Children's home run by Active Ark Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263126 1 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

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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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: 11 September 2024

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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: 1263126 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/09/2024 Full Good 10/07/2023 Full Good 16/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1263126 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they are happy living in the home. One child described the home as, ‘The best place I have lived.’ Children are helped and supported by a team of staff who know them and understand their needs. Children are making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into and out of the home, this is well planned and risk assessed. A child who previously lived at the home for several years successfully moved on to independence with strong support from the staff. One professional commented, ‘The placement was very positive, I feel the staff supported [Name of child] well and continue to do so where they can.’ When children move into the home, the registered manager carefully considers staffing arrangements and takes on board the children’s preferences with regards to which staff they feel most comfortable with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Experiences of education are mixed. Neither child is attending their identified provision, but for different reasons. Staff ensure that children are engaged in doing independence work through the day and advocate well on behalf of children to ensure that they have appropriate education provisions in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s choices are included in all planning including for meals, activities and holiday times. Consultation with children is a strength of the home, with the registered manager ensuring that children are regularly aware of responses to their requests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is supported where appropriate and children are helped to stay in touch with those people that are important to them.

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

Children say that they feel safe at the home and that they have trusted adults they can talk to if they need to share their concerns.

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home do occur. However, staff are clear about the protocols to follow and they actively search and contact children to ensure they are returned quicky and safely.

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

Behaviour is well managed overall. However, opportunities to re-enforce acceptable behaviour are sometimes missed. Rewards are used effectively.

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

Risk assessments are detailed, but strategies to help staff minimise risk are often vague. Care plans are updated on a regular basis. However, language continues to be jargonistic within children’s records and reports and, at times, important information is missing. Care plans and risk assessments are not always reviewed and re-evaluated when incidents occur. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263126 4

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good

The registered manager has been in a dual post for six months as she is also registered to oversee another home. The registered manager shares her time between the two homes. However, the staff in this home are relatively new as a team and, as such, need greater support. The registered manager is supported by a deputy who is also new to the role. This means that the registered manager often undertakes tasks that are in addition to her role, and therefore her monitoring of the service in this home is affected.

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good

The registered manager supports the staff team through regular supervisions and annual appraisals as well as team meetings. Records of supervision and appraisals are comprehensive and include targets and actions. However, team meeting minutes do not always include details of discussions about children and the management of their care and behaviour. This could lead to inconsistent practice.

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good

The registered manager has completed a quality of care review and forwarded it to Ofsted. However, this has not been fully evaluated and the action plan does not give timescales for completion.

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good

Staff are positive about the management team, feel supported and say that the registered manager and deputy are approachable and always on hand for advice.

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good

Staff’s training is up to date. Induction with new staff is carried out and reports completed to assist with evaluation at the end of probationary periods.

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good

Feedback from the wider team of professionals is positive. They are happy with the care the children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263126 5

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Statutory requirements

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

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessment are updated and re- evaluated following incidents. 30 July 2025

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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.

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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) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that care plans contain all known aspects of need. 30 July 2025

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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 30 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1263126 6 promotes their welfare.

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that team meetings include full discussion about the care and management of behaviour of children.

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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

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 30 July 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the report under regulation 45 clearly identifies any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.4)  The registered person should ensure that expectations of standards of behaviour should be high for all staff and children in the home. Positive behaviour and relationships should be reinforced, praised and encouraged; poor behaviour should be challenged and discussed. Staff should have the skills to respond to each child’s individual behaviour. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 38, paragraph 8.11)

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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: 1263126 7 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1263126 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit E, Baron Way, Kingmoor Business Park, Carlisle CA6 4SJ

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Inspector

Sue Atkinson-Millmoor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1263126 9 and inspects 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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