Resilience in Crisis: How Commissioners in Wales Can Sustain Quality Care Under Pressure

danield613
Sep 15
4 min read

A System Under Strain

In Wales, the Care Inspectorate has warned of a growing reliance on Care Homes Operating Without Registration (OWR), while local authorities face mounting sufficiency pressures. The risk is clear: without resilient placements, children are left vulnerable and commissioners exposed.

On one hand, there is political ambition for an integrated health and care system under the Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025. On the other, commissioners are operating in some of the most challenging conditions in years:

A 6.7% rise in the National Living Wage and changes in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are driving up provider costs.
Local authorities face a projected £223 million shortfall in 2025 just to maintain current services.
Nationally, 7,380 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) were looked after in 2024 — that’s 1 in 11 of all children in care. Almost half (44%) are placed in semi-independent supported accommodation, where quality can vary.

Against this backdrop, commissioners must deliver their sufficiency duties under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, ensure compliance with Ofsted and CIW, and uphold Fair Work principles, all with shrinking budgets.

Why Resilience Matters

For commissioners, resilience is not a slogan. It is the ability to:

Hold complex cases without repeated breakdowns or costly emergency placements.
Maintain workforce stability through consistent, trained teams — not agency churn.
Deliver safeguarding excellence in line with statutory and inspection requirements.
Secure outcomes that last so young people leave care better prepared for independence.

Without resilience, sufficiency gaps widen, reliance on OWR grows, and statutory duties are put at risk.

Oasis Care’s Resilient Residential Model

Oasis Care provides regulated residential placements that directly support commissioners in meeting sufficiency and safeguarding duties. Our model is designed to withstand system pressures while delivering measurable outcomes:

Trauma-Informed & Therapeutic – structured routines, de-escalation strategies, and tailored support for complex needs.
Consistency of Staffing – permanent, skilled teams who build trust over time.
Education & Community Links – integration with schools, colleges, and local activities to reduce drift.
Safeguarding Excellence – frameworks aligned with Ofsted and CIW standards.
Stability in Transition – carefully managed pathways to avoid placement cliff-edges.

Where OWR placements risk instability and non-compliance, Oasis provides commissioners with a regulated, consistent alternative that reduces risk and strengthens sufficiency planning.

Case Example: Residential Stability Under Pressure

A Welsh local authority referred a 16-year-old boy to Oasis after repeated breakdowns in an unregulated home. His profile illustrates the pressures commissioners face more frequently: a history of trauma, depression, violent outbursts, and significant safeguarding concerns (including the inability to be trusted around knives). He presented with deep mistrust of adults and inconsistent engagement in education.

This was not an “easy” placement. The young person required a consistent, highly trained residential team to manage cycles of aggression, withdrawal, and crisis. Without the right environment, he would almost certainly have faced further breakdowns, escalating costs, and heightened risk.

For the local authority, the result has not been a “quick fix” but sustainable stability. Instead of costly repeat breakdowns and short-term emergency moves, the boy has remained in one regulated placement where risks are actively managed and progress, however incremental, is tracked.

This is what resilience in residential care looks like: the capacity to hold complex young people safely, reduce crisis costs, and give commissioners confidence in sufficiency planning.

Why Commissioners Choose Oasis

Meets compliance with the Children Act, Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, National Transfer Scheme, Ofsted/CIW standards, and Fair Work principles.
Provides stable, regulated residential care that avoids reliance on OWR.
Reduces reliance on emergency placements and associated high costs.
Works in open partnership with councils and social workers to align with sufficiency strategies.
Demonstrates financial resilience through fewer breakdowns and reduced agency use.

Closing Reflection

For Welsh commissioners, resilience is not abstract. It is the difference between placements that break down and placements that hold. It is the assurance that statutory duties are met, sufficiency plans are supported, and vulnerable young people are safeguarded.

Oasis Care has shown that resilience is possible: by investing in staff, embedding trauma-informed practice, and working in partnership with local authorities, we deliver regulated residential care that sustains outcomes for young people and value for commissioners.

Next Steps for Commissioners

We recognise the pressures facing Welsh local authorities, sufficiency gaps, reliance on OWR, and the rising cost of care. Oasis Care can help.

Here’s how we can support your work:

Commissioners: Book a 15-minute outcomes briefing on how our residential model strengthens sufficiency and reduces reliance on OWR placements.
Social Workers: Arrange a conversation with our Registered Manager to discuss matching, care planning, and risk management.
Procurement Teams: Request a costed provision model demonstrating value, compliance, and sustainability.