Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team 1 Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team Registered provider: Achieving for Children Community Interest Company

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service is run by a not-for-profit social enterprise. The service can accommodate up to 24 children and young people, in 2 shared or group-living homes that are not limited to accommodating looked-after children and care leavers.

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provider

At the time of this inspection, this service was providing supported accommodation for 5 children.

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provider

The service manager has been registered with Ofsted since the provider was registered in June 2024.

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Inspection dates: 3 to 6 August 2026

The inspection was announced on 3 August 2026 and started that day. The inspector was on site from 5 to 6 August 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 well supported to move onto independence.

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Summary of findings

Children’s voices and views are prioritised. They are always consulted about the support they receive and about the running of the service. Staff listen to children and support them to achieve their goals. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team 2 A consistent and dedicated staff teams supports children. Many staff have worked for the service for several years, and staff work within the same home, which provides stability and continuity for children.

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Summary of findings

Staff ensure that children’s safety is paramount. Staff are trained to identify risks that could affect children. When there are risks to children, staff act quickly and work closely with other professionals to keep children safe.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers are experienced, knowledgeable and committed to ensuring they are providing a consistently good quality service for children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children form strong attachments with staff. There is consistency of staffing in each home, and staff prioritise building positive relationships with every child, encouraging them to reach their full potential. A social worker said that ‘staff consistently demonstrate empathy, respect and consistency, contributing to a stable environment in which the young person feels safe, heard and valued’. A parent described staff as being, ‘loving, caring people’ who took their time to get to know their child well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

All children are engaging in education, training or employment. Several children’s school attendance has improved. Close working with the virtual school ensures children’s learning and attainment is a priority within the service. Staff advocated for one child to appeal a college decision which helped them to re-engage with education. Children have secured jobs through the local council and through a targeted employment scheme the provider has created. The result is children are ambitious for their future which can lead to more positive outcomes when they reach adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s voices are amplified within the service. Children and young people are consulted about home renovations, including a recent project to enhance the garden. With their views and support, a basketball court, punching bag, decking and bike shed were installed ensuring that children have an outside communal space where they can enjoy spending time. Children also help design flyers for the service, including leaflets aimed for children moving in to help them to acclimatise them to their new home. One flyer titled ‘When the Ofsted inspector calls’ helps children understand what an inspection is, highlighting the importance of children’s views and voices playing a central role.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The diverse staff team values and respects children’s cultures and unique identities. Children are encouraged to share the festivals related to their beliefs and cultures, which increases understanding of differences and encourages learning in the homes. A staff member said they see their role as, ‘supporting children to become who they are as they explore their identity’. Separated migrant children are fully supported by staff at all stages of their physical and psychological adjustment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children are exceptionally well supported to transition on from this service. Staff make every effort to ensure that children have the life skills they will need to live independently. The provider works closely with housing officers to ensure young people aged over 18 successfully move on to independence. Young people often keep in contact with the service after they have moved out helping to reduce loneliness and isolation. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team 4

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How well children are helped and protected

Children say that they feel safe in their homes. They can identify a trusted adult, to talk to about any concerns. One external professional noted that staff make every effort to relate to children saying that staff make, ‘multiple attempts at connecting with those who wish to keep their lives more private. They make adaptations where there may be a learning difficulty, neurodiversity or mental health concern.’

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How well children are helped and protected

The safeguarding of children is paramount. Staff know children’s routines well and are efficient to identify potential areas of risk that might arise for children. Staff work closely with other professionals which ensure that there is a coordinated, multi-agency approach toward managing risks. One professional said that ‘staff know their young people well and have been able to raise concerns when less obvious signs are noticed such as a decline in mental health, substance misuse worries or breakdown in friendships’. This significant awareness keeps children safe as it ensures that interventions, if needed, are implemented as early and smoothly as possible.

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How well children are helped and protected

The leaders and managers provide an extensive range of training for staff, which helps to inform and contextualise their work with children. Staff receive training in such topics as neurodiversity, mental health, safeguarding, trauma informed practice, professional boundaries, encouraging the child’s voice and life story work. Several staff members spoke of how helpful they are finding a recent restorative practice training, as it is directly relevant to their work with children.

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How well children are helped and protected

Safer recruitment practices are appropriately vigorous. Leaders and managers ensure that staff have the skills, experience and knowledge to work safely with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The service is overseen by a dedicated and experienced management team who bring a wealth of experience and passion to their roles. A supported accommodation manager oversaw the inspection as the registered service manager and nominated individual were on annual leave. The supported accommodation manager is a knowledgeable, committed and competent leader who can demonstrate the many strengths of the service and the children’s progress in the registered manager and nominated individual’s absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers are strong advocates for children. Staff accompany children to appointments and advocate on their behalf. Leaders and managers offer professional challenge where needed to make sure that children receive the right support at the right time. Several staff members commented that they, ‘advocate for children in all areas of their lives’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers are creative, proactive and solution focused. They have formed strong relationships with other community-based organisations to best support children. A local food bank delivers food each week for children to have Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team 5 options, should they choose. Children have opportunities to participate in work placement schemes and the Jack Petchey Achievement Award Scheme.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff turnover is low. Staff say they feel supported and respected in their role. Many staff have worked for the provider for years and remain passionate and positive about the support they provide to children daily. A staff member said, ‘we are encouraged to bring in our own skills, languages we speak, artistic talent, teaching skills, building furniture skills, cooking skills’. This approach ensures children can learn a variety of new skills from adults whom they trust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive regular and reflective supervision that considers and prioritises staff well-being and children’s progress and needs. Staff also receive annual appraisals, which focuses on their professional development. One staff member commented that in their appraisals they are, ‘encouraged to get feedback from peers and reflect on what we do well and what we can do better’. However, appraisals would be strengthened by including the views and feedback of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Professionals involved in children’s lives give extremely positive feedback about the support children receive. They recognise how children benefit from the assistance, structure and encouragement that staff provide as they gain greater independence. One professional said about a child they support, ‘I have observed measurable progress across several areas, including emotional wellbeing, independence, confidence, engagement with professionals and preparation for adulthood’. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of young people in the setting. (‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 51)

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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: Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team 7

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Achieving for Children Community Interest Company

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 44 York Street, Twickenham TW1 3BZ

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: info@achievingforchildren.org.uk

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Inspector

Julie Cresswell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Achieving for Children Housing and Outreach Support Team 8 and inspects 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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