Ofsted

BACKUP North West is an Ofsted registered provider of supported accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds under the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations. (Registration Number 2788114)

Our registration provides assurance that our services meet national standards for:

Leadership and management
Safeguarding and protection
Accommodation quality
Support and independence preparation

Leadership and Management

Our services are governed by a Board of Trustees and led by an experienced senior leadership team. We:

Review our Statement of Purpose annually
Notify Ofsted of significant events
Monitor safeguarding, incidents and outcomes
Provide structured supervision and ongoing training
Maintain safer recruitment and enhanced DBS checks

Protection and Safeguarding

Safeguarding is central to both Ofsted standards and our organisational values. We:

Operate clear Safeguarding Children and Adults policies
Follow Bolton Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures
Work closely with social workers, Leaving Care teams and multi-agency partners
Train all staff in safeguarding, exploitation awareness, PREVENT and trauma-informed practice

Accommodation Standards

Our registered services (Redds Place, Loft House, Project Front Door and Lucas Project) provide:

Safe, fully furnished self-contained flats and bedsits
Small, single-sex shared units where appropriate
Secure intercom access systems
CCTV in communal/external areas
24/7 on-site staffing
Clean, well-maintained and homely environments

Support and independence preparation

At BACKUP North West, our Ofsted registration and our Statement of Purpose work together to ensure that young people:

Feel safe and supported
Develop practical and emotional independence
Engage with education or employment
Successfully move on to sustainable accommodation
Avoid repeat homelessness

We are committed not just to meeting regulatory standards, but to providing supported accommodation that genuinely changes lives. We are not a Children’s Home. Our provision is supported accommodation designed to provide safety while developing independence.

If you are a young person under 18 and you wish to escalate your complaint to Ofsted, please follow these steps below-

Follow the complaints procedure with BACKUP and wait for an outcome. This is the first step in addressing any issues.

If you aren’t happy with the outcome or feel that your complaint has not been resolved, you can raise a formal complaint directly to Ofsted.

Contact Ofsted to formally complain.

Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WD

Tel: 0300 123 1231
Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
Website: www.gov.uk/ofsted

Ofsted will review the information provided and decide on the next steps, which may include an inspection or further action from the provider.

It is important to note that Ofsted’s powers are limited, and they cannot resolve disputes between providers and the young person. Their role is to ensure that the provider follows registration requirements and act if necessary.

For more detailed guidance on the complaints procedure, young people can refer to the Ofsted website or contact their local council for further assistance.

What We Do!

BACKUP provide multiple services across Bolton to young people aged 16-25 years who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Read here about all the supported accommodation which includes emergency housing, temporary accommodation, short and medium stay supported housing. Also the non accommodation based support work that focusses on mental health, employment support and much more.

Young people can live in more than one Backup service as they make progress and develop more independence prior to moving on completely. The different services are designed to meet various levels and ranges of needs.