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National Regional Mapping

This month:

North East – 1
North West – 1
Yorkshire & Humber – 1
West Midlands – 2
East Midlands - 3
South West – 3
South East / London – 3

Last month:

North East – 0
North West – 1
Yorkshire & Humber – 3
West Midlands – 1
East Midlands - 2
South West – 0
South East / London – 8

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Key Themes – Monitoring Visits

Areas for Reflection and Improvement

Admission of unsuitable referrals
Governance and oversight from leadership
Staff recruitment and development
Notification failures
Accommodation not to a ‘quality standard’
Lack of ‘children’s voice’ and participation

1. Admission of Unsuitable Referrals

Several providers admitted children whose complex needs exceeded what supported accommodation can safely manage (e.g., underage admissions, high-risk behaviours).

Also - Risk Assessment and Support Planning

Risk assessments and support plans often lacked essential referral information, were outdated, or failed to provide meaningful guidance for staff.

2. Leadership and Management – Governance and Oversight

Governance and oversight were cited frequently, including regarding referral handling, failure to follow policies, and lack of clear operational direction.

3. Staff Recruitment and Development

Unsafe or insufficient recruitment practices, lack of induction, missing training (especially safeguarding), and absence of workforce plans were common problems.

4. Notification Failures

Providers failed to inform Ofsted of serious incidents such as hospital admissions, self-harm, abuse allegations, or police involvement.

5. Accommodation Standards

Maintenance issues (e.g., broken showers, mould, poor living conditions) were noted, affecting the quality of life for residents.

6. Children’s Voice and Participation

Several reports noted a lack of children’s input in planning, care decisions, or quality reviews

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Recommendations – Monitoring Visits

Areas of Good Practice

Staff Support and Development
Child-Centred and Individualised Support
Safeguarding and Risk Management
Leadership and Oversight
Positive Outcomes and Engagement

1. Staff Support and Development

Staff receive regular supervision, ongoing training, appraisals, and access to wellbeing initiatives such as counselling and reward schemes. This supports morale and ensures continuity of care.
Updated support plans and risk assessments provide staff with clearer guidance, enhancing their ability to meet children’s needs effectively.
Managers ensure all staff complete mandatory training and that locality managers receive additional instruction to strengthen compliance and oversight.
Staff are inducted thoroughly and supported through regular supervision, helping them understand their roles and reflect on their practice.

2. Child-Centred and Individualised Support

Children report receiving emotional support and learning valuable life skills, such as how to avoid harmful relationships and improve their wellbeing.
Children show academic and emotional progress, supported by staff who take pride in their achievements and tailor support to individual needs.
Staff have a good understanding of children’s vulnerabilities, using clear risk assessments and support plans to guide care.

3. Safeguarding and Risk Management

Allegations against staff are appropriately referred to local safeguarding partners, and staff conduct debriefs with children after incidents to promote learning and safety.
Weekly reviews of children’s needs, risks, and progress help ensure that supported accommodation remains a suitable setting.
Improved pre-admission assessments ensure children are placed appropriately, reducing risk and supporting placement stability.

4. Leadership and Oversight

Registered managers maintain regular contact with staff and properties, ensuring effective oversight and responsiveness.
Quality assurance systems have been implemented to monitor support provision, staff practice, and incident reporting.
Senior leadership has taken steps to ensure that management coverage is maintained even during absences.

5. Positive Outcomes and Engagement

Children are engaged in education, training, and personal development. Staff actively encourage aspirations and recognise achievements.
Risk-taking behaviours such as going missing are used as learning opportunities, with staff helping children reflect and understand the consequences.
Regular plan reviews, informed by local authority input and children's views, help track and support progress.

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Key Themes & Characteristics

Outcome 2 Inspections

Areas for Reflection and Improvement:

Inconsistent Safeguarding Practices
Recruitment and Vetting Procedures
Quality and Oversight of Support Plans and Records
Leadership and Management Effectiveness and Oversight
Training and Staff Competency Gaps

1. Inconsistent Safeguarding Practices

Failures in timely reporting of serious incidents to Ofsted and incomplete missing-from-home protocols (Dwell-In).
Lack of professional curiosity and failure to escalate emerging risks or disclosures (Moving Up Care South).
Risk assessments too generic and not tailored to individual needs (Dunborne).

2. Weak Recruitment and Vetting Procedures

Missing references, unexplored employment gaps, and insufficient vetting of agency staff (Dwell-In).
No verification of qualifications or DBS checks; vague employment history (Moving Up Care South).
Breaches in recruitment policy and confidentiality of staff records (Dunborne).

3. Poor Quality and Oversight of Support Plans and Records

Support plans not reflecting the voice of the child or up-to-date inputs from professionals (Dwell-In).
Plans lacking detail about life histories and not updated with risk or progress (Moving Up Care South).
Generic, unpersonalized plans that offer no practical guidance to staff (Dunborne).

4. Leadership and Management Shortcomings

Ineffective auditing, limited managerial capacity, and missing consultation in quality reviews.
Poor oversight of complaints, staff not trained adequately, and lack of readiness for admissions.
Weak management monitoring and inconsistent recording of supervision and oversight.

5. Training and Staff Competency Gaps

Insufficient training in safeguarding and risk-related topics like exploitation, substance misuse, or trauma (Moving Up Care South).
Supervision inconsistently recorded or not in line with policy; optional training underused (Dunborne).
Lack of safer recruitment training and oversight of document standards (all providers to varying degrees).

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Key Themes & Characteristics

Outcome 2 Inspections

Areas of Good Practice:

Positive and Trusting Relationships with Staff
Promotion of Independence Skills
Cultural and Linguistic Sensitivity
Safe and Homely Accommodation
Use of Therapeutic or Psychological Support

Positive and Trusting Relationships with Staff�Children across the services often spoke positively about their relationships with staff. Where staffing was stable, these relationships provided emotional security and supported children's progress.

Promotion of Independence Skills�All three providers supported children in developing essential life skills for adulthood—such as cooking, managing appointments, and preparing for tenancies. Some services used structured independence programmes or step-down plans to support this.

Cultural and Linguistic Sensitivity�Providers showed awareness of cultural and language needs. In some cases, this included matching young people in group settings based on cultural compatibility and using varied communication methods for non-native English speakers.

Safe and Homely Accommodation�Children generally reported feeling safe and comfortable in their homes. Accommodations were described as well-furnished and allowed for personalisation, which helped create a homely environment.

Use of Therapeutic or Psychological Support�One provider notably had an in-house psychologist offering monthly consultations, enhancing staff capacity to respond to emotional needs and promoting trauma-informed care.

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Key Themes & Characteristics

Outcome 1 Inspections

Areas for Reflection and Improvement:

Recruitment and Safer Employment Practices
Record-Keeping and Monitoring Systems
Accommodation Quality and Safety Standards
Support for Independent Living Skills
Oversight and Use of Internal Monitoring for Improvement

Recruitment and Safer Employment Practices�Several providers were found to have incomplete or inconsistent recruitment records. Common issues include failing to obtain full employment histories, not investigating employment gaps, or missing references, which undermines safe staffing decisions.

Record-Keeping and Monitoring Systems�Many services struggle with incomplete or inconsistent records—especially concerning staff supervision, team meetings, complaints, and children’s progress. This affects both accountability and service improvement efforts.

Accommodation Quality and Safety Standards�Inconsistencies in the physical condition and safety of the accommodation were common. Issues included poor maintenance, non-homely environments, and inadequate fire safety arrangements in some homes.

Support for Independent Living Skills�Some services adopt overly restrictive practices that limit children’s ability to develop independence (e.g., always locking away kitchen knives and cleaning products without a risk-based rationale).

Oversight and Use of Internal Monitoring for Improvement�A recurring theme was the weak or underdeveloped use of internal monitoring tools. Without strong audit trails or central oversight, services miss opportunities to track trends, assess risk comprehensively, or drive consistent improvements.

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Key Themes & Characteristics

Outcome 1 Inspections

Areas of Good Practice:

Strong, Trust-Based Relationships with Children
Individualised, Child-Centered Support
Focus on Education, Training & Employment (ETE)
Effective Multi-Agency Safeguarding
High-Quality, Reflective Leadership

1. Strong, Trust-Based Relationships with Children

Staff consistently build positive, stable, and respectful relationships that help children feel safe and supported.
These relationships underpin effective safeguarding, behaviour support, and emotional wellbeing.

2. Individualised, Child-Centered Support

Support plans are tailored to children's unique needs, identities, and goals.
Services adapt as children progress, and promote independence through life skills development and emotional resilience work.

3. Focus on Education, Training & Employment (ETE)

Providers actively promote engagement with education and employment, including:

Helping children access courses or apprenticeships.
Supporting with CVs, applications, and interviews.
Offering tuition or internal skills programmes.

4. Effective Multi-Agency Safeguarding

Providers show strong partnerships with local authorities, police, and health professionals.
Safeguarding risks are understood and acted on quickly, with proactive planning and coordinated responses.

5. High-Quality, Reflective Leadership

Leaders are visible, child-focused, and consistently improve practice through:

Supervision, staff training, and development.
Feedback mechanisms (including from children).
A commitment to learning from incidents and improving services.

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Key Themes & Characteristics

Outcome 1 Inspections

Examples of Exceptional Practice:

Child Participation in Service Development
Creative, Inclusive Practice
Tailored Independence Support
Proactive Safeguarding Responses
Ongoing Relationships After Transition

1. Child Participation in Service Development

Children at one service joined a youth advisory board, conducted mini-inspections, and helped create a welcome video for new residents—enhancing ownership and peer-led support.

2. Creative, Inclusive Practice

A service celebrated Ramadan with shared meals and planned activities for International Women’s Day and promoted a culture of inclusion and respect.

3. Tailored Independence Support

Providers used structured tools like the “outcomes star” and person-centred planning to help children track and celebrate their progress toward independence.

4. Proactive Safeguarding Responses

One provider demonstrated vigilance when a staff member noticed subtle signs of distress and called for medical support before a child disclosed an overdose, resulting in timely intervention.

5. Ongoing Relationships After Transition

Several services encourage young people to keep in contact after moving on, with some continuing to make visits or call staff for support—reducing isolation and reinforcing lifelong trust

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Key Themes & Characteristics

Local Authority Inspections

Areas for Reflection and Improvement

Accurate Recording of Ethnic Origin
Clear Audit Trail for Placement Decisions
Review and Appropriateness of Restrictive Practices
Promotion of Equality and Identity
Evaluation of Leadership Impact on Placements

Accurate Recording of Ethnic Origin�One child's ethnic origin was not correctly recorded. This omission can hinder the identification and provision of culturally appropriate support and violates the Equality Act 2010 expectations.

Audit Trail for Placement Decisions�There is no clear audit trail showing how placement decisions consider the impact on both the new and existing children. This lack of documentation is a missed opportunity for reflection and development of placement suitability practices.

Use of Restrictive Practices�Practices such as supervised spending and removal of knives following behavioural incidents may be disproportionate and not aligned with the ethos of supported accommodation. These measures are under review but point to a need for more appropriate responses.

Equality and Identity Promotion�The service needs to better integrate equality considerations, including promoting children's identity explicitly within care planning. This includes aligning practice with guidance under the Supported Accommodation Regulations and Quality Standards.

Demonstrating Impact of Leadership Decisions�Although monitoring systems are in place, there is limited evidence of how leadership decisions (such as placement impacts) are tracked and evaluated for effectiveness. A stronger feedback loop would support continuous improvement.

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Key Themes & Characteristics

Local Authority Inspections

Areas for Reflection and Improvement

Positive Relationships and Personalised Support
Effective Safeguarding Practices
Strong Leadership and High Aspirations
Support for Education, Employment, and Independence
Inclusive Participation and Consultation

Positive Relationships and Personalised Support�Children enjoy strong, trusting relationships with staff, which helps them feel safe, supported, and listened to. Staff tailor support to individual needs, including help with daily activities, education, healthcare, and emotional well-being.

Effective Safeguarding Practices�Staff have a good understanding of children's risks and vulnerabilities, and they use thorough safety plans and risk assessments. A coordinated, multi-agency approach ensures timely and effective safeguarding interventions.

Strong Leadership and High Aspirations�Leaders and managers are child-focused, visible, and committed. They foster a culture of accountability and high expectations, underpinned by regular staff supervision, reflective practice, and collaborative decision-making.

Support for Education, Employment, and Independence�The service prioritizes education and training. Staff actively support children to pursue their ambitions and develop independence skills, including preparing meals, managing appointments, and engaging in group activities to build social confidence.

Inclusive Participation and Consultation�Children are involved in decisions about their care and the service itself through various forums like ‘Chill and Chat’ sessions. Their feedback is taken seriously, fostering a sense of belonging and ownership.

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Key Themes & Characteristics

Common Themes

Leadership and Management – Robust Quality Assurance and oversight

Support – Trusted relationships, individualised and up-to-date support plans, child’s voice

Accommodation – Homely and safe, timely repairs, youth consultation

Protection – Notifications, trained staff (tailored to needs), early identification of safeguarding, robust risk assessments and safety planning

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Quotes by Young People

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NASAP – Key Dates and Information

NASAP Admin Assistant – Recruitment update
NCCTC – Derby on 26^th and 27^th June https://www.commissionersconference.co.uk/bookings
Positive feedback from ‘Decision Makers’ Peer Session – Collective Impact Planning
Next week Bitesize – ‘Getting Ready for Inspection’ with Steve Percival
WEBSITE
National Conference – Birmingham (6^th November)

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