Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 1 SC483846 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 home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with both children during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The new manager started in their role in June 2025 and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the last inspection, Ofsted issued an urgent variation of conditions to reduce the number of children permitted to live at the home from five to four. This change has since been made permanent. Compliance notices under regulations 6, 12 and 13 were Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 2 also issued on 19 August 2025. The notices were found to have been met at the monitoring visit on 8 October 2025. Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2025 Full Inadequate 26/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/05/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children have been moved out of the home at the request of their placing authorities due to their concerns about the standard of care. The manager worked closely with the placing authorities and demonstrated flexibility with notice periods to ensure that the children were moved to suitable provisions that meet their needs. Staff provided detailed handovers to the children’s new homes to promote smooth transitions. The manager also ensured that children experienced celebratory events and positive endings to their time at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are not currently being admitted to the home. The manager and leaders have developed ideas to improve the admissions process, including consideration of the adjacent home and the children living there. However, the manager has focused on meeting the needs of the children currently living at the home and no amendments have yet been made to the admissions process. The requirement relating to this has therefore been restated.

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improvement to be good

The home environment has significantly improved since the last inspection. Communal areas are well maintained and comfortable, and children are spending more time in these spaces. Children’s bedrooms are clean, tidy and personalised to reflect each child’s tastes and interests. Staff carry out regular checks to ensure that children’s bedrooms are maintained to an appropriate standard.

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improvement to be good

The staff have a range of skills and experience. Although handovers have improved, their quality remains inconsistent, resulting in some variability in the care that children receive. The manager and leaders have recognised this issue and have plans in place to address it.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to have healthy routines. When children struggle, staff provide visual aids and are persistent in their encouragement of these. Routines in the home are positive or improving.

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improvement to be good

Children are not currently attending full-time education. However, they have suitable provision and plans in place to increase their engagement. The manager and staff understand the barriers to education and liaise closely with education professionals to promote progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff prepare children for adult life, in line with their individual plans. They support children to obtain essential documentation and facilitate their participation in projects that help them to develop the required skills for independence.

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improvement to be good

Staff build positive relationships with children’s families and others who are important to the children. They facilitate children seeing those people who are Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 5 important to them in line with their plans, including over long distance. This ensures that children maintain their identity and relationships.

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improvement to be good

There have been three allegations made against staff by children. The manager has taken steps to ensure the immediate safety of children, and completed thorough investigations. On two occasions, staff acted naively or outside of children’s plans, although the children were not harmed as a result. The manager has recognised the shortfalls in practice and addressed them with the relevant staff.

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improvement to be good

Previously, children had unrestricted access to the internet. Recent steps have been taken to protect one vulnerable child and manage their online access more effectively. However, an incident highlighted vulnerabilities for two children, but the concern was only recognised and addressed for one child. The manager recognises that online safety arrangements have not been sufficiently robust and has developed plans to manage this more effectively for any new children moving into the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager listens to children’s complaints and responds to them. However, on one occasion, the complaints process was not followed immediately despite the child clearly verbally expressing their views. This was not in line with the home’s complaints policy.

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improvement to be good

Staff have increased their skills and confidence in managing incidents at the home. There have been no sustained incidents or any involving multiple children since the last inspection. Staff have not required police intervention to assist them to manage behaviour. The manager has prompt oversight of any incidents and identifies where they could have been managed better. This learning is used to develop staff’s practice.

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improvement to be good

Audio alarms are set on all children’s bedroom doors at night, although not all children require this for their safety and well-being. The use of door alarms is not assessed in line with children’s individual needs, nor is it regularly reviewed. Placing authorities have not given written consent in relation to this. This form of monitoring is unnecessarily intrusive and impacts on children’s privacy.

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improvement to be good

Children do not go missing from the home. Missing-from-home plans are individual to each child and are reviewed and updated regularly. They contain relevant addresses, contact details, known associates and local areas to search. However, some key details are missing, such as the expected intervals of checks on children in the community and timescales for considering when a child is deemed to be missing. A recommendation has been in relation to this.

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improvement to be good

There has been a significant increase in the use of consequences. This supports the manager’s focus on safe and appropriate boundaries for children and structured management of children’s behaviour. Consequences are fair and proportionate, and Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 6 children receive more rewards than negative consequences. However, the manager does not review the effectiveness of each measure or speak to the user of the measure, nor is the child consistently spoken with after each consequence.

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improvement to be good

There has been a medication error relating to non-controlled medication. The managers responded appropriately to this. They retrained all staff and tightened procedures around non-controlled medication. Controlled medications are stored safely and there have been no medication errors relating to these.

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good

There has been an improvement in the leadership and management of the home since the last inspection. There is improved structure and practice, which has led to better outcomes for children.

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good

Incidents and safeguarding concerns have prompt management oversight and learning is taken from this. However, wider management review and oversight require further improvement to improve the care provided to children.

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good

The managers and leaders have a good understanding of where the home is in its journey. They have focused their efforts on the most-important areas and understand what they need to do next.

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good

The home is sufficiently staffed, and the staff team has remained largely stable. This has allowed children to continue building relationships based on trust. Induction for new staff prepares them for the role. New staff are safely recruited.

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good

There has been a focus on staff development. Managers and leaders are working closely with staff to model good practice and embed learning. Staff performance is closely scrutinised and additional support is offered to those who require it.

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good

Managers and leaders supervise staff regularly. Supervisions are more frequent for new staff and when staff require additional support. The frequency of team meetings has increased. Team meetings are well attended and key information is shared at the meetings. Children are discussed in supervisions and team meetings, but staff do not reflect on their practice during these sessions.

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good

The manager notifies Ofsted of serious incidents at the home. However, these are sometimes delayed. This does not allow for prompt oversight by the regulator.

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good

All staff have completed additional training since the last inspection. The managers closely monitor staff training, and all staff are up to date. Most staff are qualified, and those who are not are enrolled to undertake their qualifications in a timely way. Staff are supported to develop the knowledge and skills required for their roles. Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 7

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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 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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is a consistent quality of care across each shift and handovers are thorough to promote this. The managers must closely monitor the quality of care, understand how it impacts on the experiences of children and use this information to improve the service. 11 February 2026

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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 staff— 11 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 8 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are plans in place to protect children online, that risks around digital safety are responded to promptly and that all children understand how to keep themselves safe online.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is not a blanket approach to the use of alarms on children’s bedroom doors. Additional surveillance and monitoring of children should be specific to the needs of individual children, regularly reviewed and no more intrusive than necessary. The registered person must ensure that there is written consent from children’s placing authorities. 11 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 11 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 9 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that assessments of children moving into the home consider all the relevant contextual information. Managers and leaders should only consider moving children into the home when this is likely to achieve good outcomes for the child and other children who reside there.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that consequences given to the children are reviewed by the manager to ascertain their effectiveness. The registered person must ensure that staff and children are spoken to about the consequence within the required timescales. 11 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 10

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff supervision allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. Staff should understand that they have a responsibility to observe, notice and respond to children who are expressing their views. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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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 SC483846 11

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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

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home SC483846 12 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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