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

This home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 9 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Five children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. Four children were observed or spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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This monitoring visit

During an assurance inspection on 10 February 2026, inspectors found serious and widespread concerns. Failures in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home negatively affected the children’s safety and protection. In response, Ofsted issued 3 compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 32, fitness of workers. Several additional requirements were issued.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to assess the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans, including risk assessments and behaviour support plans, have been reviewed and updated with relevant information. This ensures that staff have the accurate guidance needed to provide care and support for children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have improved their oversight of staffing arrangements. This includes ensuring that there are sufficient staff on duty to meet the children’s needs, along with ensuring that those children with complex health needs are supported by staff with the required training. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2625941 2 All staff, including non-permanent workers, now receive practice-related supervision. Team meetings are scheduled to enable those who work regularly in the home to attend, providing opportunities to reflect on practice and share learning. Since the last inspection, a team meeting has been held focusing on the whistleblowing procedure, ensuring that staff understand how to recognise, respond to, and report concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have improved recruitment systems for all staff, including temporary and agency workers. However, the manager does not yet have oversight of the required recruitment information, which means there is still no assurance that all staff have been recruited in line with safer recruitment practices. In addition, not all staff hold the appropriate qualification or are working towards completing it. Leaders are aware of this shortfall, but it is yet to resolved.

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This monitoring visit

The manager followed up on a complaint made on behalf of a child from the last inspection. This provided reassurance that the concerns were taken seriously and that safeguarding arrangements were appropriately followed.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s statement of purpose has been revised and submitted to Ofsted; this now includes non-permanent staff who work in the home regularly.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that children have access to all areas of their home that are safe. Children can access food items from their kitchenette, which is now restocked daily. There is an old commercial kitchen which is not safe for children to access. Leaders are aware of this issue, which forms part of the provider’s plans to change the environment in which children are living.

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This monitoring visit

The steps within the compliance notices have been met. In addition, 3 requirements raised at the last inspection have also been met. One requirement has been restated. One recommendation was not considered and is therefore restated. An additional recommendation has been raised. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2625941 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Good 07/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 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 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 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 an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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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 is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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 1 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2625941 5 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; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.13)

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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: 2625941 6

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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

Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector (lead) Tenji Wesa, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2625941 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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