Children's home run by Active Ark Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1266838 1 Registered provider: Active Ark Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns and manages the home. It is registered to provide care for up to three children. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since December 2020. A manager was appointed in March 2021 and is in day-to-day charge of the home but is not applying to register. The provider is recruiting a manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1266838 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Children have nurturing, warm relationships with the staff and manager. The children are appropriately matched and have settled into the routines and boundaries put in place by staff to manage their safety and behaviour.

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The care of children

Children’s views are listened to by staff on a range of issues, including their own care planning. Plans detail how children want to be treated at times of crisis and what helps them. This ensures that children feel valued and included in the planning of their care.

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The care of children

The home is spacious and well maintained. There are toys, books and games in several of the communal rooms. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and children say that they have everything they need. Children have games consoles and mobile phones where appropriate. Staff monitor the use of these, and applications are used to ensure children’s safety when online.

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The care of children

Education is seen as important and is supported by staff, who help with homework and transport children to and from school. When children have had difficulty with school placements, the staff have collaborated with external professionals and advocated on their behalf to ensure that alternative educational provision is found. Children are attending school and have incentives in place to support progress.

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The care of children

Staff have regular key-work discussions with children that show how staff are building relationships, implementing boundaries and routines, and promoting children’s health. Debrief sessions and follow-up work on relevant topics also take place after any incident.

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The care of children

There have been only two incidents of children going missing from home since the last inspection. Staff reported these to the police while they continued to go out and look for the children. On both occasions, staff found the children and returned them safely. Discussions took place between children and staff to ensure that staff knew the reasons for the missing episode and could help to prevent further occurrence. The manager and staff have contacted local authorities to have an independent return-home interview but, at times, there has been no response. This means that children do not have the opportunity to speak to someone external to the home to discuss any worries that may have led to the missing episode. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1266838 3

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The safety of children

Risk assessments and care plans outline children’s vulnerabilities and risks. These are reviewed monthly, and show that the manager reviews these to ensure that they are effective. However, while incidents are also recorded clearly in other documents and are commented on by the manager for any learning for staff, incidents are not always included in the chronology of the risk assessment. This may mean that when staff assess the current risk, at the point of review, not all information is considered.

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The safety of children

Children say that they feel safe in the home and that staff look after them well. There has been only one incident of the use of physical intervention to protect a child. This was well documented and reviewed by the manager for any learning. Discussions with children during the visit showed that children are also clear about the reasons why staff can intervene physically to protect them.

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The safety of children

Online safety is taken seriously and strategies to guide staff are clear within plans and risk assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home has been without a registered manager for a considerable amount of time. However, the manager who is currently in day-to-day charge has been in post for two years and knows the children well. He has addressed nine of the 10 requirements set at the last inspection, and now has systems in place to monitor the home and direct the staff to amend and improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff have supervision with the manager regularly, which includes discussions relating to the needs of the children, and gives staff the opportunity to reflect on practice. However, staff have not received any annual appraisals of their work to help with their own learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Mandatory training is up to date and bespoke training has been added to meet the specific needs of the children placed. However, one member of staff has not completed their required qualification within the timescales outlined in regulation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2022 Full Good 11/12/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/07/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 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, the 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 registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1) (2)) 31 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 31 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1266838 5 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3) an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2) (3)(b) (4) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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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)(c)) 31 May 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return-home interview. The fact that the visit takes place should be recorded or the matter escalated within the local authority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date, including chronologies within risk assessments and care plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1266838 6

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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

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor, Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1266838 7 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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