Children's Home run by Orchard Adolescent Care Group in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 1 Registered provider: Orchard Adolescent Care Group

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in January 2026. The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

No child was living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2026.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 18 and 19 May 2026. The inspector found significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection, 3 compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were for regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 32, the fitness of workers standard children (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor the action taken by the provider in relation to the compliance notices and to look at concerns that had been raised with Ofsted regarding the care and safety of the child living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

There are serious and widespread failures in safeguarding practices, resulting in the poor care and experiences of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there have been a number of significant safeguarding concerns. Changes in staffing and the continued use of temporary staff have resulted in inconsistent care and support for the child. Because of this, the child has moved out of the home in an unplanned way. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 2 Staff employed to provide waking night support have been found to be sleeping. This has resulted in the child being able to leave the home unaccompanied during the night. Leaders and managers were not aware of this until they were informed by a member of the public.

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This monitoring visit

The child has been given cigarettes by members of staff and has been regularly observed smoking with staff outside of the home. Despite the child being supported by a minimum of 2 staff, this practice has not been challenged or raised through the whistleblowing procedure. The provider acted when concerns were raised by the child’s social worker.

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This monitoring visit

The child has been missing from home on several occasions. Staff have searched areas the child is known to visit and have reported the child as missing to the police. However, following the child’s safe return, the child has have never been provided with the opportunity to speak with someone independent of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Shortfalls in recording practices and the sharing of information have resulted in inconsistent information being shared with the child, and staff have been directed to continue with unsafe practice, placing both the child and staff at significant risk when travelling in the car. Consequently, risk management plans do not detail all known risks for the child or clear guidance for staff to support the child and keep everyone safe.

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This monitoring visit

Significant safeguarding information has not been shared with Ofsted or the police. This lack of information-sharing does not support external professionals to monitor practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision sessions have begun to take place for staff. However, not all records demonstrate that staff are given the opportunity to reflect on their practice and incidents in the home. Staff new to the organisation are not receiving supervision in line with the organisation’s policy.

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This monitoring visit

Not all training specific to the child’s risks and vulnerabilities has been completed by staff. Training on knife crime has not been arranged, and not all staff have completed training on harmful sexual behaviour or self-harm. Training that has been completed by staff has been online; leaders and managers have not provided staff with an opportunity to reflect on their learning or how they will implement this in practice. This is a missed opportunity to support improvements in staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

There continue to be significant shortfalls in safer recruitment practices. Leaders and managers have not ensured that all adults working with the child have been appropriately vetted and deemed safe to do so. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 3 Since the last inspection, the registered manager has been absent from work. The deputy manager is supporting the home in his absence. Ofsted was not made aware of this prolonged absence as required by regulation.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the full inspection were outside of the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, Ofsted took action under section 20B of the Care Standards Act 2000, issuing a notice suspending the registration to carry on the children’s home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2026 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 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 with 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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; and

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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 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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all known risks for the child are appropriately assessed, with clear strategies in place for staff to safeguard the child. 1 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 6 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all relevant agencies are informed of incidents, allegations and concerns as appropriate so that they have the necessary information to assess risk, safeguard the child and make informed decisions about their welfare in a timely way.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is a consistent staff team to support the child and that all staff have completed training specific to the care needs of the child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they consistently review the location of the premises, clearly evidencing how risks are mitigated.

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 1 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 7 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there are effective monitoring and review systems in place to identify and address shortfalls in staff practice so that the child is safe and the quality of their care is continually improved.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there are sufficient, suitably qualified staff to provide consistent care and support for the child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff recruitment files confirm compliance with safer recruitment 1 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 8 practices and regulation 32, and any identified shortfalls are addressed promptly to ensure only suitable and safe adults are working with the child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 17 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b(c)))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff receive effective, regular supervision. 17 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all significant incidents are shared with Ofsted. 17 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

17 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 9 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home's records (except for a child's case records, unless the child and the child's placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person's report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person's opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person's report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b) (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the independent person scrutinises the quality of care and records a clear and factual account of their findings and that all reports are shared with Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; and 17 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 10 ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that rotas include the full names of all staff who work in the home and the actual hours worked.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Orchard Adolescent Care Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 Holroyd Business Centre, Carr Bottom Road, Bradford BD5 9BP

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Inspectors

Kelly McCurdy Social Care Inspector Joy Viles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2876679 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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