Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 1 SC454647 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no registered manager was in post. The provider’s peripatetic manager currently supports the home. A new manager has been appointed and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/03/2023 Full Good 06/10/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children spent time with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to ensure that the home is a warm, welcoming and safe place for children to live. Staff know the children well and are responsive to their needs. As a result, children report being happy living in their home, trusting the staff and experiencing a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. This move was well planned. Before the child moved in, leaders considered the child’s needs and vulnerabilities in relation to the children already living at the home. Staff visited the child before they moved in to start building relationships with them and to support a smooth transition. This approach enables children to develop a sense of familiarity with the adults caring for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well prepared for their futures. Staff promote independence in line with each child’s individual needs and care plan. One child said they had been well prepared and supported by staff. They said that they were ready to go and spread their wings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved on from the home. Staff advocated for the child with the local authority, raising concerns that the child had not been provided with the opportunity to view their new home. Staff ensured that the child received a positive farewell, including a leaving meal, and they provided support during the move to their new home. This support helped the child have a positive move from the home. Staff remain in contact with the child, which is testament to the positive, trusting relationships between the children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are appropriately registered with local health services and access these as required. Staff actively promote healthy lifestyles, providing consistent encouragement and support to children in making positive health choices. Staff benefit from regular clinical supervision and guidance, which informs their practice and enhances their therapeutic skills. Staff apply these skills effectively as they interact with children, including through creative and reflective discussions. This contributes to the development of positive relationships and supports children’s emotional well-being .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to maintain their relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff assist children in visiting their families no matter the distance. This helps children maintain their sense of identity. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 4

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

Children feel safe and secure living in this home and build trusting relationships with the staff. The staff have a strong understanding of their roles in protecting children and acting to keep them safe.

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

Staff speak to children regularly about how to keep themselves safe. This includes sensitive topics, such as relationships, exploitation and online safety. Staff initiate discussions frequently, often in a casual manner, to help children feel relaxed and to encourage them to engage.

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

Staff manage missing-from-home incidents well. Staff appropriately report these incidents and take proactive steps to locate the children. Staff are persistent in escalating concerns with police when they think risks to children are high. The children’s professional networks are updated, and a warm and supportive welcome is offered when the children return. This reassures children that they are valued and cared for.

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

Staff are trained in the use of physical restraint and apply this only when necessary to prevent harm to children, others, or serious damage to property. When restraint is used, it is proportionate. Children’s views and feelings about being held are actively sought and considered following each incident. There is effective oversight of restrictive practices, and staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and learn from each incident. Since the last inspection, incidents involving the use of restraint have been minimal.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour and provide encouragement to children. When consequences are applied, they are not always clearly linked to the behaviour displayed. As a result, children may not understand the reasons for the consequences imposed, which reduces their ability to learn from their behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has not been a registered manager in post since September 2023. Despite leaders’ efforts to recruit for this role, there have been several changes in management over a sustained period. This lack of consistent leadership has contributed to a sense of instability in the staff team, which has negatively affected staff morale and has the potential to compromise the consistency of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and the peripatetic manager have acknowledged the impact changes in manager have had on staff morale and have taken some action to stabilise the staff team. Supervision has been consistent and is of good quality and provides staff with the opportunity to reflect on practice. Since the last inspection, staff now have tailored personal development plans, providing them with opportunities for continued professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders have increased their scrutiny of monitoring systems to attempt to strengthen oversight. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that the home’s statement of purpose is up to date, specifically relating to staffing and management arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 5 Children have individualised plans that outline their vulnerabilities, including those related to going missing from care and child sexual exploitation. The plans provide clear guidance to staff and are regularly updated following incidents to ensure that they remain current and reflective of each child’s needs. However, a breakdown in access to Wi-Fi, along with insufficient contingency planning, resulted in staff being unable to maintain or access up-to-date information about children’s needs and the strategies in place to support them for an extended period. Staff’s strong knowledge of the children

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

has ensured that the shortfall has not directly affected the quality of care provided. However, leaders acknowledge that this issue has the potential to compromise staff’s ability to respond effectively to emerging risks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered persona 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.

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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 work as a team and where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experiences, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

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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) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager leads by example and creates a positive culture in the home. 28 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 7 Additionally, this relates to ensuring that monitoring systems are effective in monitoring children’s progress and experiences.

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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 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that any revised statement of purpose is submitted to HMCI within 28 days. 30 October 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records are securely stored and that business continuity planning is in place to prevent their loss or damage. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that business continuity planning includes the loss of Wi-Fi connectivity and that staff are provided with alternative methods of accessing information technology systems to ensure that children’s records are updated in a timely manner to maintain consistency of care for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that consequences

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Recommendations

are appropriate to the behaviour and are of a nature that enables children to understand the reasons behind the consequence being put into place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: SC454647 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

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Inspector

Julia Tompson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 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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Inspector

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