Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Warwickshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC457488 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC457488 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

A private company owns this home. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties as a result of experiencing childhood trauma. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home, and the inspector spoke with both.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified and experienced manager is in post.

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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: SC457488 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2024 Full Good 27/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC457488 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home at short notice. The manager ensured she understood the children’s needs. Children were able to learn about the home and staff before moving in. As a result, children have settled quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in the home and score it highly. One child gave it 8.5 out of 10, while another gave it a perfect 10. When asked what it is like living in the home, one child said: ‘It’s a really good home. I think everyone would love this home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is filled with singing, chatter and laughter. Children enjoy positive relationships with staff, whom they describe as funny and nice. Staff provide children with individualised care. They regularly have conversations with children that support them in becoming safer, healthier and happier. At times, staff use resources and research to help children learn about ways to be safer, or to develop the skills they may need in adulthood. This is supporting children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The diverse staff team helps the children to explore their own identity and other cultures. Since being in the home, children have received the hair and skin care they require. The social worker for the children commented: ‘The diverse care team has allowed them to explore their cultural heritage in a really relaxed and natural way… it has allowed them to be curious and explore their own culture and other cultures.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities of their choosing. They cook, read, and have friends and family to visit, and go to youth clubs, football and swimming. These activities provide children with opportunities to make friends, learn new skills, and develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported to spend time with people who are important to them. Children’s family members describe the manager as a strong advocate for the children and can see the progress children are making. One said: ‘[Name of manager] has managed to get [name of child] to open up to her in conversations which they have never opened up to anyone about, which is huge.’ Another family member said: ‘[Name of manager] is pushing for things, wanting to know what support can be provided…The staff are very much advocating for the children in day-to-day life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is treated as a priority. Effective partnership working with children’s education professionals is supporting them to make progress in school. One education professional said: ‘The staff are really supporting the idea that education is so important. There are really productive conversations with the school, home and social worker. We discuss things and work together to make sure we are doing the best for [name of child], they are doing a fantastic job.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC457488 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large, clean and well furnished. It provides children with pleasant spaces to relax and enjoy themselves. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, reflecting their individual interests, celebrating their achievements and important relationships. However, there are some aspects that detract from the overall homely feel. In the computer room there are several large cracks in the walls, in the sensory room there remain screws in the wall, along with holes, carpets are worn, and a fence in the garden is damaged. Action is being taken to address these shortfalls.

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

Children feel safe living in the home. They say that staff listen to them and help them. As a result, they have not felt the need to make a complaint.

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

Staff’s understanding of risks and how to keep children safe is supported by clear, detailed plans. Because of the support children receive, safeguarding incidents in the home are rare. Staff involve children in creating their safety plans. This gives children opportunities to reflect on their safety. Because of this, children are becoming increasingly safe, and incidents of aggression are reducing.

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

Children’s positive relationships with staff allow them to talk about their feelings. This includes sharing any thoughts they have of harming themselves. There has been one incident of a child harming themselves. Following this incident, staff took appropriate action to meet the child’s physical and mental health needs. This has resulted in there being no further incidents of children harming themselves for some time.

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

Children feel settled in the home and they enjoy positive relationships with staff, therefore, incidents of restraint are rare. There have been three incidents of staff physically holding children since the last inspection. Managers’ oversight of these incidents is robust. They identified learning and implemented sessions to upskill staff in ways to calm children when they are upset or anxious. Since that time, there have been no further incidents of staff having to hold children.

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

Managers identify medication errors quickly. There has been one medication error since the last inspection. This did not affect the child, and managers took effective action to prevent a reoccurrence.

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

Consequences, when used, are natural and at times provide children with opportunities to repair any damage caused. Children’s achievements are celebrated, encouraged and rewarded. This helps children feel valued and supports their progress.

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

The manager has not taken action to assure herself that all areas of the home are safe for children to use. One area of the home has large cracks in the walls and ceiling. The manager has sought the advice of a structural engineer. However, children and staff continue to use the room before the outcome of the survey has been received, potentially placing them at risk. Inspection report for children's home: SC457488 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have high aspirations for children in their care. They use a range of tools to ensure effective oversight of all aspects of care, resulting in a detailed understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. This oversight is used to drive improvements for children and is developing a learning culture within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by the manager, whom they describe as incredibly supportive, encouraging and approachable. Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs, and how to keep them safe and best support them. They talk of constantly learning, and benefit from the input of the home’s mental health practitioner. This means children are cared for by staff who are reflective and motivated to improve children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings and supervision support staff learning through the use of research, resources, and the input from the home’s therapeutic lead. As a result, children are cared for by staff who are increasingly skilled and confident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that children are protected by safer recruitment practices. Despite this, children have experienced a high turnover in staff. Children have spoken about being upset by the loss of key members of staff they enjoyed spending time with. Leaders and managers are responding to this and are actively recruiting to fill staff vacancies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One staff member is outside regulatory timescales to achieve the required qualification in residential childcare. Although the home’s new manager is taking action to address this, the shortfall was identified in the home’s last inspection. Opportunities to prevent further delay were missed by leaders within the organisation. Inspection report for children's home: SC457488 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all staff are working towards the required level 3 diploma for residential childcare, and that this is achieved within timescales, as set out above. 30 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC457488 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all rooms in the home are safe for children to use. 19 January 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing environment that meets the needs of children. In particular, the registered person should ensure that any damage to the home is repaired in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC457488 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

John Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC457488 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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