Children's home run by Active Ark Limited in Cumberland

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to be led effectively by a qualified and experienced registered manager. This manager works closely with a small, core group of staff, ensuring that the home promotes consistency and good stability for the young person currently placed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three requirements and two recommendations resulted from the last full inspection of the home in January 2016. Although this interim inspection took place in advance of the timescale given for action, the home has made some positive progress to address and act on the issues raised. This includes the establishment of regular staff team meetings. This improves the quality of communication within the home. These new arrangements have focused on ensuring that there is a shared understanding of the home’s ethos and the practice standards to be maintained by staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some improvement has already been noted in the quality of reports received that result from the home’s external monitoring arrangements. Recent reports demonstrate greater evaluation of the service. However, these require further development to ensure that all issues raised are concluded with clear recommendations that promote continuous improvement and further development of the service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff encourage young people to express their views, and involve them fully in developing plans that successfully address their care and support needs. As a result, young people feel that they are listened to and that their views and opinions count. Staff ably support young people to explore their community and enjoy a range of new and challenging experiences. Young people have enjoyed activities such as caving, camping and fishing. These have proved to be excellent opportunities to develop personal confidence and self-esteem.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home provides a relaxed and welcoming environment that encourages young people to feel appropriately safe and well supported. Young people benefit from a good continuity of staffing. This gives them the opportunity and time to develop positive and meaningful relationships with staff. One young person commented, ‘I like certain staff, they are easy to get along with.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make good progress from their starting points and demonstrate a clear awareness of their personal progress since coming to the home. Through regular and frequent discussions with staff, they are able to reflect on past behaviours and circumstances. This helps their understanding and commitment to finding a more positive way forward. Staff work effectively with young people to address those areas where specific support is required. Staff use a range of praise and incentive programmes to encourage their progress in reaching their goals.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person identifies having made considerable achievement in the three- month period that he has been in the home. He notes that he has not been missing from the home, as was the pattern prior to placement, and that he has reduced smoking and avoided the misuse of illegal substances, which he understands carry long-term health risks. Additionally, he has re-engaged with education, and appreciates that this is important to support his learning and future success in employment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff proactively support young people with their learning, as many come to the home having missed significant time in education. For example, the home has provided the young person currently placed with a personal tutor and a laptop to assist with distance learning through an online virtual school. Staff encourage and guide him to complete accredited programmes to demonstrate competency in new skills learned since moving to the home. These include skills learned through a range of outdoor activities and household tasks, such as meal preparation and budgeting, that successfully promote independence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home shows strength in promoting contact for those young people who are placed some distance from their home area. Staff encourage daily contact by telephone, where appropriate, and facilitate occasions effectively either for young people to visit family or for family members to visit them. For example, staff support families with practical planning, such as finding local accommodation, to ensure that arrangements meet the needs of both the young person and their family. This level of organisation and support demonstrates the home’s commitment to providing a good experience of contact that will promote opportunities to build and maintain significant relationships.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

During this inspection, some shortfalls were identified in record keeping. Also, the home’s statement of purpose did not reasonably reflect the latest changes in legislation and guidance. As such, three requirements have been made to address these issues. Although these are important to maintain an accurate account of activity within the home and promote the home’s purpose, these shortfalls have not adversely impacted on either the safety or welfare of young people using the service.

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Information about this children's home

 The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children.

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Information about this children's home

 It is owned and operated by a private company.

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Information about this children's home

 It is registered to care for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (EBD).

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘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 registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HCMI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)). 08/06/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the records, as set out in Schedule 4, are kept up to date. This relates specifically to the admission and discharge register (Regulation 37 (2)(b)). 08/06/2016

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Requirement Due date

41: Notification with respect to children admitted into, or discharged from, a children's home

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home (Regulation 41(1)). 08/06/2016

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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