Dwell-In Social Care Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 1 Dwell-In Social Care Ltd Registered provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd

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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 in the East Midlands area. The provider can accommodate up to 14 children in total. This includes in 7 shared or group living premises that are not limited to accommodating looked-after children or care leavers.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, 5 looked-after children aged 16 or 17 were being accommodated.

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provider

The service manager applied to register with Ofsted in February 2026.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 27 April 2026 and started that day. The inspectors were on site from 29 to 30 April 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 within approximately 3 years.

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Summary of findings

Children are positive about their accommodation and the support they receive from staff. They develop independent living skills to help them move into their own accommodation.

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Summary of findings

Staff understand each child’s individual needs. This shapes the support they provide. Staff promote opportunities for children who are not in education, training or employment.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have strong oversight of the service. They ensure that children receive well-coordinated support. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children make progress. They are positive about the support from staff and where they live. Children personalise their living space. One child said, ‘The flat is lovely, the people are nice and the staff are so supportive.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children build independent living skills with support from staff. They learn how to budget, cook and look after their accommodation. This prepares them well for adult life. During the visit, one child was cooking a Spanish casserole.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children have clear aspirations. Staff know each child’s background and needs well. They encourage learning and new experiences. One child does voluntary work with animals. Another child went on to study at university. Staff and an external agency support children with job applications and interviews.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff build strong and trusting relationships with children. They work in a sensitive way and speak about children with warmth and care. This helps children settle and feel safe. Children value the trust placed in them as they develop independence. Staff celebrate events and achievements with children, such as birthdays and education awards.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Social workers are positive about the support children receive from staff. They say that children are happy and settled. They feel that staff communicate well. Their practice is child centred and there is good management oversight. Staff complete monthly reports. These provide an overview of children’s experiences across different areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers ensure that there is a guide for children. It does not always make clear what is available for a child when they move in. For example, it does not account for individual needs, such as culture and disability. Information about how support works, including advocacy, is unclear. Children are aware of the support available to them from conversations with staff.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff support children to look after their health. They register them with doctors, dentists and opticians. Staff help children build the confidence to manage their own health needs. For example, they help children manage their medication in line with growing independence.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers ensure that children’s plans meet their needs. Staff keep these up to date. They understand what each child needs to keep safe. One social worker said, ‘[Name of child] is safe within the placement. There are clear and robust safety plans in place.’

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff work one-to-one with children on what matters to them. The work reflects what is happening in their lives and their views. For example, sessions cover Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 3 wellbeing, safety and relationships. Staff encourage children to take part at their own pace.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers ensure that accommodation for children is well maintained. They take account of the local area. There is access to amenities, such as shops. This helps children live in suitable accommodation where they can develop independence. However, leaders and managers do not always keep fire risk assessments up to date.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers report serious incidents to safeguarding agencies. At times, they wait for further detail. This has led to some delay in notifying Ofsted. However, leaders and managers ensure that they safeguard children and liaise with agencies.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers support children who are parents. They understand their roles and responsibilities. However, there are no procedures or training in place for staff in this area. This creates risks for children who are parents as staff practice is not supported by training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have strong oversight of the service and know children well. Systems support this and give a clear picture of daily practice. They have a good understanding of what is happening in the service. They work in line with their statement of purpose. They remain child focused and understand each child’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers review the quality of support that children receive. This highlights what is working well and what needs to improve. They consult children and partner agencies, although this area could be further developed to also include staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers ensure that children moving in are ready for supported accommodation. They assess each child’s needs. They ensure that placements for children are safe and suitable. This helps children settle into their placement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff have regular supervision with managers. They talk about wellbeing, training and children. They are positive about their work and the support provided. Staff have access to training and appraisals that support their development. Team meetings are also in place to promote shared learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not set out expectations for staff in the workforce plan. This includes induction, probation, training, supervision and how they manage performance. In practice, the probation process is unclear and hard to follow. Staff do not have a clear structure at the start of their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff notify agencies when a child goes missing from their home. When a child returns home, they offer support and follow up with direct work. Leaders and managers have procedures in place that reflect children’s individual needs. However, Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 4 reporting timescales vary for children with lower levels of support. This does not align with national or local guidance. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 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 protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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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

prepare and implement child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(b)(f)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that safeguarding policies and staff training take into account situations where children are parents. 14 June 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they adhere to all legal requirements to run all aspects of their service. This includes their responsibilities regarding the buildings they use and associated health and safety considerations, including fire safety requirements. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 31)  The registered person should ensure that the young person’s guide is reflective of how the service operates. This includes how they support children around their individual needs and include details about advocacy services and the children’s commissioner. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, pages 42 and 43)  The registered person should ensure that their workforce plan sets out the arrangements for induction, probation, core training, managing and addressing poor performance and supervision of staff. (‘Guide to the Supported

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Recommendations

Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, pages 47 and 48) Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 6  The registered person should ensure that their missing child policy has clear measures to keep all children safe and to report any child missing from their home within appropriate timescales. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, pages 54 and 55)  The registered person should ensure that all serious events are notified to Ofsted without delay. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, pages 60 and 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: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 7

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 3 Canberra House, Priors Haw Road, Corby Gate Business Park, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 5JG

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Supported accommodation provider details

Proposed registered service manager: Tamara Summerley

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: enquiries@dwellinsocialcare.co.uk

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Inspectors

Amanda Cooper, Social Care Inspector Emily Stevens, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Dwell-In Social Care Ltd 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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