Children's Home run by Active Young People Limited in Hartlepool

Inspection report for children's home: 2624223 1 Registered provider: Active Young People Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

This children's home is privately operated. It provides care for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The home provides long-term residential placements for up to 6 children. It also provides short-break services for up to 3 children.

p.1

Information about this children's home

Six children were in the home during the inspection. The inspectors spent time with all the children.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 12 November 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2624223 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/02/2025 Full Good 12/03/2024 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: 2624223 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children receive individualised care from a skilled and committed staff team who know them well. As a result, children are safe, settled and making good progress in their health, communication, independence, social development and emotional wellbeing. They enjoy a wide range of activities and community experiences that build their confidence, friendships and self-esteem. Safeguarding practice is effective; risks are well managed and improvements to medication systems have enhanced safety. Leadership and management have strengthened significantly, improving care planning, quality assurance and oversight. Children, families and professionals report positive experiences and outcomes, although staffing arrangements still require improvement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care from staff who know them well. Staff demonstrate a detailed understanding of children's complex health, communication and developmental needs and use this knowledge to provide consistent care. As a result, children appear relaxed and secure in their home. Children who live at the home and those accessing short-break care are equally valued and experience positive relationships with staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a significantly improved and diverse range of experiences that reflect their interests, wishes and developmental needs. Staff are ambitious for children and ensure that opportunities support their independence and social development. Children access swimming sessions, theatre performances, pottery painting, adapted cycling and community events. During a recent residential holiday, children participated in rock climbing, caving and zip wire activties.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make measurable progress. Children's goals are linked to educational and care planning targets, helping staff to provide purposeful support and monitor outcomes more effectively. Children are making progress with their confidence, communication, independence and emotional wellbeing. For example, one child now actively participates in community activities that they previously found difficult, while another child has developed friendships and greater confidence through attending a drama club. Staff also report improvements in physiotherapy outcomes, sensory engagement and resilience. One health professional commented that the progress made by a child was so significant that it was difficult to believe they were seeing the same child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's wishes and feelings influence both their daily experiences and future planning. Staff understand children who communicate in a variety of ways. Children are supported to make meaningful choices about activities, resources and aspects of their care. As a result, children have greater control over their lives. This helps children to feel included, respected and more engaged in decisions that affect them. Inspection report for children's home: 2624223 4 Relationships between children, staff and children's families are a strength. Feedback from parents, relatives and professionals is overwhelmingly positive. Stakeholders consistently describe children as happy, safe and making progress. One parent described how staff supported them during a difficult period by collecting their child from school when they were unable to access transport, ensuring that plans were not disrupted. This practical support reflects the home's child- and family-centred ethos.

p.3

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

Children are safeguarded effectively by staff who understand their responsibilities and place children's welfare at the centre of practice. There have been no significant safeguarding incidents or physical interventions during the inspection period. This provides assurance that children are cared for in a safe and stable environment.

p.4

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

Staff know children well and have a detailed understanding of how they communicate distress, discomfort or ill health. Given many children's complex communication needs, staff are skilled at recognising subtle changes in children's presentation, behaviour, body language and vocalisations. This enables concerns to be identified early and appropriate support to be provided.

p.4

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

Children's risks are understood and effectively managed. Risk assessments are detailed, individualised and regularly reviewed. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children's complex healthcare arrangements and support needs, including physiotherapy programmes, mobility requirements, pressure care, feeding arrangements and choking risks. This helps to ensure that children receive safe and consistent care.

p.4

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

Staff balance safety with opportunity. Children are encouraged to participate in community activities, holidays, social opportunities and adventurous experiences, despite their vulnerabilities and complex needs. Staff carefully assess and manage risks so that children can experience challenge, enjoyment and personal development while remaining safe.

p.4

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

Medication management has improved significantly. Leaders have introduced strengthened monitoring arrangements, competency assessments, enhanced auditing processes and improved oversight of medication administration. Staff understand the learning from previous incidents and can confidently explain the systems in place to promote safe practice.

p.4

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

Two medication errors occurred during the inspection period, and both involved the same staff member. The manager responded appropriately by investigating the incidents, removing the staff member from medication duties and following internal procedures. Additional auditing and monitoring arrangements were introduced to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. This demonstrates accountability and a commitment to learning when practice falls below the expected standards. Inspection report for children's home: 2624223 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager responds positively to scrutiny and has implemented changes that have strengthened practice across the service. These improvements are having a positive impact on children's experiences, progress and outcomes. The manager has established a culture of continuous improvement and maintains a clear focus on meeting children's individual needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a detailed understanding of children's strengths, needs, progress and aspirations. Care planning has improved through the introduction of integrated care plans that provide staff with accessible and comprehensive information about children's needs, risks and targets. Staff understand children's plans well and can explain how recent changes influence day-to-day practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality assurance and governance arrangements have been strengthened. The manager has implemented comprehensive auditing systems. The audits are becoming increasingly evaluative and focus more on the difference that care makes to children's lives. As a result, the manager has a stronger understanding of service strengths, emerging concerns and areas requiring further development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has invested in workforce development through training, reflective supervision of staff and improved employee induction arrangements. Training is largely up to date and includes specialist subjects that are relevant to children's complex needs. The manager has also introduced staff recognition initiatives, resulting in some staff attending a national awards ceremony in recognition of their achievements.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some staff continue to express concerns about shortages of staff, workload pressures and morale. On occasions, night shifts operate with staffing levels below those normally planned. When this occurs, the manager undertakes risk assessments and evaluates the available mitigating measures, including access to management support and the deployment of experienced staff. These arrangements help to ensure that children's needs continue to be met safely, and there is no evidence that children's care, welfare or planned activities have been adversely affected during these periods.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose does not accurately reflect current staffing arrangements and is therefore misleading. This does not provide children, families and placing authorities with a fully accurate representation of staffing arrangements in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2624223 6

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose contains an accurate and up-to-date workforce plan, including the staffing structure, experience and qualifications of staff. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, paragraph 10.10, page 63)

p.6

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: 2624223 7

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider: Active Young People Limited

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider address: 1 Suffolk Way, Sevenoaks TN13 1YL

p.7

Inspectors

Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2624223 8 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8