Ofsted to Inspect Supported Accommodation Services: An Update for Registered Providers of Supported Lodgings

Ofsted to Inspect Supported Accommodation Services: An Update for Registered Providers of Supported Lodgings

Key Contact: Jenny Wilde

Ofsted has announced that from September 2024, its inspection remit will include registered services that provide supported accommodation for care leavers aged 16 or 17 in England. Inspectors will visit a minimum of once every three years, with a notice period of two working days, to ensure that providers of supported lodgings are meeting regulatory standards and ensuring positive experiences and progress for children.

Who will be inspected?

Registered providers of supported lodgings, rather than individual hosts (private individuals who provide lodgings for young care-leaders in their homes). Hosts themselves will not be under scrutiny, or identified in the published reports.

What will the process involve?

• Two working days before arrival, Ofsted will inform the provider that an inspection will be taking place. They will request that the provider shares the lead inspector’s contact details with their hosts, as well as a survey for the children concerned.

• Ofsted inspectors will work with the provider to plan the inspection activities to ensure a bespoke process for each provider.

• Ofsted inspectors will wish to speak to a representative sample of hosts and children to hear about their lives and experiences. This will not include every host, but they will endeavour to speak to any hosts who request a meeting.

• Inspectors will either visit hosts and young people in their homes, or speak to them via phone or video call. The provider should involve hosts in any arrangements to visit children at their homes.

What could the outcome be?

The outcome will be one of three ratings:

1. 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. Re-inspection in around three years.
2. Inconsistent quality of service delivery adversely affects children’s experiences and limits their progress. Leaders and managers must make improvements. Re-inspection in around 18 months.
3. 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. Re-inspection in around 6 months.

What are inspectors looking for?

Ofsted states that its inspectors will be trained and experienced so that they are “sensitive to the unique nature” and varying types of supported accommodation. They say they will not expect a “one-size-fits-all” approach or create an environment in which supported lodgings become “unnecessarily institutional”.

It will assess providers against the Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SSCF), meaning that inspectors undertake to:

1. Focus on the things that matter most to children’s lives;
2. Be consistent in their expectations of providers;
3. Prioritise their work where improvement is needed most.

In addition, Ofsted will usually apply the same judgment structure, place the experiences and progress of children at the heart of each inspection, and report on key areas of evidence.

Top tips:

1. Understand the Ofsted standards and regulations

• Review the Ofsted framework and guidance for supported lodgings to ensure that you’re fully aware of what is expected.
• Be familiar with all regulatory requirements that apply to supported lodgings, including safeguarding, accommodation standards, and the support you provide for young people.

2. Maintain comprehensive records

• Ensure all records are up-to-date, accurate, and easily accessible. This includes care plans, risk assessments, incident logs, and health records.
• Have clear, documented policies for all aspects of service delivery, including safeguarding, health and safety, and behaviour management.

3. Demonstrate children’s safety and wellbeing

• Ensure that your safeguarding policies are robust and clearly understood by all staff and providers. You should be able to demonstrate effective safeguarding practices during the inspection.
• Show evidence of promoting physical and emotional wellbeing, which includes regular check-ins with children, accessible health care, and promoting independence in a safe manner.

4. Prepare staff and providers for the inspection

• Ensure that all staff are trained and knowledgeable about the regulations and the inspection process. This will help them feel confident in their roles and ready to answer questions from inspectors.
• Conduct mock inspections or role-play scenarios to help everyone practice answering questions they may be asked, such as those regarding safeguarding, record-keeping, and how they support residents’ independence.

5.            Involve and empower children

• Encourage children to express their views on the service. Inspectors will be interested in hearing directly from young people about their experiences.
• Regularly seek feedback from young people and use it to improve your services. Having a record of how you responded to their feedback will demonstrate your commitment to a supportive environment.

6.            Demonstrate good governance and leadership

• Ensure that your management team is visible, accountable, and engaged in the day-to-day running of the service.
• Show how you monitor and review your services to continuously improve, using data from incidents, feedback, and performance reviews.

7.            Showcase the quality of accommodation

• Make sure that all accommodations are well-maintained, clean, and safe. Highlight features that support comfort, safety, and accessibility for young people.
• Have risk assessments readily available for the premises, and show how you address any maintenance issues or safety concerns promptly.

8.            Have evidence of staff training and development

• Maintain records of staff training on topics like safeguarding, mental health support, and first aid.
• Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing staff development, which not only improves service quality but also shows inspectors that you value continuous improvement.

9.            Promote a positive culture of independence and support

• Illustrate how you support children’s independence and life skills development, such as budgeting, cooking, or job searching.
• Inspectors will look for evidence that children feel supported yet encouraged to become self-sufficient.

10.         Be transparent and communicative with inspectors

• Communicate openly and confidently with inspectors about your practices and processes. If there are any areas needing improvement, be honest and show your action plans for addressing them.
• Prepare all stakeholders (staff, young people, and even families if applicable) for the inspection so they know what to expect and feel comfortable interacting with inspectors.

Bonus tip: use previous inspection feedback

Review any feedback from previous inspections and address any areas that needed improvement. Show how you’ve implemented recommendations or taken steps to enhance your service quality.

As Health & Social Care Regulatory partner Jenny Wilde sums up: “It is important that providers of supported accommodation don’t get caught out by their regulatory responsibilities. Ofsted enforcement action can quickly snowball and so carefully reviewing and working against the Social Care Common Inspection Framework will prepare providers and help to ensure that standards are being met”.

If you are a registered provider and need any advice in dealing with an Ofsted inspection report, please contact our specialist Health & Social Care team.