WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd 1 WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd Registered provider: Wellcome Supported Lodging Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is owned and managed by a private provider.

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provider

The service can accommodate up to 9 children and young people in 2 non- ringfenced shared accommodation premises.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, the service was not providing any support for children aged 16 and 17. There were 4 young people living in the accommodation who had moved in when they were aged 17.

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provider

The service registered with Ofsted on 13 May 2024. This is its first inspection.

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provider

The service manager has been registered with Ofsted since 13 May 2024.

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Inspection dates: 22 to 26 June 2026

The inspection was announced on 22 June 2026 and started that day. The inspector was on site on 24 to 26 June 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 benefit from stable, nurturing support, which enables them to make good transitions into independent living.

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Summary of findings

Children are happy and safe. There are no safeguarding concerns or issues with missing, exploitation, radicalisation or extremism. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd 2 Children all make progress and their diverse needs are met.

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from living within a service that has compassionate, effective and responsive leadership.

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Summary of findings

Future plans include developing the service for 16- and 17-year-olds. Currently, the organisation is not accepting children under 18.

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Summary of findings

Shortfalls are minor and they have minimal impact. They relate to recording gaps in employment, property maintenance, including the category of registration in the statement of purpose. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children benefit from stable, nurturing support, which is understanding of their needs and their experiences. Children enjoy living at their accommodation and they are happy. Children become more resilient, confident and experience a sense of belonging. One personal adviser said their child has been ‘well supported throughout’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children receive the right support to follow their religion and celebrate the festivals that are important to them, and this helps to ensure the diversity of individual needs is the focus of support. For example, the provider gives additional resources to enable children to celebrate Eid together. During Ramadan, children experience a sense of community through collectively breaking their fast. Children have a positive self-identity, and they also celebrate their birthdays in their homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

All children make progress. A personal adviser commented on the ‘good progress’ their child had made. There is a culture of not giving up on children and relentlessly supporting them to achieve their goals. These factors help children to build trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children receive encouragement to engage in education, employment or training. School attendance is good. One child received a commendation for their attendance and positive attitude. Staff help children to find courses that they are interested in and help them to enrol.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children benefit from good health arrangements. Staff offer the option of escorting children to their health appointments. This is primarily to help unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, who may have English as an additional language. Children receive support to lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes joining a local gym.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children learn the practical and interpersonal skills needed for adult life. The organisation follows the local authority’s independent living skills programme. Children learn skills that include budgeting, and they take responsibility for their household chores. Children also learn about their rights and entitlements, which helps with their transition into independent living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children aspire for the future. Children meet regularly with their named workers to discuss their individualised needs and goals. Children praise the level of support they receive. One child is applying for their driving licence and passport. Staff do not consistently produce a support plan for every child when they move in. Informal plans are based on the child’s pathway plan and presenting needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The managers place good emphasis on the emotional readiness for independent life, alongside the practical skills children need. Children have the chance to develop and move on from their accommodation at their own pace. This enables them to successfully maintain a housing tenancy when they leave. Young people also benefit Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd 4 from assistance with moving into their own property and ongoing telephone support is readily available.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The properties offer children a small family-style living environment. The properties blend into the residential areas. Each child benefits from their own bedroom, some have an en-suite shower room. Children share a kitchen and a television. Both properties also have a garden.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The premises are comfortable. Children are generally happy with the quality of their accommodation, describing it as ‘nice’. Some areas within the accommodation are not well maintained. There is scuffed and peeling paintwork, and cracks in a wood frame and a wall. At one of the properties, covers are used to cover sofas that are in disrepair. Light bulbs are missing in light fitments. Dining areas do not have any seating, and children are not provided with seating in their room. None of the doorbells are working.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children live in a setting where they feel safe and settled. Professionals do not have any safeguarding concerns. The accommodation provides a stable base for children. There is mutual respect between children and staff. There are no safeguarding concerns or issues with missing, exploitation, radicalisation or extremism.

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How well children are helped and protected

The organisation does not accept referrals for children who present with high risks. There have been no incidents that require a notification to Ofsted. If children break the house rules, staff sensitively work with children, and they do not use punitive consequences to manage challenges. The provider has not had to end any placements, which enable young people to move out in a planned manner.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children receive appropriate support to help them to manage their emotions in ways that are better for them. There are improvements in children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. Specialist help is available for children, an example being counselling. Children have help to develop self-care strategies, which enable them to manage their emotional and mental health more confidently.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children learn the importance of keeping safe and what a healthy relationship looks like. Staff provide guidance on personal safety, recognising exploitation and who to contact if emergencies arise. Staff have completed safeguarding training, and they are aware of the safeguarding procedure.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children learn to live together more amicably and to resolve any conflicts positively. Careful planning around which children are more suited to living together assists in ensuring that children benefit from harmonious group living. Where issues arise, mediation and group activities enable children to appreciate each other’s personal circumstances. A young person affectionately called the other young people living with him as ‘his brothers’. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd 5 Children know how to make a complaint. The registered service manager resolves any disagreements or areas of concern effectively. Children’s views are listened to and appropriately acted on, an example being a request for deep cleaning of the accommodation to be increased.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers generally follow safe recruitment procedures. Prior to staff starting work, managers ensure references and disclosure checks are obtained. One staff member was able to give managers a satisfactory explanation of gaps in their employment, but this was not recorded.

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How well children are helped and protected

The staff and managers appropriately monitor health and safety. They encourage the children to get involved in taking responsibility for their living environment in preparation for adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Children benefit from living within a service that has compassionate and effective leadership. The organisation is managed by a highly experienced social worker. The registered service manager has a strong commitment to only accepting children who are ready for independence and are nearing their 18th birthday. Currently, the organisation is not accepting children under 18. Leaders and managers pride themselves on their good social work decision-making, which is child centred.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager readily works in partnership with involved professionals and advocates for children, focusing on children’s best interests. A charity professional praised the ‘amazing teamwork’ and the provider going ‘above and beyond’ to meet a child’s needs. Personal advisers regularly receive informative reports, which enables them to keep updated on their children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Children and professionals commend the responsiveness of the management team and staff. The organisation has a long-standing contract with the host authority, which enables local children to live in their community. A personal adviser praised the ‘continued dedication’ which they ‘truly valued.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Children benefit from a service where staff feel well supported. New staff receive a structured induction and access to a wide range of training. Staff receive regular reflective supervision, which highlights their strengths and enables them to develop professionally. The current floating support arrangements are sufficient for children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager has a good understanding of the strengths and the areas for improvement. For example, the highlighted maintenance issues are being addressed. The updated statement of purpose omitted the category of registration, non-ringfenced accommodation. The nominated individual who, was also a director, recently left the organisation and there are plans in place to identify a suitable replacement. Quality assurance focuses on monitoring and improving the service for children. The registered service manager is currently focusing on developing the service for 16- and 17-year-olds in a newly acquired property. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: WellCome Supported Lodging 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 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. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(v)(vi)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is suitable dining seating, seating in children’s rooms and sofas are in a good state of repair, that paintwork is refreshed and all doorbells and light bulbs are working. 1 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the following matters in respect of the supported accommodation undertaking—

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Requirement Due date

the category or categories of supported accommodation it offers. (Regulation 9 (1)(b)) 1 September 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment practices are in place that ensure that staff are fit to work with young people. In particular, ensure that gaps Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd 7 in employment are recorded. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 16)  The registered person should ensure that staff work with the accommodating authority to produce and deliver a plan for support that meets all the needs of the young person and helps them work towards positive personal outcomes. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 34)

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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: WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd 8

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Wellcome Supported Lodging Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Unit 1, 527 Green Lane, Ilford IG3 9RH

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: info@wellcomesupportedlodging.co.uk

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Inspector

Sharon Payne, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: WellCome Supported Lodging Ltd 9 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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