Children's home run by Active Ark Limited

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 1

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Active Ark Limited

Monitoring visit 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 provides care for up to three children who have social and/or emotional difficulties. The previous registered manager resigned their post in April 2020. A new manager has recently been appointed internally, and starts in post in March 2021. From April 2020 to the present, a registered manager from another of the company’s homes has provided some interim management.

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This monitoring visit

This remote visit was planned because currently the home does not have a registered manager, and there is not yet an application to Ofsted in progress. The post has been vacant for a period well exceeding six months and it has also been over a year since the home was last inspected.

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This monitoring visit

Several shortfalls in practice have been identified as a result of this monitoring visit. These shortfalls mainly relate to the quality and long-term nature of the interim management arrangements. In particular, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the interim manager’s support has been largely off site and remote.

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This monitoring visit

Several documents, such as children’s risk assessments, have not been well reviewed and updated. For example, risk assessments contain a lot of historical and irrelevant information. Children’s care plans lack important information about their culture, religion and identity.

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This monitoring visit

An incident occurred with one of the children where it was necessary to use physical intervention. During this incident, the child made an allegation against a staff member and later retracted this, indicating that it had been said in anger. The record of the physical intervention was poorly completed and did not accurately reflect the child’s words. Additionally, colloquialisms were used that would be unlikely to help the child understand the events in the future. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 2 The placing authority raised this incident as a concern with the relevant local authority for the children’s home, and ultimately concluded that the child had been safeguarded, but the matter had been poorly reported. In addition, Ofsted did not receive a notification concerning this matter. Consequently, the home was less than transparent about the event.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not recently benefited from regular supervision, a wide range of training opportunities or an annual appraisal. Despite this, they said that they have felt supported by managers, who they know are ‘always at the end of a phone’.

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This monitoring visit

Care staff have been instrumental in organising shifts between themselves, ensuring continuity of care for children and minimising the number of adults they have had to encounter during this national pandemic.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the number of shortfalls identified, children living at the home have remained remarkably settled and their progress appears to have been largely unaffected. Staff ensure that children understand the need for the current government restrictions, and assist them to know how to keep themselves safe through good hygiene practices and social distancing guidance.

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This monitoring visit

Both children currently in placement spoke to the inspector during this visit via an online video call. One child helpfully assisted the inspector to see around the home using a mobile phone video application. The home remains very comfortable and homely, and children’s bedrooms are decorated and accessorised with their chosen belongings.

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This monitoring visit

Both children have a strong sense of belonging at this home, and expressed clearly their wishes to remain here at this home for some considerable time. Social workers confirmed that the home is providing a positive long-term placement for both children. One social worker commented, ‘He’s thrived between there and school. He is on track and he is on a career path. He has matured and he really loves it there. He is safe and well cared for.’

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This monitoring visit

Children share very positive relationships with staff and enjoy living at the home. They have continued to attend school and are reported to be making very positive progress. One child’s teacher described him as potentially having made lifelong friendships at school, and said how much he is looking forward to moving with his classmates to secondary school. The teacher commented, ‘He worships the staff at the home. He tells me that staff just get him. [Name of staff member] is a great role model for him.’

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This monitoring visit

Internal and external monitoring have proved less effective since the last inspection. Reports by the independent person are insufficiently robust and are not always sent to Ofsted within the required timescale. In addition, two six-monthly quality of care review reports have not been completed. This has again reduced the transparency of Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 3 practice. Requirements and recommendations resulting from this visit are intended to improve the quality of practice.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/12/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/07/2019 Full Good 08/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 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 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

This specifically relates to the provider keeping children’s risk assessments under review, up to date and accurate. 30 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 5 research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that regular staff team meetings occur, and that account is taken of feedback received and other monitoring activity to assist the home’s planning for improvement.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that the home’s care plans are sufficiently detailed and consider the child’s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. 30 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience;

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 6 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is

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Requirement Due date

authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate;

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) 30 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 7 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that Ofsted receives each monthly report and receives reports within the agreed timescale. 30 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 8 This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that reports are appropriately completed, and that Ofsted receives a quality of care review report every six months within the prescribed timescale.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s polices on record-keeping, understanding the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This includes recording in a non-stigmatising way and avoiding use of colloquialisms that may not be understood by the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the appointed independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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 address: Active Ark, Unit E, Baron Way, Kingmoor Business Park, Carlisle CA6 4SJ

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Inspector

Gillian Walters, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1266838 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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