Essential Living Care Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Essential Living Care Ltd 1 Essential Living Care Ltd

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Registered provider: Essential Living Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

Essential Living Care Ltd registered with Ofsted on 6 March 2024 to provide ring- fenced accommodation.

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provider

The same person holds the roles of registered service manager and nominated individual.

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provider

At the time of registration, the provider had one property offering supported accommodation for up to five children.

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provider

The monitoring visit was announced approximately one hour in advance. On the day of this visit, the provider had one property offering supported accommodation for up to five children. Two children from the same local authorities were placed with this provider.

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provider

A second property next door to the original property has been purchased and is being renovated to provide accommodation for up to five children. It is not yet ready to be occupied.

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provider

The inspector visited one property and spoke to the nominated individual/registered service manager, a director and one member of staff.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted were made aware of two significant events, an assault on a child and a physical intervention of a child. The provider failed to notify Ofsted of these. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Essential Living Care Ltd 2 This monitoring visit focused on the effectiveness of leaders and managers in managing and sharing information on significant events with all safeguarding agencies and Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers ensure that the staff take appropriate action to support children during and following significant incidents. Leaders and managers ensure that the staff record the actions taken appropriately on their systems, and they share information with the children’s placing local authorities. However, the registered service manager has failed to notify Ofsted of several significant incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Staff act quickly to keep children safe. There has been one occasion when a child has been physically held by the staff. They were appropriately trained to use this intervention. The recording of the incident is detailed and demonstrates that it was necessary and appropriate to keep the child safe.

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This monitoring visit

The provider’s monitoring and review systems are not embedded, so they are yet to be effective. While one of the senior leaders identified that Ofsted needed to be notified of a regulation 27 incident, the current monitoring system did not alert leaders and managers that this had not been followed up. Furthermore, despite being reminded by Ofsted to submit a quality of support review under regulation 32, the provider has failed to do this.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager has recently attended additional training to improve his knowledge and understanding of what is required of him under regulation 27 and 32. He intends to train the senior staff, including the house manager who deputises for him, when the registered service manager is not present. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Essential Living Care Ltd 3

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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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any 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 or child criminal exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and the registered person considers that incident to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the supported accommodation undertaking or a person working for it;

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry);

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Requirement Due date

there is an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint of a child;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 3 (a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f)) 30 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain a system for monitoring and improving the quality of support provided by the supported accommodation undertaking by completing a review (“a quality of support review”) at least once every six months, which must take into account— 30 April 2025 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Essential Living Care Ltd 4 the views of children, including any feedback and complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from individual children on the impact the supported accommodation has had on the child’s life, especially regarding how well prepared the child felt for transition into supported accommodation and how well prepared the child feels for transition out of supported accommodation;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from each child’s accommodating authority, staff and any relevant persons;

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Requirement Due date

any relevant research and developments in relation to the way in which the needs of children are best met. After completing a quality of support review, the registered person must produce a written report setting out the actions the registered person intends to take as a result of that quality of support review.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the review report to the CIECSS within 28 days beginning with the day on which the report is completed, and make a copy of it available on request to each child’s accommodating authority. (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2) (3))

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and to ensure that the supported accommodation provider was complying with regulation.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Essential Living Care Ltd 5

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider: Essential Living Care Ltd

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 6th Floor Amp House, Dingwall Road, Croydon CR0 2LX

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Kevin Jongou

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Inspector

Clare Hannah, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Essential Living Care Ltd 6 regulates and inspects 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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