Key 4 Moving On Limited

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 1 Key 4 Moving On Limited Registered provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This service registered with Ofsted on 15 March 2024 and is operated by a private provider in the North West region. It provides accommodation for up to 10 individuals in single-occupancy premises.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, 4 looked-after children aged 16 or 17 were accommodated.

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provider

The service manager registered with Ofsted on 18 November 2024.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 13 July 2026, and the inspector was on site on 15 and 16 July 2026.

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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. The next inspection will be within approximately 6 months.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers admit children to the supported accommodation outside the conditions of its registration. Children are admitted with complex needs that the service cannot meet. This results in placements ending prematurely for some children.

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Summary of findings

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight of this service is ineffective. As a result, children do not always experience good-quality support that promotes their safety and wellbeing.

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Summary of findings

Children are not always safeguarded effectively.

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Summary of findings

Child protection information is not consistently shared with partner agencies. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers do not support all children effectively. Not all children make progress or have a range of positive experiences. Children’s placements often end prematurely. For example, one child’s placement ended after 26 days. The child was admitted with complex needs that the provider could not meet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Not all children move into their accommodation in a sensitively and carefully planned way. Most children experience emergency admissions. This hinders their ability to visit the home and meet staff members before they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Leaders and managers do not always challenge the placing authority when they have concerns regarding children’s plans. This means that some children remain in the service when it has become clear that their needs cannot be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff provide some children with a high level of support that is not consistent with the principles of supported accommodation. For example, some children receive continuous support throughout the day and night when they first move in. Two children continue to receive this level of support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff carry out some direct work with children to help them develop their life skills and independence, but it is not recorded in sufficient detail. Children say that they have been helped with cooking, shopping and budgeting, for example. The provider has developed resources for staff to use to help them support children. Staff find these resources useful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Only one child engages in education, training or employment. The provider does not do everything possible to ensure that children receive educational and training opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff support children to register with dentists, doctors and other primary healthcare services. Staff collaborate with specialist services when children need additional help, such as mental health support. However, children are admitted with medical needs that require a high level of staff supervision, which is inappropriate for supported accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff from partner agencies, such as social workers, are mostly positive about the provider. However, they say that communication could be improved.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not take sufficient steps to ensure the fire safety of the homes. They fail to ensure that regular fire risk assessments are carried out. Leaders and managers do not act quickly enough to address maintenance and hygiene issues in the homes. For example, one home had a broken toilet seat, while another had mould in the bathroom. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 3 Staff do not inspect children’s rooms with sufficient frequency and are unclear about the circumstances in which they should enter them. One child’s bedroom contained a number of health and safety hazards, including significant amounts of refuse, dirty plates and a severely damaged electric cooling fan that the child continued to use. The provider had not taken steps to keep the child safe or support them to develop their independence skills.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children’s plans do not clearly set out the direct work that will be carried out with them to help them make progress. Children’s safety plans contain risk management actions that are inappropriate for supported accommodation. For example, staff are required to monitor children’s compliance with early evening bail curfews and notify police if they are not adhered to.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not always promptly inform the local authority designated officer (LADO) when children make allegations of staff misconduct. They do not take appropriate steps to protect children from harm when they receive such allegations. They allow the staff members who are subject to allegations to continue to work with children in the service. They fail to ensure that thorough disciplinary investigations are carried out.

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How well children are helped and protected

When children go missing from home, there is a well-coordinated response to reduce the risk of harm. This includes notifying the police and the child’s placing authority. However, when children return home, they are not always offered interviews by an independent service. Leaders and managers do not challenge the local authority when this is not offered.

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How well children are helped and protected

Careful recruitment and regular monitoring of staff and hosts prevent unsuitable people from being recruited and having the opportunity to harm children or place them at risk. A consistent staff team provides the service. Children say that they have good relationships with staff. Children know how to make a complaint if they need to.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff are positive about the training that they receive. One member of staff said that the training helped them to better understand how to develop trusting relationships with children. However, the provider’s workforce development plan lacks detail. For example, it does not set out how performance will be managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers admit children who, at the point of referral, are not ready to live in supported accommodation. As a result, some placements are not in line with the provider’s statement of purpose. Leaders and managers do not operate in accordance with the service’s category of registration. Children routinely share communal areas, including bathrooms and kitchens, with staff. Therefore, the properties are incorrectly registered as single occupancy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not always take sufficient steps to ensure that they are in receipt of all relevant information at the point of referral. They do not take adequate Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 4 steps to ascertain the reasons why children’s previous placements in supported accommodation or children’s homes have ended prematurely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager visits children’s homes approximately once every 2 weeks. This is insufficient, and management oversight is ineffective. For example, leaders and managers fail to identify when training and bedroom inspection records are inaccurate. Leaders and managers have identified weaknesses in the recording of the direct work carried out with children. However, they have not yet acted to improve this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not carry out an effective review of the quality of support at least once every 6 months. This is a missed opportunity to evaluate the service’s strengths and areas for development and reflect on children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

‘Leaders and managers do not consistently inform Ofsted when serious incidents occur. For instance, one child went missing from home on 22 occasions. Another child was hit on the head and required stitches. Ofsted was not informed of these incidents. This limits the regulator’s ability to maintain oversight and ensure that responses to serious incidents protect and support children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff feel supported in their roles and are positive about the supervision that they receive from managers. However, supervision records do not demonstrate sufficient focus on children’s experiences and needs. In addition, supervision is not carried out at the frequency set out in the statement of purpose. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 5

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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 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

work collaboratively with children to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm;

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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)(ii)(iii)(b)(f)(iii)(iv)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s bedrooms are checked with sufficient frequency and that appropriate action is taken when hazards are identified.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure that the LADO is notified without delay when allegations of staff misconduct are made. 30 August 2026

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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 30 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 6 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

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;

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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;

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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)(a)(f)(g))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s needs can be met in supported accommodation from the point of admission.

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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 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. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that properties are well maintained. They must ensure that fire risk assessments are carried out with sufficient regularity. 30 August 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— 30 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 7 its purpose, including its ethos, core aims and function;

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Requirement Due date

the category or categories of supported accommodation it offers;

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it, and

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Requirement Due date

notify the CIECSS of any revisions and send the CIECSS a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (5), the registered person must ensure that the supported accommodation undertaking is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 9 (a)(b) (3)(a)(b) (4))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that the statement of purpose accurately describes the category of accommodation provided.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile, in relation to the supported accommodation undertaking, a plan (“the workforce plan”) which covers the following matters in respect of the recruitment and employment of all staff—

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Requirement Due date

the experience and qualifications of managers and other staff, and any further training required for those managers and staff;

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Requirement Due date

the processes and timescales for staff to complete induction, probation and core training, including in safeguarding and health and safety;

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Requirement Due date

the process for managing and addressing poor performance;

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Requirement Due date

the process and timescales for supervision and monitoring of staff.

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Requirement Due date

keep the workforce plan under review and, where appropriate, revise it, and 30 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 8 make a copy of the workforce plan available on request to the CIECSS. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry);

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Requirement Due date

there is an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint of a child;

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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)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f)) 30 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain a system for monitoring and improving the quality of support provided by the supported accommodation undertaking by completing a review (“a quality of support review”) at least once every six months, which must take into account—

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Requirement Due date

the views of children, including any feedback and complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from individual children on the impact the supported accommodation has had on the child’s life, especially regarding how well prepared the child felt for transition into supported accommodation and how well prepared the child feels for transition out of supported accommodation; 30 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 9 feedback from each child’s accommodating authority, staff and any relevant persons;

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Requirement Due date

any relevant research and developments in relation to the way in which the needs of children are best met.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of support review, the registered person must produce a written report setting out the actions the registered person intends to take as a result of that quality of support review.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the review report to the CIECSS within 28 days beginning with the day on which the report is completed, and make a copy of it available on request to each child’s accommodating authority. (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to the CIECSS, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

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Requirement Due date

If premises are no longer used, or intended to be available for use, as supported accommodation by the supported accommodation undertaking, the registered person must give notice in writing to the CIECSS no later than 10 working days after the registered person becomes aware of the decision to cease use of the premises. (Regulation 34 (1) (2)) 30 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: Key 4 Moving On Limited 10

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Business Central, 2 Union Square, Central Park, Darlington DL1 1GL

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Habeeb Ahmed

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: referrals@key4movingon.co.uk

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Inspector

Steve James, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key 4 Moving On Limited 11 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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