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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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 special educational needs and/or 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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This monitoring visit

During an assurance inspection on the 28 November 2023, inspectors found serious and widespread concerns. These shortfalls impacted on the children’s safety, protection, and welfare. In response, Ofsted issued a compliance notice under Regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

On the 25 January 2024, a monitoring visit assessed the provider’s response to the compliance notice. The inspector found that the registered manager had met five steps of the compliance notice. However, two were not met and were therefore reissued.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place on the 18 March 2024, to assess the provider’s response to the revised compliance notice. This inspection found that the registered manager has met both steps of the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

The progress made with children being able to spend time together in the home is clearer. At least two of the children have been spending some time together in their apartments. Children are also coming together for movie nights, parties and activities outside of the home, such as swimming and walks. This helps ensure that children are not cared for in isolation. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625941 2 Additional furniture bought for the home enhances the shared spaces. For example, the living room has new sensory rocking chairs that the children enjoy using. The use of fobs in the home has lessened since the last visit. This means that three of the seven children can move around the home freely without asking staff. Plans are in place to reduce their use further, with the aim of ensuring children will have more opportunities to be together informally during the day.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have created a monitoring system for staff who have been subject to allegations or to address poor practice. The manager will put a structured plan in place for staff returning to work, alongside any necessary actions. The manager will maintain oversight of the progress of the plan, helping to ensure that children are safeguarded appropriately. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625941 3

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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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625941 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 with the given timescales.

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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 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 May 2024

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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; 17 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625941 5 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

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Requirement Due date

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and 17 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625941 6 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)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

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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 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 May 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

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Requirement Due date

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

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 17 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625941 7 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.

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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. 17 May 2024

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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: 2625941 8

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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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Inspector

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2625941 9 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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