Dave Shaw is Director for Sanctuary Supported Living, a national not-for-profit provider of supported housing explores the role of new Ofsted’s registration, in relation to services for young people.
In an ever-changing landscape of supported housing, “normal” is constantly being redefined and it’s vital that providers like us respond swiftly to help facilitate progress in our sector and make sure that we’re delivering the best services we can for our customers.
The year 2023 marked a significant turning point in the provision of supported housing for young people with the introduction of new Ofsted regulations. Following a comprehensive review, the Department of Education called for a new standard of quality, registration, and inspection to cover all supported housing for young people – and for good reason. Until then, supported accommodation services fell outside the scope of registration for Ofsted and this ‘loophole’ allowed 16 and 17-year-olds to receive support without any regulatory oversight, potentially putting young people in danger of unsafe or unsuitable accommodation.
With Ofsted set to deliver additional regulatory responsibilities for those providing supported living to children in care and care leavers aged 16 to 17, it’s crucial to understand the implications of these regulations and the opportunities they present in terms of providing urgent oversight of key areas such as safeguarding, health and well-being, education, and training.
The quality of housing, care, and support for young people is very important to us at Sanctuary Supported Living, and as a responsible provider we’ve hastened to submit our application to Ofsted as we’re keen to show that we exemplify good practice and provide a safe place for young people aged 16+ to gain essential life skills and learn to live independently. As we work hard to make sure that all young people living in our services across England have a safe place to call home, we also guarantee that they will receive good-quality support which sets them on their pathways for independence, as they make the transition to adulthood.
We’re committed to delivering high-quality young people’s services which offer personalised support plans, access to education, training and employment opportunities, and links to local community services. Our team are on-hand to support the young people every step of the way, as they build their self-confidence and gain the life skills they need, as they prepare for living independently.
Plus, we invest in bigger initiatives that make a difference, like our partnership with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust – and we’re immensely proud of the positive impact we’re making in the lives of our customers as we aim to support them to unlock their potential in an environment where they can be their best.
We welcome this new era of accountability and we’re optimistic that these Ofsted-led regulations will establish a positive framework for other providers like us as it assesses both our overall suitability and the competence of individual managers responsible for all aspects of service delivery. As we wait for our application to progress, we are proactively preparing for registration and inspections scheduled for April by closely working with our Local Service Managers to make sure they’re well equipped to meet the new standards.
Overall, these changes are positive for young people across the country, and supported housing providers like us will need to champion these advancements to best navigate the new regulatory landscape. We’re looking forward to playing an active role in this new chapter in children’s social care, which will no doubt maximise positive outcomes for young people who are most in need.
@SancSL
