Children's Home run by Eventus Achieves Limited in Wirral

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

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who may have learning difficulties and disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in May 2021.

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This monitoring visit

An inspection on 29 and 30 July 2021, identified significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice and procedures, and poor leadership and management. Inspectors found that managers and staff do not always act to protect children from harm and not all child protection concerns are appropriately reported and investigated. This lack of understanding of safeguarding roles and responsibilities compromises children’s safety and welfare. Three compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 23 (medicines).

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit on 13 September 2021, found that the provider was unable to demonstrate that sufficient action had been taken to meet the notices. As a result, three further compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, regulation 13 and regulation 23.

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This monitoring visit

The focus of this visit was to monitor and review the actions taken by the provider to meet the three compliance notices that were issued following the last monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager and responsible individual were able to show that they have made the required improvements to meet the compliance notices in relation to the protection of children and medicines. However, there are still significant weaknesses in the leadership and management of the home. Therefore, a further compliance notice has been issued under regulation 13. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2575842 2 The home has not had a registered manager since May 2021. The interim manager, who started in August 2021, has taken steps to improve safeguarding practices, the arrangements for medication and staff knowledge and skills. However, the interim manager is due to leave on 15 November 2021. This lack of stable leadership is compromising the ability to make and sustain the necessary improvements in the quality of care that children receive in order to promote their welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Children still do not benefit from being cared for by a stable and consistent staff team. Several staff have left the home since the last monitoring visit in September 2021. There are currently at least seven vacancies for residential support workers and a reliance on agency workers to cover staff shortages. There are not enough staff currently employed at the home to fulfil the staffing structure set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager and responsible individual confirmed that there are only enough staff available to provide care for two children. This does not assure Ofsted that there are enough skilled and experience staff available to look after the number of children set out in the home’s conditions of registration safely. The manager and responsible individual have made the decision to stop providing a service to a third child due to staff shortages and until sufficient staff are working at the home .

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This monitoring visit

The lack of a settled permanent staff team means that children are not receiving the continuity of care that they need to feel safe, develop and maintain trusting relationships with the people caring for them, and make progress. The number of staff changes is compromising the capacity to build and develop a consistent staff team with the knowledge and skills to meet each child’s individual needs.

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This monitoring visit

The management oversight of children’s experiences and progress, their plans and staff performance are not robust. The manager has not evaluated the effectiveness of the strategies to minimise risks to each child’s welfare. For example, the assessment of the risks to each child from exploitation and going missing from home are not individualised. They do not consider each child’s circumstances, needs and vulnerabilities, or show what staff need to do to manage the risk to each child in different situations.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s routines and day-to-day care protect them from harm. The interim manager continually assesses the risk to each child and the arrangements put in place to protect them. Following a serious concern about a child’s health, steps were taken to reduce the risk of a repeat of the incident.

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This monitoring visit

Staff, including an agency member of staff, demonstrated a detailed understanding of each child’s risks. They understood the strategies in place to reduce the risks, which are consistent with the child’s current risk assessment and plan. They understand the risks to a child from epilepsy and seizures. Staff have received training from the child’s epilepsy nurse to help them understand the child’s specific Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2575842 3 needs and plan. They showed that they know how to monitor the child’s health; the signs that the child is having a seizure; what to do in response to support the child; when and how to use rescue medication; and when to seek medical intervention.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s records show that staff are supporting children to manage their emotions and reduce the need for physical intervention in line with the agreed plan. Staff are trained in behaviour management strategies and use them effectively to support children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have had opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge through training in safeguarding, medication, understanding autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities, and the risks of sexual exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

The arrangements for managing children’s medication are safe. Staff are only involved in giving children medication when they have completed the training and had their competency assessed. Medication is securely stored and staff keep detailed records of the administration of medication. The interim manager uses thorough monitoring systems to make sure that the child gets the medication and treatment that they need in line with their plans.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements set at the last inspection were not considered at this monitoring visit. They will be reviewed at the next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/07/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2575842 4

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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, 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that managers and staff understand that children who are non-verbal can communicate their wishes and feelings. 12 December 2021

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the assessment of the risks to each child from exploitation and going missing from home considers each child’s individual circumstances, needs and vulnerabilities, and clearly demonstrates what staff need to do to manage the risk to each child in different situations. 12 December 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2575842 5 * 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 12 December 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 12 December 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2575842 6 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))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (2)(a) (3)(d)) 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 12 December 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2575842 7 The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child, which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child, are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in schedule 4; and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to staff rosters, and admission and discharge information. 12 December 2021

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(d)(i)(ii)) 12 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2575842 8

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Inspector

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2575842 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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