Cura Living Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Cura Living Ltd 1 Cura Living Ltd Registered provider: Cura Living Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

provider

This supported accommodation service is operated by a private provider. The service provides 4 group living premises that are limited to accommodating looked-after children and care leavers.

p.1

provider

At the time of the inspection, the service was providing support for 4 children.

p.1

provider

The service registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

p.1

provider

There has been no registered service manager since March 2026.

p.1

provider

The nominated individual registered with Ofsted in February 2025. They were not present during the inspection.

p.1

Inspection dates: 1 and 2 July 2026

The inspection was announced on 29 June 2026 and started that day. The inspectors were on site on 1 and 2 July 2026.

p.1

Outcome

Serious or widespread weaknesses lead to significant concerns about the experiences and progress of children. Leaders and managers must take urgent action to address failings.

p.1

Summary of findings

The social care regulatory inspectors found significant concerns relating to the leadership and management of the service and the safeguarding of children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Cura Living Ltd 2 The children living in the homes have risks and high support needs that are not in line with supported accommodation. Leaders have not considered these when assessing whether the staff have the skills to meet the children's needs, or that the new children will live safely with those already in the home. This has left children at risk of serious harm.

p.1

Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff have the skills, training and guidance to provide safe and effective support to children. There are also shortfalls in safer recruitment practices, which mean that unsuitable staff could be employed to support children.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

Managers fail to ensure that suitable arrangements are in place for deciding on which children should move in. Some children who have moved into the home need sustained, high levels of support and supervision. This level of support is above what should be provided in supported accommodation.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

The processes regarding children moving into the home have placed children at risk. Despite managers knowing that one child was a risk to another child, they lived together. During this time, the children were at risk of harm, and one child moved out after a short period. This does not provide a safe, stable and secure experience for the children.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

Children's experience of moving from the home is not consistently positive. One child was given immediate notice following an incident. Their move was not facilitated in a positive way; they were left to make their own way to the home they moved onto. Another child had a more positive, planned move with the support of staff, family and the placing social workers.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff have helped some children to gain employment or training. They support children to engage in an independence programme to develop their skills. They have used these skills with one child by employing him to decorate the home with staff. However, staff have not been able to engage all children in purposeful activities. This does not prepare them for when they leave supported accommodation.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children

One child was very complimentary about his experience at the home. He stated that his house was 'the best house I have stayed in'. This child spoke positively about his experience at the home. Initiatives, such as cooking classes and communal barbeques with children and staff from other homes, help children to develop positive relationships.

p.2

How well children are helped and protected

Serious safeguarding incidents have occurred because of staff's poor decision- making, which puts children at risk. This has been worsened by the risk assessment, support plans and documents relating to the children being inconsistent in providing staff adequate guidance to manage these risks. Staff have failed to supervise and Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Cura Living Ltd 3 protect children, which has led to incidents where the children were put at risk of harm.

p.2

How well children are helped and protected

Not all staff are trained in safeguarding children or to manage the risks for the children. Leaders and managers do not equip staff with the necessary training to manage the risks identified in children's support plans.

p.3

How well children are helped and protected

The recording of safeguarding incidents is poorly written with contradictory information and a lack of crucial detail. The timeline in response to allegations of abuse towards children and actions taken from the manager are not clear. This limits the manager's oversight of the incidents and being able to effectively scrutinise practice.

p.3

How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not consistently follow safeguarding procedures. They fail to report safeguarding incidents appropriately to the local authority designated officer. This prevents external professionals from carrying out their safeguarding oversight. However, on one occasion, managers dealt with a safeguarding allegation swiftly and according to safeguarding procedures.

p.3

How well children are helped and protected

Managers have failed to notify Ofsted of serious incidents that have occurred. This prevents Ofsted having oversight of how the provider responds to these situations to protect children from harm.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Ineffective leadership and management have led to serious and widespread shortfalls across the service.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The management oversight is poor. In the absence of the nominated individual, the manager was unable to locate and access key information. There has been no positive change because of the nominated individual's audits, and the monitoring systems in place have not identified and addressed systemic failures.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staffing arrangements are not consistent with providing safety and stability for children. The staff are not recruited on permanent arrangements, using zero-hour contracts. There are gaps in the recruitment check to demonstrate that the appropriate checks have been completed. For example, recruitment records lack information about the eligibility of staff's right to work, satisfactory references from previous employers and gaps in their employment.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The statement of purpose does not reflect the provider's practice. Children were accepted to live in the homes despite their risks and the level of support required not being in line with the statement of purpose and the provider's registration.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Supervision sessions include staff welfare and organisational aspects. However, not all staff have regular supervision meetings, including the manager. This does not allow them the opportunity to reflect on their practice in a formal setting. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Cura Living Ltd 4

p.3

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.4

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the supported accommodation undertaking in a way that is consistent with the ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the undertaking's statement of purpose;

p.4

Requirement Due date

implement recruitment practices that ensure staff are suitable to work with children and to keep them safe from harm.

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place for supervision, training and development of staff. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(e)(f)(g)) 23 August 2026

p.4

Requirement Due date

*The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 23 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Cura Living Ltd 5 ensure that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies;

p.5

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;

p.5

Requirement Due date

work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies, and share information where relevant to keep children safe. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(f)(i)(ii)(iv))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation;

p.5

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and the registered person considers that incident to be serious;

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the supported accommodation undertaking or a person working for it;

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)(c)(f)) 23 August 2026

p.5

Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints and representations made by or on behalf of children.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint or representation, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 31 (1) (3)) 23 August 2026

p.5

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Cura Living Ltd 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspection was announced on 29 June 2026, and the inspectors were on site from 1 July 2026 to 2 July 2026. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Cura Living Ltd 7

p.6

Inspectors

Suzy Lemmy, Social Care Inspector Stephen Challis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Cura Living 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8