The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 1 The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd Registered provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent living ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

A private provider owns this supported accommodation service. It provides up to 3 group living premises that are limited to looked-after children and care leavers. At the time of the inspection, the service provided supported accommodation for 7 children aged 16 and 17 years, all of whom were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

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provider

The children receive daily support, including support out of hours should they need it. One premises has a staff member present 24 hours a day. The support offered can vary to meet each child's individual needs.

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provider

The organisation and the service manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 11 May 2026 and started that day. The inspector was on site from 13 to 15 May 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.

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Summary of findings

Since Ofsted's last full inspection, the provider has introduced a deputy manager who now oversees compliance, governance, and administrative processes. Since the appointment, a new recording and HR system have been introduced, which help leaders and managers to have greater oversight of the service they provide.

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Summary of findings

Safer recruitment and staff training are now centrally monitored. However, gaps in records are still evident. One longstanding staff member has not undertaken the expected training, and another staff member lacks any formal record of reference checks. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 2 Audits of properties are more robust with the introduction of a new maintenance log. Repairs are tracked and dealt with promptly. However, the properties sampled lacked a homely feel. One property lacked an appropriate living room space for children to socialise. Another property's kitchen raised health and safety concerns, which had not been chased up.

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Summary of findings

Children and staff reported feeling happy and well supported within the organisation. Staff reported receiving regular supervision, but gaps in records were noted. Professionals raised no concerns regarding the support staff offer the children and are kept up to date with key developments and monthly reports.

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Summary of findings

All children are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, but there is limited evidence of engagement with specialist external services for support and guidance. Key documents, including house rules and the children guide, are not yet accessible for children with communication barriers. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children

All children contributed to the inspection and did not raise any concerns. Children report that they feel safe and settled in their accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Homes are situated in locations that enable children to access local amenities, supporting their sense of community and independence. Although some homes include homely features, the overall environment does not consistently promote a nurturing, family-style atmosphere. While an improved maintenance system is in place, it has not been effective in identifying and addressing all repairs, including issues that could present a potential fire risk. In one home, communal spaces are not fit for purpose, with limited living and dining facilities relative to the number of residents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children describe having positive and trusting relationships with staff. They report feeling comfortable to raise worries or make complaints, indicating that staff are approachable and responsive. One child referred to a 'family' atmosphere in the home and stated that careful consideration has been given to matching children, resulting in harmonious living arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children report that they feel listened to and respected. Staff state that the training and support provided by managers equips them with the knowledge and confidence to meet a diverse range of needs. However, there is little evidence of regular house meetings or structured group activities to promote social interaction and community living. Although managers have identified this as a priority and are considering allocating resources, this has not yet been fully implemented.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The quality of recording is inconsistent. While staff demonstrate a willingness to support children, this is not always reflected clearly in documentation. A lack of clarity in records makes it difficult to track progress effectively. When progress is noted, the provider captures this, for example, through photographic memory books. Risk assessments and support plans are in place, but these vary in quality and format, and there is limited evidence that children are actively involved in co- producing their plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Systems, such as cleaning rotas, support children to understand shared responsibility and develop self-care skills. There is evidence that children are supported to prepare for adulthood from the age of 17, including developing tenancy management skills as part of their transition planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most children are engaged in education. When children are not in education, employment or training, plans are in place to support them into suitable alternative provision. Some children demonstrate clear aspirations for their future. The provider is in the process of introducing reward schemes to further promote positive behaviour. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 4 Staff demonstrate some awareness of the additional vulnerabilities experienced by unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. There is evidence that some information is translated to support children's understanding, for example, when warning letters are issued.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children said that they understand the house rules, including expectations around behaviour and safety. They said that they know what to do in an emergency and who to contact if they have concerns. However, key documents, including house rules and the young people's guide, are not yet accessible for children with communication barriers.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff work proactively with placing and host authorities to respond to children's changing and emerging needs. However, there is limited evidence of risk assessments being consistently completed at the point of admission and clearly aligning with referral information. This reduces assurance that risks are fully understood from the outset. Safety measures, including CCTV, room searches and window restrictions are in place. However, their use is not always clearly linked to individual risk assessments. This limits transparency and may result in disproportionate or inconsistent practice.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and inform managers and social workers of significant incidents in a timely manner. Staff show an awareness of the whistleblowing policy, the role of the designated safeguarding lead and the local authority designated officer process.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff show professional curiosity in seeking to understand the reasons behind children going missing and use this insight to inform care planning and promote safer behaviours. However, while curfews are in place, staff do not routinely monitor these. This reduces the provider's awareness of children's whereabouts, which impacts on the accuracy of the notifiable incidents recorded.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff support children's emotional wellbeing and manage their behaviour in a respectful manner. They demonstrate an understanding of de-escalation and distraction techniques, which they use effectively to reduce incidents. When incidents do occur, they are recorded appropriately, with some evidence of updates to risk and support plans. Targeted interventions, such as the use of warning letters, have been applied appropriately to address specific behaviours and promote positive change.

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How well children are helped and protected

A revised induction framework has been introduced to strengthen the consistency and quality of staff induction and probation processes. Although a training matrix has been developed, gaps remain. Not all staff have completed the provider's mandatory training in expected timescales. In some cases, training has been scheduled on days when staff are not available to attend. This limits staff preparedness and presents a potential safeguarding risk. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers show a commitment to improving systems and processes within the service. External professionals report having positive relationships with leaders and managers. Communication is described as open and effective, with managers providing appropriate support, including outside of standard working hours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Senior leaders have improved their awareness of the strengths and areas for development across the service. For example, new systems are beginning to enable the identification of patterns and trends in children's behaviour, but these systems are not yet being fully utilised. As a result, opportunities to learn from incidents and improve practice are not consistently achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Management meetings take place on a quarterly basis. Due to the length of time between meetings, agendas are extensive, which reduces their effectiveness. The long gaps also affect the timeliness of some decisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Recruitment processes are not consistently robust. Records are now held centrally, but some files contain gaps in employment history and references. There is limited evidence of formal interview evaluation or management oversight in respect of recruitment decisions. These shortfalls weaken safer recruitment practice and increase potential risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff have a general awareness of the needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children but there is limited evidence of engagement with specialist external services. Leaders and managers have not yet established links with relevant organisations, nor commissioned bespoke training, despite supporting a whole cohort of children who fall into this category.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff report receiving monthly supervision and attend regular team meetings. These include reflective discussions and training updates. While supervision is more consistently offered with an improved template, records do not always reflect the frequency or quality of these discussions. Plans to introduce a formal appraisal system are not yet implemented. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 6

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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 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 staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills appropriate for the work that they are to perform;

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Requirement Due date

implement recruitment practices that ensure staff are suitable to work with children and to keep them safe from harm(1);

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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)(c)(e)(g)) 26 June 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;

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Requirement Due date

are suitable for the purposes of supported accommodation and are accessible, safe, secure, and well maintained; 26 June 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 7 offer a comfortable, positive, and nurturing environment, while respecting children's need for privacy

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Requirement Due date

are adequately maintained so as to provide a welcoming and homely environment within both individual and shared living spaces;

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Requirement Due date

are designed, furnished, and maintained to remove avoidable hazards which could pose a health and safety risk to children;

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Requirement Due date

comply with all relevant statutory provisions dealing with health and safety or fire safety matters;

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Requirement Due date

only use devices for monitoring or surveillance in communal areas and then only if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(c)(i))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that processes are in place to enable children to access support from other organisations and community services, such that they are encouraged and enabled to access a range of services, including those offered by advocacy organisations and training providers;

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Requirement Due date

before a child arrives or upon a child's arrival, ensure that the child is given a written guide, in an accessible format, containing information about— 26 June 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 8 the support and accommodation provided by the supported accommodation undertaking;

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available, how the child may access that support or those services, and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy;

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representation in relation to the support and accommodation provided and how any such complaint or representation will be dealt with;

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Requirement Due date

what services and facilities are available that take account of children's needs arising as a result of cultural differences or disability;

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Requirement Due date

and which the registered person must keep under review, seeking children's comments before revising the written guide. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(a)(b)(g)(j)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that for supported accommodation settings to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of young people, they will always be homely and welcoming environments. Supported accommodation settings must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, fire, food storage, and hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, settings should seek as much as possible to maintain a domestic rather than 'institutional' impression. ('Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards', page 29)

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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 Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 9

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent living ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Mary Longe-Raheem

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: ehepzibah@theanchorservices.co.uk

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Inspector

Chris Jay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: The Anchor Services - Semi Independent Living Ltd 10 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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