Children's Home run by Ark Consultants UK Limited in Redcar and Cleveland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 1 Registered provider: Ark Consultants UK Limited

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Full inspection 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 provides short break care for up to four children with a physical or learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children resident at the time of the inspection. The inspector met with all the children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2025 Full Good 16/09/2024 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 3

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Summary of findings

Children receive highly personalised care from a skilled staff team. Their views are valued and shape practice, while activities broaden experiences and create positive memories. Children are described as happy, settled and engaged. A reflective safeguarding culture promotes learning and reduces restrictive interventions. Strong leadership has improved oversight, care planning and staff development, leading to better experiences and outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children experience exceptionally positive and enriching care. Staff know children well and are highly ambitious for them. As a result, children make meaningful and sustained progress in areas that have a significant impact on their lives, including communication, confidence, independence and social development. Staff take exceptional pride in the children’s achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children look forward to spending time at the home. Parents describe children becoming visibly excited and enthusiastic, with one child using a symbol communication aid at home to communicate their wish to attend. Children present as consistently relaxed, emotionally secure, happy and comfortable around staff. They confidently seek out staff for reassurance, support and play. Staff respond with patience and genuine affection, creating a highly nurturing and child-centred environment where children feel valued and understood. The home’s welcoming, positive and inclusive atmosphere helps children to develop a strong sense of belonging and enables them to thrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home environment has been thoughtfully transformed to better meet children’s needs. Leaders have invested in creating a calmer, more nurturing and child-centred space, recognising that some children can become overwhelmed by busy environments. Children have been actively involved in choosing themes for bedrooms and developing other areas, such as the sensory room. These improvements have created an extremely welcoming, inclusive environment that reflects children’s interests and supports their sensory and emotional wellbeing, contributing to fewer incidents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Communication is a particular strength. Staff tailor their approach, enabling children to express their choices and feelings. Children who previously have become distressed due to communication difficulties are better able to communicate their wishes and influence their own experiences. As a result, incidents have reduced, restrictive practices are minimised and children are supported in ways that promote both their safety and dignity. This approach supports children to make meaningful progress. One child now drinks independently from a cup rather than a bottle, another has learned to use a spoon, and a child who was previously non-verbal is beginning to use spoken words. These significant achievements demonstrate the staff’s and the manager’s commitment to helping children to reach their full potential. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 4 Staff create opportunities that broaden children’s experiences, build resilience and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

increase confidence. They are aspirational for children and ensure that they experience opportunities that enrich their lives and create lasting memories. For example, staff carefully helped one child, who was initially too anxious to participate in any rides during a trip to a theme park, to understand the difference between feeling anxious and excited. Through patient encouragement and emotional support, the child gradually developed sufficient confidence to access rides with staff and later independently. Another child described a carefully planned visit to see Concorde as a ‘dream come true’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to have a sense of belonging. Children participate in community events organised by staff and the manager, including a summer fair, sports day and sponsored walk, alongside families, staff and neighbours. These events help children to develop confidence, social skills and community connections while creating positive memories. The sponsored walk not only provided children with the opportunity to contribute to a local project, but also successfully raised funds to purchase a defibrillator, enabling children to see the impact they can have on their wider community. These experiences promote inclusion, confidence and enjoyment while ensuring that childhood remains fun and memorable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s wishes influence practice. The home’s ‘You Said, We Did’ approach is deeply embedded in daily care. For example, when a child expressed a wish to watch a specific film, staff arranged a cinema trip with the staff member the child most wanted to spend time with. Staff used this opportunity to further develop the child’s independence by supporting them to choose refreshments and make decisions for themselves. This exemplifies a culture where children are listened to and their views lead to meaningful action.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Feedback from parents and professionals is overwhelmingly positive and consistently reflects the exceptional quality of care being provided. Families report significant improvements in communication, confidence, friendships and social skills. Professionals similarly describe children making measurable progress and benefiting from highly individualised care delivered by staff who understand them remarkably well.

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

Staff have an excellent understanding of children’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks, enabling them to anticipate concerns and respond promptly to keep children safe. Risk assessments are detailed, personalised and provide clear guidance to staff about how children should be supported safely. Staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of children’s health needs, communication needs, sensory differences, behaviours and vulnerabilities. This means that children benefit from consistent and well-informed care.

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

The manager and staff demonstrate a particularly strong therapeutic and reflective approach to understanding the meaning behind children’s behaviour. Staff understand what children may be communicating through their behaviour and adapt their support accordingly. This helps children to feel understood, reduces the likelihood of distress Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 5 escalating and helps children to contribute to their own care plans. Children experience a greater sense of emotional safety and security because staff respond with curiosity, empathy and consistency.

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

Children are supported to manage their emotions in less restrictive ways, reducing the likelihood of incidents. Staff consistently attempt a wide range of de-escalation strategies before any restrictive intervention is considered. When interventions are required, they are proportionate, used for the shortest possible time and subject to management oversight. As a result, children experience care that is respectful and centred on their individual needs.

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

The manager has developed a strong culture of learning and reflection. For example, following an incident in which a member of staff sustained a serious bite injury, managers worked alongside occupational therapists to identify strategies and equipment that could reduce future risks. Learning from incidents has informed care planning, environmental changes and staff practice.

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

The home has experienced two medication errors since the most recent inspection. The manager responded appropriately, openly and decisively. Medical advice was sought promptly, families and professionals were informed and investigations were completed. The manager implemented measures to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. As a result, medication systems have been significantly strengthened. Staff have received additional training, completed competency assessments and are subject to enhanced oversight and auditing arrangements. This helps to improve children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit from transformational leadership. Since taking responsibility for the service, the manager’s ambitious vision has supported her to make significant and sustained improvements across all aspects of practice. She is particularly well supported by a recently appointed and experienced deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager demonstrates a clear understanding of both the strengths and areas for development. Previous concerns have been addressed through comprehensive service- wide improvements. For example, fire drills now involve children, and plans are updated following learning from each drill. Staff identified that one child was better able to evacuate safely when supported with headphones and music. This thoughtful and individualised response demonstrates effective and child-centred leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Workforce development is exceptional. The manager has established a culture of reflection, curiosity and continuous improvement. Staff receive extensive training in areas including Makaton, models of care, communication approaches and attachment. Importantly, staff confidently explain how this learning influences their daily interactions with children. Supervision is regular, reflective and purposeful, helping staff continually develop their practice. Staff describe feeling valued, supported and listened to, and there is clear evidence of a positive and accountable culture. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 6 A particular strength of the manager’s leadership is her ability to provide meaningful support to families during times of crisis and change. Whether responding to homelessness, preventing family breakdown through increased respite provision, or carefully supporting children to move successfully to new homes, the manager

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

demonstrates exceptional commitment to improving outcomes for children and maintaining family stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers have significantly strengthened staff’s understanding of children’s needs. Strong partnerships have been developed with schools, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and other professionals to ensure staff have access to the most up-to-date information. Staff reported feeling better informed and equipped to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is remarkably ambitious for children. She has successfully nominated one child to contribute to a national NHS England training project, enabling the child’s experiences to influence professional learning at a national level. This reflects a culture where children are empowered, their voices are valued and leaders actively create opportunities that raise aspirations and promote participation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Overall, the manager has established a strong child-centred culture, embedded effective monitoring and governance systems, improved practice across the service and created an environment where children are thriving and achieving positive outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 7

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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) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ark Consultants UK Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C W R Accountants, 20 Mannin Way Lancaster Business Park, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 3SW

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Inspector

Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2712832 9 regulates 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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