Supported accommodation provider for children in Telford told to improve by Ofsted
A supported accommodation provider in Telford has been told to improve and criticised for "not always carefully" assessing children's needs.
Ofsted inspectors visited Ignite Pathways Ltd, which provides accommodation for up to 16 individuals in four shared or group living homes, on May 14 and 15.
In a report published on July 25, the education watchdog concluded that an "inconsistent quality of service delivery adversely affects some children’s experiences," and added that this may limit their progress.
Leaders and managers at the Telford-based company have been told that they "must make improvements". At the time of the inspection, Ofsted said the service provided support for eight children, aged between 16 and 17.
In a summary of findings, inspectors said most children "spoke positively" about their experiences and that living environments are maintained to a "good standard".
However, Ofsted said not all staff at the company have the "necessary skills and experience to support children" and found that "some children" are not in education, training, or employment.
"Children’s needs are not always carefully assessed at the point of referral," the report said. "Although the registered service manager consults with placing authorities, children’s needs and risks are not consistently considered along with the needs of children already living in the accommodation.
"This does not provide a coordinated approach to support stable and effective placements for all children."
Staff were commended for fostering "positive relationships" with children and for understanding their needs and vulnerabilities. The report stated that children reported feeling safe and that staff support them.
But Ofsted found that staff do not "always ensure" that children’s records are up to date or capture children’s experiences and progress.
The report added: "Not all staff review children’s support or pathway plans to make sure that relevant information is included about children’s targets, goals, and objectives. This lack of oversight has the potential to hinder the sharing of information and misrepresent children’s progress towards independence."
Ofsted gave praise to the firm for working to ensure that children's physical and mental health needs are met and for encouraging children to maintain meaningful relationships with "those who are important to them".
Ofsted said the registered service manager is "yet to embed effective monitoring systems to sufficiently scrutinise the service and identify areas for development".
The report concluded saying that the manager is developing their understanding of "what the service does well".
Inspectors stated that the service manager recognised the "need to better quality assure staff practice, the quality of support and children’s experiences".
Ignite Pathways LTD was approached for comment.
The full report can be read here.
