposes for entering immediately. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including the Quality Standards’, page 30)  The registered person should ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

Supported Accommodation Regulations, including the Quality Standards’, page 61)

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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: Upwards Care Solutions 7

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Upwards Care Solutions Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Suit 1, 4th Floor Building, 1 Wilson Business Park, Monsall Road, Manchester M40 8WN

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Nominated individual:

Email address: kuda@upwardscaresolutions.com

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Inspectors

Beth Forster, Social Care Inspector Chris Jay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Upwards Care Solutions 8 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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