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

A private provider operates this home. It is registered to provide care for one child who may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The child was observed and spoken to during the inspection.

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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: 30 January 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2023 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Inadequate 08/03/2022 Full Good 30/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has had a planned move into the home. This was positive and has supported the child to build positive relationships with the staff. The child is now enjoying time away from the home taking part in activities such as fishing and going walking with staff.. This helps the child to develop their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff support the child to have their views, wishes and feelings heard, through consultations and key-work sessions. A parent spoken to stated, ‘[Name of child] is more settled here than previous homes. It very much revolves around him in this home, and he is definitely listened to. I couldn’t ask for anything better.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise the child’s health and well-being needs and encourage them to attend routine health appointments. The manager regularly advocates for the child to ensure they receive the specialist health support that they require.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager works closely with educational professionals and the child’s social worker to ensure that the education provision on offer for the child meets their complex needs. The child has an education, health and care plan. However, the manager and staff have not got access to this, which means staff are unable to follow the plan effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector observed positive and caring relationships between staff and the child. The manager and staff team provide the child with individualised care. The child’s care plan is understood and followed by staff. This ensures that the child receives consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. The child is encouraged to have a choice in the decoration of their bedroom and to personalise their own space. The child’s bedroom would benefit from new flooring and blinds.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives in a happy and relaxed home, where staff treat them with dignity and respect. This supports the child to develop their identity and creates a sense of belonging.

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

The manager and staff are proactive in ensuring the child’s safety and well-being. They have a good understanding of the child’s behaviours and follow robust risk assessments and support plans to reduce risk. Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 4 Staff are trained in issues such as self-harm, online safety, physical intervention and attachment disorder. This supports the staff to manage some of the child’s behaviours, which helps the child to remain safe.

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

The child does not go missing from home. However, the staff are aware of the procedures and steps to take should this occur to keep the child safe.

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort to safeguard the child. Since the child moved in, there has been one occasion where staff have had to hold the child. This was deemed to be necessary and proportionate. The recording of the intervention lacked robust management oversight and staff debriefs. This was a missed opportunity for the manager and staff to review their practice.

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

It is rare that staff have to give the child consequences. When this has happened, the consequence has been fair and proportionate. However, the manager and staff need to ensure that the consequence is recorded correctly.

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

The child is currently on prescribed medication. Records of the child being offered the medication and refusing on two occasions need to be documented. This would allow the manager to monitor the effectiveness and seek further advice from health professionals if deemed necessary.

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

Professionals are complimentary about the quality of the care the child receives, and gave positive feedback. One professional stated, ‘[Name of child] is safe and cared for well. They have stuck by him and are sticking by him, it’s great.’

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

The shortfalls identified in the recording of information have not directly impacted on the safety and well-being of the child.

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good

The new manager has been in post since April 2023 and has applied to be registered with Ofsted. She is enrolling on the relevant management qualification. Staff say they feel supported by the manager, and she is making some positive changes. This leads to staff feeling valued.

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good

The manager ensures that staff have regular team meetings. This allows the staff time to reflect on their practice together. One member of staff stated, ‘I find them useful, figuring out best approaches and sharing new ideas. [Name of manager] allows us to try new ideas. She is great, approachable, open and gives “mum energy”.’

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good

The children’s handbook was not up to date, as it required the details of the Children’s Commissioner for England. This would enable the child to make contact to be supported in promoting their rights. Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 5 New staff receive a thorough induction that provides them with a detailed programme of training and guidance in their new role. Staff receive regular practice- related supervision and have had an annual appraisal. This supports the manager to feel assured that the staff are continuing to meet the needs of the child.

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good

The manager reviews the quality of care in the home on a six-monthly basis and completes a review of the premises annually. She givees an overview of the service. However, consistent feedback from the child and stakeholders would inform the reviews, alongside critical evaluation. This would support the manager in further developing the service.

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good

The manager has monitoring systems in place. However, these are not yet effective. This does not help her to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the service, or to take swift action to address any shortfalls as they arise. Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 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 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to new flooring and blinds required in the child’s bedroom, and the rubbish being removed from the front garden. 8 October 2023

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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— 8 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 7 the name of the child;

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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; 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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that consequences are written up in line with the regulation. Staff are spoken to after a physical intervention and appropriate management oversight of the physical intervention is sought.

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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. 8 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 8 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”). (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that staff are aware of whether a child has an EHC plan and the information in it. An EHC plan details the education, health and social care support that is to be provided to a child or young person who has special educational needs or a disability. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)  The registered person should ensure that medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’,

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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) Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 9 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC439956 10

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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: SC439956 11 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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