Key Transitions LtdOfsted inspection, 11 Sept 2026

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions Ltd 1 Key Transitions Ltd Registered provider: Key Transitions Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This service is owned and operated by a private provider. The service can accommodate up to 18 children living in single occupancy accommodation and up to 48 children living in 13 shared premises that are limited to looked after children and care leavers.

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provider

The service manager has applied to Ofsted to be registered.

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Inspection dates: 7 to 11 September 2026

The inspection was announced on 7 September 2026 and the inspectors were on site from 9 to 11 September 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. The next inspection will take place within 18 months.

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Summary of findings

Children build relationships with the staff that support them and most are happy with the support they receive. Most children make progress.

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Summary of findings

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and take time to get to know them.

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Summary of findings

Most children are in education and staff see the value in this.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and manager work well with other agencies and have improved oversight of the service.

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Summary of findings

The standard of accommodation is variable. Repairs are not always addressed in a timely manner and some of the homes do not feel homely. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions Ltd 2 Ofsted have not been notified of all serious incident.

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Summary of findings

Leader and managers do not always ensure that children are ready for supported accommodation when they move in.

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Summary of findings

There are some inconsistences within the service that have increased risks for children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions Ltd 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Not all accommodation for children is homely or well maintained. Delays in repairs are common and most properties feel tired. Despite regular visits and checks carried out by managers some properties are unclean and not of a good standard. The appropriateness of properties is not always considered by managers. One property is too small for the number of children living there. This makes it difficult for children to share the facilities comfortably and have adequate living space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The guide for children is lengthy and includes information that is not relevant to children. It is difficult to understand and has not been routinely reviewed. As a result, the guide does not enable children to understand what to expect when they move into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

In homes that are constantly staffed, children enjoy spending time with staff, doing activities like watching a movie or going out for a walk. Staff welcome children to the home and want to build relationships with them. One agency described staff as “nurturing and child-focussed” and could see how the staff had helped the child “be the person she is now”. Children feel that the staff team are consistent, they know who will be supporting them. This increases a feeling of safety for children and enables them to raise any worries or concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff understand the importance of education and encourage children to explore their aspirations. Most children access education and their achievements are celebrated by staff. Staff monitor attendance and work with local education provisions to quickly explore and address any concerns. Staff ensure that they know children's timetables and support children to maintain their attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff complete regular key work sessions with children. Children know when these are taking place and what to expect. They also know their support plans. Key-work sessions cover a variety of subjects and support children to develop a range of skills. One child could identify how these had helped them with their budgeting skills and knew that the next step was to work on their cooking skills together. Records of sessions are detailed and include the voice of the child.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers do not always use suitably qualified individuals to carry out fire risk assessments. This increases potential fire risks to children and staff. Other routine health and safety checks are in place and completed by external professionals when required.

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How well children are helped and protected

Some children do not have clear missing from home plans. Staff know how and when to report a child missing when living in accommodation with staff on-site. For children living more independently there is no formal process. Staff do not routinely check-in with children to make sure they are at home. Without a clear, consistent Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions Ltd 4 process staff cannot be assured that children are safe. This also prevents staff from reporting children missing in a timely way.

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How well children are helped and protected

Safer recruitment processes are in place but are not always effective. Leaders and managers are not always thorough when exploring references or employment history for staff. In addition, one overseas check for a member of staff was not explored or considered. This means that leaders and managers cannot be assured that all staff are safe or suitable to work with children. Leaders and managers have identified shortfalls and implemented improved processes in some areas.

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How well children are helped and protected

All children have a risk plan which is put in place when they move into the service. Children are aware of their plans and staff talk to children about the content. However, some staff are unclear when children’s plans should be updated, meaning that plans are not always up to date. This creates inconsistency and limits staff understanding of children’s risks and how to respond.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff complete work with children to help them to understand risk. When concerns are identified staff speak to children and work directly with agencies. Staff are curious and use their relationships to help support children. Leaders and managers are proactive and an on-call system provides additional support for staff. When significant incidents have taken place appropriate safety plans have been implemented to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Some children have moved into the service before they are ready for supported accommodation. This has resulted in unplanned moves for children and increased risks for some children who needed a higher level of support. Leaders and managers do not formally evidence their assessment of children's suitability to live in supported accommodation. This makes it unclear how decisions are being made in the best interests of children. In addition, the statement of purpose states that the service would be suitable for children with complex needs, which creates misunderstanding about the needs of children the service will support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff are provided with a range of training to support them in their roles. Staff routinely complete training and completion rates are high. However, training is not always provided around children’s specific needs. For example, staff have not received training around asylum-seeking children, autism and ADHD. One child's admission assessment highlighted that all staff were trained in alcohol and substance misuse. However, it was unclear from records whether any training took place and which staff were trained. As a result, staff do not have all the necessary skills to provide effective support to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not notify Ofsted of all serious incidents, which prevents wider oversight. Most incidents are recorded well and demonstrate management oversight. However, there are some inconsistences around recording which prevents effective oversight for managers. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions Ltd 5 Leaders and managers communicate effectively with partner agencies that support children. They provide regular updates and have a good understanding of the children's needs and progress. Agencies report that leaders and managers are responsive, communicate well and work with the team around the child. Leaders and managers will raise concerns with placing authorities and will challenge if required. They ensure that children access any specialist support such as mental health services, when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers hold regular case discussions with staff. This provides a good opportunity to talk about the children's progress, needs and risks. This increases oversight for managers and ensures that staff feel supported in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff feel supported and listened to by managers. Staff receive regular supervision and they welcome this time. Team and management meetings occur regularly but records of these meetings do not always capture its content. Staff turnover is low with some staff remaining in the service for several years. This limits the use of agency staff and provides consistency for children. A new manager is now in post and currently undergoing checks with Ofsted. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions 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

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 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 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

(Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(c)(e)(f)) 1 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment. ensure that the premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

provide stability and consistency of accommodation for children; 1 November 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions Ltd 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

(Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x))

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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; 1 November 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions Ltd 8 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f))

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Recommendations

◼ The registered person should ensure that the children's guide is easy to access and understand. Its design should consider the individual needs of children including any language barriers. ('Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards', page 42).

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Recommendations

◼ The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is clear about the needs of children the service can support. It should not reference children who are not suitable for supported accommodation, such as children with complex needs. ('Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards', pages 9 and 46).

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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 Transitions Ltd 9

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Key Transitions Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: Bradgate Suite, The Crescent, 27 King Street, Leicester, LE1 6RX

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Supported accommodation provider details

Email address: info@keytransitions.org.uk

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Inspectors

Helen Wallis, Social Care Inspector Shelley Chowdhury, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Key Transitions 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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