Children's Home run by Arborvitae Care Services Ltd in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2805759 1 Registered provider: Arborvitae Care Services 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

This home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 2 children with social and emotional difficulties. There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since September 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2805759 2

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improvement to be good

Three children have moved into the home and 2 children have moved out since the home was registered. For one child, the manager served notice as they felt they could not meet their needs. The manager raised concerns with the placing authority around a lack of information-sharing. However, the manager did not ensure that they spoke to other relevant people that would have provided them with further information to make an informed decision before the child moved in. As a result, the child left in an unplanned way. Additionally, another child has moved to one of the organisation’s homes that is not registered due to feeling that they could not meet the child’s needs effectively in this home.

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improvement to be good

The home is nicely decorated and ready for Christmas. The child living in the home had made an impressive snowflake decoration to display. The child’s bedroom was personalised and clean. A separate summer house has been installed in the garden as an additional confidential space and because the home gets very busy, which impacts on the child living there as they struggle with lots of different people. There have been times with additional staffing in the home, including a number of staff who are linked to other homes in the company.

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improvement to be good

The child living in the home has some strong relationships with the staff. Unfortunately, one staff member has recently left. However, the child and staff member enjoyed a day together at the zoo, and the manager has arranged for them to be able to stay in touch. This means that the manager understands the importance of positive relationships for children.

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improvement to be good

The child living in the home does not attend school. Staff have been proactive in ensuring that education is in place for the child and has raised a complaint about this. The child receives 3 hours of tuition per week, which they engage well with. Staff do complete additional work with the child, but this is inconsistent. Additionally, the child is not in a routine that will help to ensure that they are prepared for a return to school.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are well met. The staff ensure that they obtain and follow any medical advice when there are concerns about a child’s health. The manager also ensures that appropriate mental health support is in place for the children. Children’s cultural needs are understood and met by the staff.

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improvement to be good

Children see their family when this is part of their plan. Staff facilitate this and understand the importance of these relationships. When there are issues during visits that impact on the child, staff act appropriately to reduce the risk of this happening again and ensure that future visits remain positive for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2805759 3

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improvement to be good

There are several shortfalls in this area which mean that children are not yet receiving a good level of help and protection.

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improvement to be good

When children raise worrying complaints about a staff member’s practice, these are not always followed up appropriately with the child to ensure that they feel listened to. The staff involved are not always spoken to obtain their views, and information is not shared with the local authority designated officer for advice or the regulator to ensure transparency.

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improvement to be good

When consequences are used in response to children’s behaviour, these are often overly restrictive, with no evaluation of the effectiveness of such measures, and lack appropriate management oversight. As a result, the staff continue to use restrictive practices without basis that the restrictions will have a positive impact on children’s behaviour.

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improvement to be good

When children have left the home without agreement and have not returned, staff’s responses have been robust and successful. One social worker said, ‘The staff were crucial in finding [name of child] and getting them back home.’

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improvement to be good

When children share information with staff, staff have not always acted appropriately to ensure that this information is shared with all relevant professionals, and they have used the child’s previous behaviour as a reason for not doing so. For example, a child had shared they had received an inappropriate photo via social media. This was not shared with the police or the regulator. This was also raised by the independent person during one of their visits and remained incomplete.

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improvement to be good

Generally, incidents are rare. There has been one incident of restraint, which was appropriate. However, some language in the reports is suggestive of a physical intervention, even though one has not been recorded. The manager has not queried this in their review. In addition, incident records are not always reviewed by someone independent. This reduces the level of scrutiny.

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good

The registered manager resigned in September 2025. There is an interim manager in post who is supported by two deputy managers. However, it is unclear at this time if they will be applying to register, and the responsible individual is continuing with attempts to recruit.

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good

There is a lack of management oversight, which has resulted in staff practice issues not being identified or appropriately addressed. Language used by staff in reports can be ambiguous and unhelpful, with some records using punitive and emotionally Inspection report for children’s home: 2805759 4 charged language. There is often a focus on the child’s behaviour as opposed to staff’s actions. This does not help the staff to reflect on and develop their practice and may impact on children negatively when reviewing their records now or later in life.

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good

The manager and responsible individual have recognised and addressed some of the shortfalls to try to improve practice. Improvements include the development of a new supervision session format to ensure that staff have more time to reflect and sampling recruitment files to ensure that safer recruitment processes are being appropriately followed.

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good

The staff spoken to say that they receive regular supervision sessions that they find helpful, and one social worker commented on some improvements since the interim manager has started in the role. Inspection report for children’s home: 2805759 5

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to any complaints or allegations raised by children being addressed and managed appropriately.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to the staff ensuring that information relating to the safeguarding of children is taken seriously and shared appropriately. 23 January Inspection report for children’s home: 2805759 6 Additionally, when the staff use consequences for children’s behaviour, the use of these should be recorded, reviewed and evaluated for effectiveness.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that the staff can meet the children’s needs and that to assess this, relevant professionals and others are consulted with to make an informed decision.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to the children being informed and prepared as much as is reasonably practicable when moving out. 23 January

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 23 January Inspection report for children’s home: 2805759 7 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the manager identifying concerns with regards to staff practice issues and addressing these appropriately.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to management oversight of incidents being completed by an independent person who was not involved in the incident.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the manager ensuring that there is a consistency of staff for the child and that staff numbers are kept to a minimum where possible.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that where children are placed in the home and are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: 2805759 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arborvitae Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Liverpool Road, Crosby, Liverpool L23 5SE

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Inspector

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2805759 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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