New Manager for Arva House

We’re delighted to welcome Abbi Livingstone as the newest addition to our senior team.

Abbi is now manager at Arva House children’s home in Witnesham near Ipswich, having joined us in July.

Abbi takes over from Andy Robinson-Watts who has managed the home since it opened in October. He has now become the responsible individual for all four of our homes.

Having initially studied childhood studies and social policy at university, Abbi quickly moved into the care sector, first as a support worker in care homes for older people, before working in a number of settings for both adults and children with additional needs.

She took on a full-time role with a home managed by the charity Mencap, working her way up to a management position. Before joining us, she managed a team in a private company delivering community crisis services, then project managed the opening of two children’s homes.

Abbi said: “I was looking to start a new adventure, and really wanted to find somewhere that aligned with my values and everything I stand for. CF Group definitely offered that, and I was so impressed with the wider offering they have, delivering education and social work services alongside the children’s homes.

“I’ve been so impressed by what the team at Arva House has achieved over such a short period of time. They’re working so well to support a young person with complex needs, and there’s a real uniqueness about the home. The young person’s progress is testament to their hard work, which has been rightly recognised in the first Ofsted report, in which the home is rated as ‘good’ in all areas.

“Now, I want to work with the team to take a step back and reflect on the last year and recognise what they’ve achieved so far, as well as start to carefully plan for the months ahead. They’ve come so far already, but there is so much more we can do as a team to support the young person living at Arva House and those who will follow.”