The funding will support a ‘Housing First’ programme, which gives individuals with a history of rough sleeping a permanent home and personalised, long-term support.

Homeless Oxfordshire has been awarded a 12-month contract to support 40 people in Oxford under the scheme.

Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing and communities, said: “Oxford City Council has pioneered the ‘Housing First’ approach to solving long-term homeless since 2021.

“It’s a proven way of helping people move on with their lives and recover from homelessness after more traditional style rough sleeping services have not worked for them.”

The contract includes the option to extend for a further four years, depending on future funding.

The Housing First model focuses on housing individuals without preconditions and offers tailored support to help them maintain their tenancies.

All that is required is a willingness to keep a tenancy. Support is offered based on individual needs and is not tied to accommodation.

The approach differs from other homelessness services in that housing and support are generally not delivered by the same provider, which allows for more flexible care.

Housing First is a key part of the City Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, and also supports the Countywide Homelessness Strategy, aiming to end rough sleeping in Oxford.

More information about the contract is available on the Oxford City Council website.

Gratia Cura Residential, in Park Road, Didcot, was hit with a £40,000 fine following an Immigration Enforcement investigation.

The business, registered as Gratia Cura Residential Ltd, was published in a recent list by the Government of businesses that had been found to have employed illegal workers.

No further details have bene released by Immigration Enforcement about the circumstances of the fine and who the business employed.

Gratia Cura Residential was approached for comment and further details, but no response was provided.

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The care company describes itself as a “dedicated specialist provision” for children aged seven to 17 years old with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

“We are committed to providing a nurturing environment where children can grow, thrive, and rediscover their potential,” its website says.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection carried out in April 2025, Gratia Cura Residential was rated as being ‘inadequate’.

“There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children are poor and they are not making progress,” Ofsted’s social care inspector Shaheda Dhandia said in a report about Gratia Cura Residential.

At the time of the report, the care provider was recruiting for a manager but Timothy Kosmala was the one responsible for the business.

Ofsted’s damning report on the care home said: “Two children have lived in the home since it registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

“Both children had short stays with unplanned endings. The children did not have the opportunity to develop positive relationships with staff.

“Overall, the standard of care they received did not support them to make sufficient progress.

“Children’s experiences have been poor. The staff failed to protect them from harm as they did not provide safe and consistent care.

“Children’s experiences were poor from moving in until when their care ended abruptly shortly after.

“Staff did not adequately understand the children’s needs. They did not consider the children’s previous experiences and the effect these have had on them.

“Staff did not read key plans from the placing authority that provide rich guidance on how to support the children.

“As a result, this led to the children being involved in serious incidents that placed them at significant risk of harm.

“The children’s emotional health needs were not understood well enough by staff. Staff did not access appropriate therapeutic support from external agencies to ensure that the children were protected from harm.

“As a result, the children were not supported to build positive relationships with staff or to develop the skills to manage their own difficult feelings.”

The bus company is among many businesses facing the impact of soaring fuel prices as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

The United States’ campaign of strikes against Iran has led to fuel supplies being limited, following the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route.

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The increased cost to the bus company would be worse if it didn’t operate a significant number of electric buses.

There are now 110 electric buses running out of its city depot serving Oxford, while buses on routes to towns including Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage are diesel powered.

 An Oxford Bus Company spokesperson said: “We understand there is a lot of concern around fuel costs and we would like to remind people that most of our bus fares are currently capped via the Government’s £3 fare cap scheme.

An electric bus run by Oxford Bus Company (Image: Fortitude Communications)

“Our group tickets, multi-journey passes and period passes all offer tremendous value for money, and through our partnership with Oxfordshire County Council can offer the great value MyBus Oxfordshire tickets, which are valid on all buses in Oxfordshire – as well as to destinations such as Reading, Newbury and Cheltenham.

“We’re also experiencing continued patronage growth on the park and ride as people embrace it as a more sustainable way to visit Oxford, with free bus travel available with a valid parking ticket.

“Our city fleet is fully electric, yet we do require fuel for most of our other services and we are working hard to ensure our services remain great value for money despite cost pressures.”

Last month, the bus company announced 13 new electric buses will soon be on Oxfordshire’s roads following an investment of more than £5.1m.

Oxford Bus Company managing director Luke Marion (Image: Fortitude Communications)

The Go-Ahead Group, the parent business of the Oxford Bus Company, has spent £3.9m, backed by a £1.2m investment from Oxfordshire County Council via its Vehicle Improvement Fund grant scheme, which utilises some of the £10m in funding awarded to Oxfordshire by central government to improve bus services in the county.

The investment is enabling Oxford Bus Company to expand its fleet of electric buses.

The company is rolling out nine new large electric single-deckers and four smaller electric single-deckers on routes extending outside the Oxford SmartZone, with the first tranche of vehicles already in service.

The buses, which have been produced by UK-based manufacturers Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis, will serve the 35 route to Abingdon, 46 to Great Milton, ST2 to Wytham, and the 21 service between Bicester and Chesterton.

Luke Marion, managing director of Oxford Bus Company, said following the announcement: “This further investment is the result of strong partnership working and improving traffic conditions in Oxford, thanks to schemes including the county’s temporary congestion charge and the successful introduction of free travel on the park and ride.”