Staff
We have a philosophy that it is our young people, as a group, that are disparate and have different and ever changing needs. As a consequence we build our teams around our young people and not our houses. We have forty care staff who possess a myriad of skills and experiences from which we can call to establish a team around our new young person. The team members will be chosen initially from our manager’s interpretation of information supplied by the professionals. However, our flexible approach continues and we will enhance that team to achieve the attributes from its members best suited to that young person’s needs. We will always allocate a Key Worker, usually a member of the initial team who may strike up a rapport with the young person. Each house has an allocated House Manager whose responsibility it is to ensure high of standards of nurture, hygiene and administration in the home and promote healthy living and responsible care practices.
Our person profile for a care worker is well defined and we appreciate the benefit that mature and experienced people can bring to this role particularly those who have a wealth of life experience particularly of families.
We sponsor all care workers vocational and academic qualifications to a minimum of SVQ level 3 and HNC in Health and Social Care. We have certified in-house trainers in the Team Teach method of de-escalation and restraint and ensure that all staff rapidly attain and maintain those skills to at least intermediate level. Our training programmes are promoted arising from regular planned supervision and appraisal sessions to assess training needs and desires and to support care staff and maintain confidence and morale.
We have strict a strict recruitment policy and apply its procedures rigorously. We will not employ any individual without first obtaining enhanced level disclosures from Disclosure Scotland, making SSSC checks and receipt of satisfactory references from previous employers.
Reference should be made to the Careers section of this website to view the Service’s Management Organisation Diagram and Five Part Employment Ethos.
Recruitment Policy and Employment and Retention Procedures can be sourced by reference to the Policy and Procedures downloads available within this professionals section under Certification.
Testimonials
“A high level of care offered for a challenging child and difficult family situation”
Social Worker, Falkirk, 2008
“Thank you very much for the help you gave to my boys while they were with you. I will not forget your caring and patience and the time you dedicated to helping them and talking to them through their time at Active Ark. I know you have made an impact on their lives for the better”
Parent, Falkirk, 2009.
“He came home from Active Ark a different boy, he is more settled and content”
Parent, 2009
“The care staff, especially his key worker, helped rebuild his trust in adults and helped him mature as a person”
Social Worker, Scottish Borders, 2009
“Your care worker had a great deal of patience with my Son, I think he went beyond the call of duty with him”
Parent, 2009
“I rate your service 9 out of 10 – you listened”
Young Person, 2008
“I would rate your service as 10 out of 10 - I felt safe all the time”
Young Person, 2008
“Your involvement reduced the risks for the young person and for myself”
Social Worker, Fife, 2009
“Many thanks for your services”
Senior Practitioner, Falkirk, 2008
“Active Ark are always very helpful and provide a first class service”
Social Worker, Falkirk, 2009
“Active Ark have always demonstrated fully their reliability and commitment to their work”
Social Worker, Scottish Borders ,2009
“Active Ark provided him with a very holistic model of carewhich included working with his whole family. This worked very well for him and definitely contributed to the progress he has made”
Social Worker, Scottish Borders, 2009
“Impressed with committment of staff in a challenging placement”
Social Worker, Falkirk, 2008
“A challenging placement, the care provided by Active ark was consistently appropriate”
Social Worker, Dumfries & Galloway, 2007
“It is acknowledged that staff were very often under a lot of stress when looking after her and considering this, their responses and standard of care was excellent”
Social Worker, Redcar and Cleveland, 2009.
“Staff stated that they enjoyed strong support from the management team”
Care Commission Inspector, 2008
“It is difficult for care staff to remain impassive to the young person and to contribute to keeping the rules/boundaries/routines but your staff are able to provide the young person with all the skills, they are very proficient”
Social Worker, Dumfries & Galloway, 2008
“The standards of care at Active Ark are excellent and your Duty Managers systems work exceptionally well – always helpful and effective in my experiences with Active Ark”
Senior Practitioner, Falkirk, 2008
“Staff clearly knew the young people well and were sensitive to their individual needs and preferences”
Care Commission Inspector, 2008
“Embracing and working with the whole family to ensure the young person remains an important and included member worked well and helped with solving problems and building resiliences”
Social Worker, Scottish Borders, 2009
“The continuity of staff who in turn were clearly committed to the young person . There was a good sense of this leading to a good and supportive relationship with the young person”
Social Worker, Falikirk, 2009
“I feel that Active Ark workers do well in sometimes challenging situations”
Social Worker, Scottish Borders, 2009
“Your care worker was so very understanding, and yet was able to challenge him and set the necessary boundaries to keep his charge safe”
Family Group Co-ordinator, Falkirk, 2007
“The staff seem to have a good rapport with the family”
Social Worker, Falkirk, 2009
“Very happy, Active Ark will always support you”
Young Person, 2008
“Thank you so much for all the support you have given to him over the past months. He has made so much progress and it’s all down to the hard work of your staff”
Parent, Scottish Borders, 2008.
“The flexibility of both care staff and management enabled her to have input into her care whilst providing the protection that she needed”
Social Worker, Redcar and Cleveland, 2009
“Keep up the good work and thank you for all your help”
Social Worker, Dumfries and Galloway, 2009.
“You presented ability to support her for any aspect of her needs”
Social Worker, Fife, 2009
“The staff are good and fair and will always treat you with respect”
Young Person, 2008
“Active Ark’s service is very competent and well organised”
Social Worker, Dumfries & Galloway, 2008
“Staff were very caring towards him and ensured that his needs were met”
Social Worker, Cumbria, 2009
“Communication with staff/managers is very good which contributes to the effect of Social Work involvement”
Social Worker, Fife, 2009
“The placement provided a good opportunity for her to take part in new activities in a safe environment”
Social Worker, Falkirk, 2008