Children's home run by Active Ark Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1263126 1 Registered provider: Active Ark Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children or young people, irrespective of gender, who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1263126 2

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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

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) and (2)(c)) 09/07/2018

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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 HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3) (a) and (b)) 09/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person, if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2) (a) and (b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically concerns visits occurring when the registered person is able to assist and facilitate contact with children, those with parental responsibilities and other relatives. In addition, consent is also to be obtained before the independent person can review children’s case records. 09/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 09/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1263126 3 (4)(a))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should decide what each six-monthly review should focus on based on the specific circumstances of the home and any areas of high risk to children. The review does not need to address every part of the Quality Standards but should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)  Ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. Specifically, the independent person should provide a more comprehensive evaluation of their findings and routinely reflect the views of young people and those professionals involved in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a safe and homely environment that has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. They have been encouraged to contribute to the decoration of the home, especially personalising bedrooms to their own particular tastes and preferences. Consequently, young people take great pride in how the home looks and have a real sense of belonging here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. They say staff listen to them and respect their views and wishes. Young people feel included in the day-to-day running of the home and feel trusting of staff such that they can discuss any issues that may be worrying them. One young person commented, ‘I like all staff. They go out of their way to help me. Staff here are honest with me, and they listen to what I have to say.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are very settled in this home. They are able to identify the good progress they are making and attribute this to the staff support they have received. One young person is attending school, having previously not attended school for a considerable period of time. She commented, ‘Previously I only had two hours of home tuition but now I am going every day. I like school. It is the support I have had from staff and the manager that has made the difference. I have learned so much since going there. I passed my English and maths test. I feel really proud of this.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work effectively with a range of health professionals to ensure that young people’s Inspection report children’s home: 1263126 4 healthcare needs are met effectively. For one young girl, staff are working in close cooperation with health professionals and voluntary groups to support her pregnancy and ensure that she receives the antenatal care required to promote the health of her unborn baby and herself.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Placing authorities and family members speak positively about the quality of care provided and the outcomes young people achieve. One social worker commented, ‘Things seem to just click into place for her after her move to this home.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are familiar with young people’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. They are suitably trained in good safeguarding practice, and understand the help and support required to keep young people safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff support and manage young people’s behaviour well, using encouragement and praise, and giving young people the opportunity to earn rewards as a result of their good behaviour. Their achievements are regularly celebrated.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are calm, respectful and considerate when talking to young people. Young people respond well to this approach, which is successful in de-escalating the likelihood of incidents in the home. Young people are successfully learning to compromise and talk about issues without getting angry or aggressive. Punitive measures, such as sanctions, are rarely used, and so far physical intervention has never been considered necessary.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have not been any incidents of young people being missing from this home. Although for some this was a feature in previous homes, young people are demonstrating a greater ability to express and manage their feelings in a constructive way. One young person commented, ‘I have completely changed since I’ve been here. Before I would run away and I would be aggressive and rude. Basically staff have helped me change.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is still fairly new to her role but is steadily gaining confidence and is now demonstrating her ability to manage this home effectively. The manager is currently working towards her level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has acted swiftly to make all required improvements identified at the last inspection on 7 March 2018. Her monitoring activity is now well established and working effectively to inform the home’s development planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite having completed her six-monthly quality of care review report, this was not forwarded to Ofsted within the required timescale. The report was informative but not particularly evaluative. Additionally, it did not conclude with a plan linking this to the Inspection report children’s home: 1263126 5 home’s development planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and the areas she would wish to see developed. She understands the benefit of rigorous external scrutiny and accepts that current arrangements fall short of this. With visits only ever occurring at weekends, this limits the availability of professionals, young people and especially the registered manager to assist the visitors’ enquiries.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is meeting its objectives as detailed in the home’s statement of purpose. However, minor errors were noted in this document and the children’s guide that were factually incorrect.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff voice considerable confidence in their manager and feel well supported in their roles. Staff identify regular supervision, daily discussion with their manager and staff meetings as having improved their ability to work individually and as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s case records have been thoroughly reviewed to ensure that all necessary documentation exists to provide a comprehensive account of young people’s time at this home.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1263126 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Armstrong Watson, Birbeck House, Duke Street, Penrith CA11 7NA

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Inspector

Gillian Walters, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1263126 7 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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