Children's Home run by Arboretum House Limited in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680787 1 Registered provider: Arboretum House 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 part of a small private organisation. It provides care for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved in and 2 children have moved out. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a qualified and experienced manager in post, who registered with Ofsted in December 2022. He also manages another home.

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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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2680787 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2025 Full Good 30/04/2024 Full Good 04/07/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2680787 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from nurturing care provided by committed staff. They have positive and trusting relationships in a family-like environment that supports their progress. Staff and leaders are proactive in seeking alternative approaches to education that are individualised to children’s needs. Staff also use creative strategies which has helped reduce the number of incidents in the home. However, there are inconsistent responses when children go missing, and leaders do not always effectively monitor or update risk assessments about the local area in response to emerging local risks. In addition, on some occasions, serious allegations made by children about staff practice are not always shared with all relevant placing authorities. However, overall, children are making good progress and their wellbeing is prioritised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The planning for children moving in is thoughtful and carried out with sensitivity, supporting them to adapt to their new environment. Children are given opportunities to personalise their bedrooms, which helps them develop a sense of belonging from the outset. One child was supported to develop essential independence skills, enabling them to successfully move to semi-independent accommodation. For another child, their time at the home ended abruptly due to a rapid change in their needs, which staff were no longer able to safely manage. Despite this unexpected ending, staff provided support and reassurance, helping the child to understand and cope with their situation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming environment, where they are supported by dedicated staff who take a genuine interest in their lives. This enables children to develop positive, trusting relationships with most of the team. The home has a family- like atmosphere, and some children remain in contact with staff and other children after moving on. This demonstrates the lasting sense of belonging that children feel and how they value the relationships they have made, that extend beyond their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational progress varies. One child attends school consistently and is making good progress, while others have encountered barriers to learning. Staff and leaders are proactive in identifying these challenges and promptly explore alternative approaches tailored to each child’s individual needs, working collaboratively with relevant professionals. They support children with their interests and career choices, and one child has been supported by staff to access work experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and meet children’s health needs. Leaders are strong advocates for children. They actively seek support from external specialist agencies when needed, for example child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and sexual health services. Leaders also appropriately challenge any delays in gaining access to such services. Staff are attuned to children’s emotional needs and there are effective Inspection report for children’s home: 2680787 4 strategies in place to help with this. Some creative approaches have been particularly successful, resulting in a notable reduction in incidents for one child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spoke to 3 children. One child said, ‘I love everything about [name of home]’, while another child recognised they had made progress while living there. Staff celebrate children’s successes, including holding anniversary parties that children’s family and linked professionals attend. Furthermore, staff support children to spend time with people who are important to them. For example, children’s friends regularly spend time at the home and join in with activities and events.

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

Staff understand children’s needs and associated risks well. They help children to understand these risks and how to keep themselves safe, through direct work and informal conversations. There are effective measures in place to monitor children’s online activity and staff help children to understand the associated risks online.

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

There have been times when children have harmed themselves, and physical restraint was used to prevent this escalating. These incidents have been managed well, and the use of restraint is proportionate to ensure the safety of children at the time. Staff and children are spoken to after such incidents and children are provided with nurturing care and medical assistance if required.

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

Complaints are taken seriously and managed well. Children understand how to make a complaint and are supported to raise concerns when they have worries about anything affecting them. When these concerns relate to issues outside the home, the manager acts as a strong advocate for children as needed. He responds to children’s complaints in a timely way, and feedback is shared with them, helping them to feel valued and listened to.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been some errors relating to the recording and administration of medication. No children have come to any harm. Staff have taken appropriate action at the time of each incident. Additional training was completed, and as a result, there have been no further incidents since.

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

Leaders take allegations seriously. They are appropriately investigated, and managers act to safeguard children. There is an ongoing police investigation relating to an allegation made by a child who previously lived in the home. The manager has worked effectively with the local authority designated officer and has shared information as required. However, there has been a delay in notifying the social workers of other children following this concern being raised. In contrast to how children are kept informed about complaints they raise, the outcomes of allegations made by children are not always shared with them.

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

Staff respond inconsistently when children go missing from home. Children’s risk assessments do not provide clear guidance for staff. Leaders also do not update risk assessments relating to the local area following concerns and information about local Inspection report for children’s home: 2680787 5 risks emerging. The recommendation relating to this shortfall made following the last inspection has not been addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced and qualified manager who also manages another home within the same organisation. He is supported by a qualified and experienced deputy manager. Both leaders take active roles in children’s lives and both act as strong advocates for children. Professionals compliment the commitment of staff and leaders and their effective communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete training that is tailored to meet children’s needs and help staff understand their roles. Most staff training is up to date, with one exception which leaders are aware of and are taking appropriate action to address. Staff receive regular supervision and feel well supported. They speak positively about working in the home, describing the environment as having a strong family feel which is full of love, and this is evident to visitors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended by staff and are used to reflect on practice and identify areas for development. This demonstrates staff’s commitment to their roles, and they are passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have improved their monitoring systems to support their oversight of practice and care. New monthly monitoring arrangements have been implemented to support the manager, with additional input from the operations lead and responsible individual. These systems are effectively identifying areas for development, including those highlighted during the inspection, so that plans to address them can be put in place. In contrast, the required quality of care review lacks evaluative analysis, which risks some areas for development not being identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person visits the home regularly but does not always share their report in a timely way. However, this short delay does not stop the manager from quickly addressing any identified actions when the report is received.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders follow suitable safer recruitment processes. However, interviews before employment do not consistently explore applicants’ knowledge and understanding of practice. This has contributed to one member of staff not completing their probation period and some instances of staff not maintaining appropriate professional boundaries. Leaders address these concerns quickly when they are identified. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680787 6

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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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s missing-from-home plans provide clear, practical guidance for staff and are updated if new information is received. The registered person must also ensure that all staff understand and consistently follow these plans.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that any emerging concerns regarding risks within the local area are reviewed and reflected in the home’s local area assessment.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that any allegations made by children that call into question staff practice are appropriately shared with all relevant parties. This includes informing the placing authorities of other children living in the home. 9 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680787 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person provides their report to the provider and regulator in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The registered person should ensure that applicants’ understanding of safeguarding, practice and professional boundaries is fully explored at interview and that when staff leave, any shortfalls are reflected on to inform future recruitment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph

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Recommendations

13.1)  The registered person should ensure that children are informed about the outcomes of investigations into allegations they make. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: 2680787 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arboretum House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bluebird Care Walsall, 28a Willows Road, Walsall WS1 2DR

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Inspector

Joanne Humphreys, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680787 9 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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