Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 1 SC456846 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare 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 privately run home offers care for up to three children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be 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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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 29 October 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/10/2024 Full Good 19/09/2023 Full Good 01/11/2022 Full Good 03/11/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 3

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improvement to be good

This inspection was brought forward to address specific concerns received by Ofsted.

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. Inspectors spent time with both children.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved in and four have moved on from the home in an unplanned manner. There have been significant periods of instability where staff were unable to meet children’s combined needs safely. There are concerns about staff practice, which have meant that children have not always been appropriately safeguarded. Poor staff practice, shortfalls in care planning and weaknesses in leadership and management have collectively undermined the children’s overall experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children’s moves to the home are not consistently well planned. Despite difficult circumstances surrounding a child’s previous unplanned ending and known risks for a child already at the home, another child was brought into the home on an emergency basis. Internal impact assessments lacked depth and accuracy, failing to consider known vulnerabilities and combined risks of children thoroughly. This failure has contributed to poor group dynamics and reduced staff’s ability to implement effective risk-reduction strategies. Consequently, this child moved after significant incidents involving other children and staff and police involvement.

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improvement to be good

Children’s primary health needs are met, and staff ensure that they attend healthcare appointments. However, one child regularly smokes. Staff do not regularly help them to access advice on the risks of smoking or support them to engage with cessation services. This lack of targeted support means that there are missed opportunities to address this issue.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported by staff to attend school or have home tutoring. When children are on a reduced timetable, staff ensure that additional help is in place to encourage learning.

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improvement to be good

Staff offer activities that meet children’s hobbies and interests. These include caravan holidays and visits to theme-park attractions. Children also take part in routine activities to support their independence, such as managing shopping budgets, cooking and cleaning tasks at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are captured through child-centred letters that detail their daily activities. This approach helps children to reflect on and understand their experiences and progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 4 The home is stylish and well appointed. Children benefit from personalised bedrooms that are decorated in line with their preferences. Children are encouraged to care for pets, which increases their sense of responsibility and complements family-style living.

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improvement to be good

There are shortfalls in the implementation of risk assessments for staff following alleged practice concerns. Several staff have moved from other homes in the organisation while being subject to investigations about their practice. On one occasion, the manager did not receive full information regarding concerns about a staff member’s conduct, meaning that additional safeguards were neither considered nor implemented. In the absence of appropriate risk-reduction measures, further concerns subsequently emerged about the same staff member.

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improvement to be good

On another occasion, a staff member’s risk assessment was completed. However, staff did not follow the risk-reduction measures. This failure resulted in a further allegation of harm from a child. A failure to adhere to risk assessments has reduced the necessary safeguards in place to protect both children and staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not always ensured that children are supervised in accordance with their agreed plans. As a result, in one instance, a vulnerable child was left unattended and exposed to risks that should have been avoided.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have, on several occasions, identified staff practice issues and responded appropriately. This includes following safeguarding procedures, seeking external oversight from the local authority designated officer and conducting investigations. The actions taken have addressed individual staff concerns.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, a cycle of high-risk behaviours has negatively affected group dynamics. Despite this, at the time of this inspection, children reported feeling safe. One child described staff as empathetic and proactive during the previously difficult period.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour management plans are individualised and regularly reviewed by leaders and managers. These plans include clear strategies to guide staff in supporting wider risks and helping children to manage their emotions.

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improvement to be good

When required, staff use physical intervention. This is proportionate to reduce risks. Leaders and managers appropriately monitor and review these interventions. Staff use incentives to encourage children’s positive behaviour. Incentives are individual and meaningful to each child. When staff use consequences with children, these are fair and restorative.

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

The registered manager is qualified, experienced and has appropriate knowledge of the children’s needs. The manager also oversees care in another home in the organisation. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 5 She is supported by the responsible individual and a newly appointed deputy manager. Leaders and managers recognise the shortfalls in the care provided and have plans in place to address these.

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

The monitoring by leaders and managers has been inconsistent and, at times, lacks rigour. This includes gaps in oversight of staff subject to no lone working risk assessments, some incomplete incident records, and unclear records that do not always outline the extent of de-escalation strategies used. Furthermore, although a concern raised by a child was appropriately investigated, this outcome was not shared with the child, leaving their views about how the matter was handled unknown.

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

Staff receive training in a range of subjects that enhance their skills in meeting children’s individual needs. However, staff have not had training in the therapeutic approach outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Recent staff turnover and the presence of some inexperienced staff mean that the importance of staff completing this training is being prioritised.

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

External monitoring by an independent person provides an appropriate level of scrutiny. However, the independent person does not routinely seek the views of parents during visits, and professional feedback is infrequent. Therefore, the additional safeguards intended through these visits are not fully realised.

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

Feedback from parents and professionals is mixed. Professionals raised concerns about recent managerial decision-making and ineffective communication, which has meant that important information was not shared without delay. Other social workers acknowledged appropriate care and staff’s management of difficult circumstances. One parent expressed satisfaction with how their child’s recent move to the home was managed.

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

Staff said that they feel well supported by leaders and managers. Regular supervision sessions take place, which provide suitable reflection and development opportunities for staff. Staff meetings are child centred and well attended. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

leaders and managers must ensure that risk assessments are completed and followed by staff when staff are assessed as not to be working with children alone; and

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Requirement Due date

leaders and managers must ensure that staff are aware of and follow agreed supervision levels for children. 26 December 2025

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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— 26 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must:

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Requirement Due date

ensure that monitoring systems are strong enough to identify and address gaps in staff’s recording;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that there is clarity and effective oversight of staff’s no lone working risk assessments; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the outcomes of complaints are shared with children.

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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 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must consistently ensure that care planning processes are robust for children moving into the home. 26 December 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff support children to understand the dangers of nicotine addiction and help them to stop smoking. This includes referral to specialist smoking cessation health services and consistent educational support around the associated risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should develop effective working relationships with each child’s placing authority and with other relevant persons. In particular, ensure that levels of communication agreed with professionals are adhered to. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. In particular, they should ensure that all staff attend training around the therapeutic approach outlined in the home’s

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Recommendations

statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should make best use of information from independent monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. The independent person’s Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 8 consultations with parents and professionals should be more frequent. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC456846 9

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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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Inspectors

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Gemma McNevin, His Majesty’s Inspector, Social Care Inspection report for children’s home: SC456846 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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