Children's Home run by Active Young People Limited in Stockton-on-Tees

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 1 Registered provider: Active Young People Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to nine children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023. Seven children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Inspection date: 28 November 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 28 November 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors 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: 2625941 2

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Outcome from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Outcome from the inspection

 There is no effective system for overseeing injuries to children.  There is no action plan to ensure the correct support is in place for a member of staff after an investigation into their practice.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that a staff member has an up-to- date Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate while working with children.  Leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of the children’s care.  Leadership of the home has not ensured that all staff complete mandatory training, such as first aid.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff are enrolled and supported to achieve a relevant qualification within the necessary timescales.  Not all children receive care in a clean, safe and comfortable home.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager does not have an effective monitoring system in place in the event children suffer any form of injury. Body-maps completed by staff do not provide sufficient information, and these records are not reviewed by the registered manager in a timely way. This leaves time for injuries to lessen or heal completely. This means that any injuries to children are not responded to appropriately, and there is not enough information to assess whether the injury was accidental or not. This leaves children at risk.

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Findings from the inspection

When allegations against staff are investigated, leaders and managers do not ensure there is a clear plan in place to oversee, monitor and support staff when they return to work. This does not provide children with assurances that their safety and well- being are a priority.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have the necessary safeguarding checks in place to ensure they are safe to work with children. One member of staff’s overseas police check had expired. Although the manager was aware of this, no safeguards were put in place while a DBS certificate was applied for. This does not ensure that children are cared for by adults who are safe to do so.

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Findings from the inspection

A closed culture assessment completed by the provider identified concerns about children being cared for in isolation and staff often working on their own with children. Children do not have free access to all areas in the home as they live in apartments that staff move between with key fob access. This means that children Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 3 are sometimes isolated from their peers, which inhibits their social development. In addition, the location of the registered manager’s office prevents visible oversight of staff practice and the care of the children. The provider has not taken action to mitigate the perceived vulnerabilities identified in their closed culture assessment.

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Findings from the inspection

Not enough staff have the relevant qualifications as set out in the regulations and associated guidance. Some staff have not completed the diploma qualification by the relevant date, and others are awaiting to be enrolled on the diploma. Not all staff are enrolled to complete mandatory training as set out in the statement of purpose.

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Findings from the inspection

The children’s environment was unclean and in need of repairs. Some walls had smear marks and required cleaning; the garden had rubbish that needed to be removed. There are other areas of the home that require attention to make them safe. These issues were raised at the full inspection in June 2023, and this requirement is therefore being restated.

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Findings from the inspection

Not all children’s plans and risk assessments are up to date. One child’s plan provides details of medication that the registered manager said had not been prescribed since the child lived at the home. The registered manager has systems in place to monitor children’s plans and risk assessments. However, these systems are ineffective in ensuring children’s records are correct or that staff have clear and accurate plans to follow.

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Findings from the inspection

One child has a camera in their room that is used at night to monitor their sleep pattern. The home does not have a policy in place for monitoring children in this way. Although staff consider this measure is no longer necessary to monitor the child’s sleep, there has been no review of the arrangements or challenge to the placing authority about the necessity for this. This does not ensure that children’s privacy is protected.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff supervision does not provide an opportunity for reflective practice or to discuss any safeguarding concerns in relation to the children. Leaders and managers have started to make changes to this process but the quality of this remains a concern. This requirement has been restated.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s records of their daily experiences of living in the home are well documented. Records of children spending time enjoying activities in the community are held on children’s files and include photographs of their experiences. Children are engaged in activities, and this is reflected in their records to help children understand their experiences in their time living in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2022 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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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

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(f)(h)) 21 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each 21 January 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 6 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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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

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and 21 January 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 7 is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(vi)(vii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d)) 21 January 2024

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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

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1) (a)(d)) 21 January 2024

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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 21 January 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 8 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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii))

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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 the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the

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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.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), 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; 21 January 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 9 The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a) (7) (a)(b)(d))

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 21 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date (Regulation 36 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 21 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that training undertaken by staff is clearly recorded and that refresher training is undertaken within timescale. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53 paragraph 10.8) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Active Young People Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Suffolk Way, Sevenoaks TN13 1YL

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Inspectors

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2625941 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 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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Inspectors

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