Children's Home run by Active Ark Limited in Cumberland

Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 1 SC465634 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

A private company owns the home. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been registered since May 2014. There is currently no registered manager in post. The manager is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of this inspection and was spoken to by the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 November 2022

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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 Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/02/2022 Full Good 05/08/2019 Full Good 03/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have developed positive relationships with the child, who has lived in the home for a long time. This enables the child to talk openly about their views, wishes and feelings about their care. This supports the child to feel listened to, valued and to build resilience and self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before a child moves into the home, the manager should assure herself that the staff team are able to meet the needs of the child. However, the child living at the home is provided with individualised care and care plans are understood and followed by staff. This ensures that the child receives consistent and effective care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to manage their health needs. The child is registered with a doctor, dentist and optician. The child’s routine health appointments and checks are up to date.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote opportunities for the child in the community. This includes the child volunteering at the local animal centre and attending the local youth club. This supports the child’s education and overall well-being and develops their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is engaged in education and is making good progress. The child’s parent told the inspector the best thing about their child living in the home is that the manager and staff promote their education and social time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have good relationships with the child’s family members and support the child to see their family regularly. This encourages the child to keep in touch with people who are important to them and supports their identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard. The home would be improved by having the living room and top floor landing redecorated, as there is damage due to a water leak.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to have a choice in the decoration of their bedroom and they have personalised their own space. The child told the inspector, ‘I love my bedroom. I’ve just had it decorated.’

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

The manager and staff know the child well, and understand and follow their risk management plans. The plans are detailed and provide clear strategies to support staff to safely manage the child’s behaviour.

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

The child told the inspector they feel safe living at the home and are supported to stay safe by the staff. Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 4 Staff undertake a range of safeguarding training, including in exploitation, self-harm and internet safety. This means the child’s risk-taking behaviours are understood and managed well by the staff. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of child protection and safeguarding procedures to help the child to remain safe.

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

Staff are able to de-escalate incidents without the need to hold the child to keep them safe. Staff are trained in physical intervention and de-escalation techniques to ensure they can manage behaviours effectively and keep everyone safe.

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

On occasions, the child has left their place of education and the local youth club without permission. The staff have been proactive in locating the child and returning them home safely in line with protocols.

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

The home has sensors in the hallways which alert staff to the child’s movements around the home. The manager should ensure the need for this type of monitoring and surveillance is required for a specific safeguarding reason and ensure it is kept under regular review.

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

The manager has risk assessed the location of the premises, however, this would benefit from feedback from local safeguarding agencies. This would support the manager to robustly assess the risk.

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

A social worker said, ‘Staff know [name of child] extremely well and are aware of any issues. [Name of child] will often tell me how happy they are at the home and that they feel safe.’

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good

The interim manager has been in post since September 2022 and has recently applied to be registered with Ofsted. The manager is still to be enrolled on the relevant management qualification, however, does hold a relevant childcare qualification.

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good

The responsible individual has not ensured the manager has had a probation period or an induction, or been given regular supervision. This has led to shortfalls in the new manager receiving adequate support and guidance in her role.

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good

Staff turnover has been low and, consequently, staff morale is high. Staff report feeling happy in their roles and supported by the manager. A member of staff said, ‘Since [name of manager] started, the home has come on in leaps and bounds. She has implemented an open-door policy for the child and staff.’

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good

A new member of staff has not received a sufficient induction to the home. However, they are working through their probation period and receive regular supervision. Staff have received annual appraisals of their performance. This allows staff and the manager to reflect on their practice and look at areas for development. Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 5 Shortfalls identified at the previous inspection have all been addressed. The manager writes a monthly review of care for the child which is shared with the relevant professionals. This supports the manager to evaluate progress being made and any areas for development.

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good

A review of the quality of care in May 2023 lacks evaluation of the feedback received from staff, professionals and the child. It is not evaluative or analytical of the care provided for the previous six months. It lacks a robust action plan. This does not allow the manager to plan effectively and develop the home. Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 6

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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 person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(c)(d)) 27 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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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. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b)) 27 August 2023

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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. 27 August 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 7 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

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) (5))

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. This specifically relates to redecoration needed to the lounge and to water marks visible on the top landing by the window. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to

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Recommendations

meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process: Children’s homes regulation amendments 2014: Advice for children’s homes providers on new duties under regulations that came into effect in January and April 2014. This specifically relates to the registered provider gaining feedback from safeguarding agencies to inform the risk assessment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 8

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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: SC465634 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

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC465634 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 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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