Children's Home run by Eventus Achieves Limited in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2575842 1

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Eventus Achieves Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children. The home specialises in caring for children with complex learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 3 July 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Prior to the visit, Ofsted had received a complaint and notifications raising concerns about the ability of the staff to support disabled children with complex needs and the suitability of people working at the home. This visit took place on site and was the first inspection of the home since it was registered in July 2020.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this visit, only one child was living at the home. The child feels safe and happy. He enjoys positive relationships with staff. The child’s social worker says that she feels that he is a lot more settled than he has been in the past and that he is making significant progress. He is doing really well at school; he is healthier and developing his independence skills. The stable and supportive environment is helping him to manage his emotions positively.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is very experienced and suitably qualified. She has the necessary expertise to understand children’s complex needs and to provide staff with the support and guidance they require to enable them to support children effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff place the well-being of children at the centre of their practice and the running of the home. They manage restrictions due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic safely and appropriately to minimise the impact on children. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2575842 2 Children are supported by staff who have the experience, skills, qualifications and training to understand and meet their complex needs. The manager’s recruitment and selection of staff minimises the risks to children from unsuitable people.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors identified areas for improvement in relation to risk assessments and management plans, care planning, medication, the quality assurance of records, the physical environment and notifying Ofsted when there have been allegations about staff.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are not always kept up to date and do not always include accurate information about the strategies currently being used to support children. For example, a child’s plan did not set out guidance for the use of ‘as needed’ medication to help the child manage his level of anxiety.

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This monitoring visit

The planning for children’s care is not always effective. Children have not always had a positive experience of moving into the home. One child moved into the home without introductions taking place over a period of time to take into account their cognitive abilities and anxieties. The child’s needs were significantly more complex and challenging than the manager had identified in her assessment. The staff were unable to respond effectively to meet the child’s needs and he soon left the home.

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This monitoring visit

A positive aspect of this outcome was that the manager worked effectively with the local authority and another children’s home to make sure that the child’s move from the home was carefully planned and went smoothly for the child.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always complete the medication administration records with the time that medication is given. Also, the person administering controlled drugs and a trained witness do not always sign the controlled drugs register to confirm that the medicine has been given correctly. Furthermore, protocols for the use of ‘as needed’ medication have not been agreed and signed by the relevant people.

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This monitoring visit

Children live in a comfortable and pleasant house that meets their needs. Any damage to the house caused by children is repaired to a good standard. However, the toilet cistern does not have a lid and the locks on children’s bedroom doors are not suitable for a family home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has not completed written risk assessments and plans to identify and minimise the risk to children when contractors visit the home to carry out maintenance work.

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This monitoring visit

The manager takes suitable action to protect children when there are concerns about staff. However, the manager did not notify Ofsted when a parent made an allegation about a member of staff. The failure to share this significant information meant that Ofsted was unable to carry out its monitoring function to ensure that appropriate action is taken by the manager and the local authority to safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2575842 3 The manager’s system for monitoring and evaluating the quality of records is not effective. The manager has failed to identify when risk assessments and plans are not up to date and when children’s records and checks verifying staff references are not signed and dated by the author.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them, including the steps that staff will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must complete a risk assessment and management plan for when contractors visit the home to carry out maintenance work. 21 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2575842 4 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should develop an effective system for monitoring the quality of recruitment checks, children’s records, risk assessments and plans and to make sure that the documents are signed and dated by the author and that staff have read and understood the content. 21 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 21 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the staff follow good practice in relation to compiling medication administration records that include the time that medication is administered; and that 21 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2575842 5 there is an effective system for monitoring and auditing the arrangements for managing and recording medication.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, protocols for the use of ‘as needed’ medication must include clear guidance for when the medication should be used and be agreed and signed by the relevant people.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 21 March 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that steps are taken to improve the physical environment. This relates to making sure that children have suitable locks on their bedroom doors and that the cistern lid of the toilet is replaced. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Eventus Achieves Limited

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Inspectors

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2575842 6 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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