Children's home run by Active Ark Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1266838 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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 run by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 25 April 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

An assurance visit took place on 8 July 2025 due to escalating concerns regarding the safety of children and the management of the home. The inspector identified serious and widespread shortfalls in relation to safeguarding practices and ineffective leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection, two compliance notices were issued under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider to meet the steps outlined in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last visit, risk management plans have not been updated to include relevant information. They do not contain robust strategies or clear guidance for staff to follow to reduce risks to children.

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This monitoring visit

Risks for one child remain high. This is despite the manager sharing evidence to the contrary. This presents an overly cautious approach to risk, which could impact on children’s ability to progress. Feedback from the child’s placing authority on a plan Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1266838 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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This monitoring visit

for the child’s transition to semi-independence was that it bordered on a restriction of liberty. Despite this, the child has been able to travel independently to London to spend time with family members.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s medical needs are included in the risk assessment with clear guidance for staff to follow to administer children’s medication. However, there is a lack of clear guidance for staff about who they should contact for health advice and in what circumstances.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s oversight of the home is poor. The manager’s review of incidents focuses on actions needed rather than considering practice issues or opportunities for staff to learn. For example, the manager did not take effective action when a member of staff used inappropriate language in conversation with a child. The manager and responsible individual did not identify a lack of professional curiosity in staff practice when a child shared safeguarding information.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not engage with staff to consider learning from incidents or to check staff’s understanding of children’s plans. Staff meetings and supervisions lack reflection. Instead, the content focuses on tasks, such as staff reading and signing to say that they understand children’s plans without a focus on caring and safeguarding practices.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not report all serious incidents to Ofsted in line with regulation. Records include conflicting information. Additional training has been completed for managers and key workers around understanding of incidents and reporting and recording. There are plans for all staff to complete this training.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has provided a review of care since the last inspection. However, this lacks robust analysis and has limited feedback from children and professionals. The report does not evidence progress with previous actions or provide a clear rationale for actions for the future. There is no process in place to support the development of a review during the current period.

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This monitoring visit

One child moved out of the home on a transition plan that was already in place prior to the last inspection. Since then, plans have also been put in place for the remaining child to move into semi-independent accommodation. Staff help the child to access independent advocacy services.

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This monitoring visit

Managers accept that their relationship with the local authority has become strained, with differing views as to whether the team has fully supported the child to engage positively with the change in plans.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has not taken sufficient action to meet the steps outlined in the compliance notices. Therefore, compliance notices under regulation 12, the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1266838 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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This monitoring visit

protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, will be issued.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements were outside the scope of this visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1266838 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/04/2025 Full Good 22/05/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1266838 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) 21 September

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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— 21 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1266838 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(b) (2)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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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—

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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 21 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1266838 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 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. Specifically, the manager should speak with the existing group of children’s social workers and seek information from professionals and family members of the referred child where appropriate to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people and the regulator. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: 1266838 8 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1266838 9 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspector

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 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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