Children's Home run by Active Ark Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 1 SC439956 Registered provider: Active Ark Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for one child who may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2022 Full Good 30/04/2019 Full Good 25/09/2018 Full Outstanding 25/10/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 3

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inadequate

The experiences and progress of the child living at the home are poor. Staff do not have access to the child’s relevant plans, such as local authority care plans and the child’s health information. Therefore, the manager and staff do not understand the child’s individual needs and are not providing the child with well-planned care that addresses their needs and promotes their safety and well-being.

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inadequate

The child has lived at the home for a long time and has developed relationships with some staff. However, when the child has raised concerns or complaints, these are not responded to by the manager or staff. This does not support a positive relationship between the child and staff and could have a negative impact on the child’s emotional well-being.

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inadequate

Staff do not support the child to develop skills and strategies to manage their own feelings and emotions. This does not help the child to build emotional resilience and positive self-esteem.

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inadequate

There is an inadequate response to bullying. Staff have missed opportunities to help the child understand the impact of bullying. Furthermore, staff have not received training to help them respond effectively to bullying.

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inadequate

The child has good attendance at school and staff have supported the transition from primary school to high school. However, when a concern was raised about restraint practices by staff at the child’s previous school, leaders and managers did not take any action. This is a missed opportunity to reflect on staff practice to make improvements to the care they provide for the child.

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inadequate

Conditions in the home are not acceptable. The home environment is in a poor state. There is visible damage in the home and poor standards of decoration. Therefore, the child does not live in a homely environment. This was raised at the last inspection, however, improvements have not been made. The child’s bedroom is still in a poor state. For example, ripped wallpaper has not been replaced and the child has continued to sleep in the bedroom.

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inadequate

The child is encouraged and supported to enjoy a range of activities which help them to be involved in the community and make friends with peers. These activities provide appropriate structure and promote the child’s health through regular physical activity. Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 4

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

There are serious and widespread shortfalls in safeguarding and behaviour management practice. These shortfalls are having a significant negative effect on the child’s overall safety and welfare.

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

Restraint practice is poor. Staff are not trained to carry out restraints safely. Staff do not have the necessary skills and knowledge and they have used unsafe and unapproved techniques, such as lifting and carrying the child. This has placed the child at risk of harm. There have been occasions when staff have carried out restraints without adhering to the relevant guidance. Failing to adhere to this framework and company policy does not safeguard the child and ensure that restraints are used as a last resort.

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

Leaders and managers do not ensure that records of restraint are completed accurately and in line with regulation. Although records of restraint have been monitored by the manager, records do not demonstrate that leaders and managers have addressed the shortfalls in practice or recording. Information such as the child making an allegation following a restraint has not been acted on. Unsafe staff practice, together with ineffective management oversight, has placed the child at risk of harm.

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

Leaders and managers did not take effective action when a child alleged that a staff member hurt them. Leaders and managers did not act in accordance with the child’s risk assessment or company policy. Furthermore, the responsible individual reviewed the record and did not identify this safeguarding concern and take appropriate action. Failing to listen to and respond to concerns raised by children does not promote their safety and welfare.

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

Staff are not recruited in line with safer recruitment guidelines. One recruitment file did not have the information which is required by regulation. Further to this, one staff member with a criminal conviction started working in the home without a thorough risk assessment to manage any potential risks to the child. This unsafe practice could expose the child to the risk of harm from staff who are not suitable to work with children.

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

Staff are not able to manage incidents because they do not have the skills to de-escalate challenging behaviour effectively. Staff do not follow the child’s behaviour support plan consistently and, on some occasions, staff practice has been inappropriate and led to incidents escalating. Leaders and managers do not challenge poor staff practice effectively. Inappropriate staff practice has continued, which is not helping or supporting the child.

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

Staff do not know and understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Therefore, they are not taking effective action to reduce these risks. For example, a new staff member did not read the child’s risk assessments prior to working in the home. This Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 5 resulted in an incident escalating because the staff member did not follow the risk management strategies.

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

The staff do not support the child to understand how to keep safe. For example, the child was given a vape when they were missing from the home. The child did not receive any help or support to understand the potential health implications in respect of this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has been in post since April 2022 but has not yet applied to register with Ofsted. Management oversight of significant incidents is ineffective. Incidents of challenging and unsafe behaviour have not been responded to appropriately, which has placed the child at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are insufficient staff to meet the child’s needs and protect them from harm. On one occasion, a child was taken in the company vehicle on their own, despite identified risks around the child travelling in the car. Insufficient staffing levels resulted in the child being placed in an unsafe and potentially distressing situation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some staff have not completed mandatory training, for example, training in restraint, first aid and fire safety. As a result, the child has been cared for by staff who do not have the necessary skills to safely provide care. During the inspection, leaders and managers arranged for staff to attend first-aid training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a poor response to managing complaints. Leaders and managers do not address staff practice when they receive complaints and do not demonstrate any learning from complaints. Therefore, ineffective and unsafe staff practice has continued and the child continues to be at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive supervision that supports their learning and development. Staff are not supported to reflect on significant incidents. This is a missed opportunity for staff to learn from incidents and improve their practice. This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose is not up to date. This is a breach of regulation and means Ofsted does not have an accurate record of who is working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The review of quality of care report is not evaluative, does not include feedback from the child, professionals or family members and does not include an action plan. This means that the report is ineffective as a tool for continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not notify Ofsted of safeguarding incidents in line with regulation. This means that the regulator cannot monitor the home effectively to ensure the child is safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 6 Staff rosters do not record the actual hours worked. This is a breach of regulation and does not provide an accurate record of the staff working at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 7

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 8 are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers need to ensure that children have up- to-date risk assessments and that these are followed in practice. 6 November 2022

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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 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 9 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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(c)(d)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers need to ensure that staff have received training to meet children’s individual needs. Furthermore, leaders and managers need to ensure that there are sufficient staff to care for children.

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that staff have access to children’s relevant plans, such as local authority care plans and children’s looked after health reports. Leaders and managers must also ensure that staff understand children’s individual needs as identified in their plans and are addressing these. 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 10 The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 6 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that if staff who have criminal convictions are working in the home, this is fully risk assessed to ensure that children are safeguarded.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must ensure that they obtain a full employment history, with an explanation of any gaps in employment and reasons why staff left employment where they worked with children. 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 11 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; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are receiving supervision from an appropriate person who can support reflection on significant events and incidents so that staff are able to improve their practice. 6 November 2022

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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; 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 12 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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 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; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff rosters include the hours that staff and the manager work in the home. 6 November 2022

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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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 40 (4)(b)(c)(e)) 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 13 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

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.

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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) (4)(a) (5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the quality of care report evaluates the quality of care that children receive and takes into consideration feedback from children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. 6 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to 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 children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. This specifically relates to ensuring that standards of decoration throughout the home are good and that any damage is repaired quickly so that it does not detract from the home environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 14

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children’s home: SC439956 15

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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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Inspectors

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 16 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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