Children's Home run by Active Ark Limited in Cumberland

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 1

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Active Ark Limited

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 provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in August 2018.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 14 and 15 November 2022. Following this visit, Ofsted issued three compliance notices under section 22a of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 14 (the care planning standard).

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

There are now clear risk assessments for children which outline their current risks and vulnerabilities. These provide staff with clear guidance about the steps that they should take to reduce risks to children. The risk assessments have been updated when a risk changes and include strategies which are agreed in multi-agency meetings.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Although there are risks to children who go missing, staff are taking consistent action in line with children’s individualised plans to reduce these risks. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 2 Direct work has been carried out with children to support their understanding of how to keep safe. Referrals have been made to external agencies to ensure that children are receiving appropriate help and support.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight of the quality of care that children are receiving has improved sufficiently. Staff have access to children’s relevant plans and understand children’s individual needs and how to address them.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received training in relevant matters, such as epilepsy and domestic violence. The manager ensures that training has a positive impact on staff’s knowledge and skills by completing practice-based supervision sessions which provide a forum for staff to reflect on the training that they have received.

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This monitoring visit

Hygiene standards in the home have improved although further improvement work is planned to address maintenance work in one of the bathrooms.

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This monitoring visit

In Ofsted’s opinion, the provider has demonstrated that they have met the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Recommendations and requirements made at the last inspection were not reviewed as part of this visit. Therefore, these are restated below.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/11/2022 Full Inadequate 02/03/2022 Full Good 13/06/2019 Full Good 24/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 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, 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(v)(vi)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff help children to understand their past experiences of abuse and neglect and the impact this has had on them.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must ensure that children are helped to develop the skills to live independently. 15 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 staff— 15 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 4 help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand children’s educational needs and how to support them to achieve in education.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must ensure that children are helped to follow good routines which facilitate engagement in education and training.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 15 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 5 understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand children’s health needs and how to meet them. Further to this, they must ensure that children receive appropriate help and encouragement to address their own health needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children attend routine appointments, such as sight tests. When children are reluctant to attend, staff must help them to attend and make repeat appointments to encourage them to attend.

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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

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

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, 15 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 6 sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(xii))

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Requirement Due date

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)) 15 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff not administering medication unless they have received training to do this safely. 15 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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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)(b)(c)) 15 December 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 15 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 7 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

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

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) (3)(a)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the use of consequences. The registered person must ensure that these are reviewed for effectiveness and that the child is spoken to about the consequence.

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child— 15 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 8 is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 9

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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

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1233899 10 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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