Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2607587 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately operated. It provides care for up to 4 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2020.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children and one young person were living in the home and the inspectors met with them all.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children's home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2607587 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2025 Full Outstanding 14/03/2024 Full Outstanding 28/02/2023 Full Outstanding 28/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2607587 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Living in the home has a positive and enriching effect on children's lives. Children receive consistent and nurturing care from an experienced and highly effective core group of staff who understand the children's individual needs exceptionally well. As a result, children make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children's health needs are prioritised. Staff work hard to ensure that children have the best opportunity to engage in their health appointments. For example, one child was supported by staff to gradually build up their skills and courage to visit their dentist for an examination. This demonstrates how carefully considered planning and strong support, enables children to meet health professionals and have direct access to the treatment they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make significant progress in their learning and attend school regularly. Staff ensure that children receive continuity of care across the different environments. Staff work in collaboration with teachers about the children's needs to widen their joint understanding of how best to help children learn and achieve. Additionally, staff attend school meetings to ensure that they are kept abreast of any changes for children and maintain a constant flow of important information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy new and life-enhancing experiences through a wide range of activities. Staff help children to be socially included and have equal access to new activities in the community, including holidays abroad. Staff capture children's experiences in memory books, which are accessible for children to enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Advocacy on behalf of children is a strength at this home. One child, due to the advocacy of the manager, now has transport available to ensure that they can access the community more easily. Advocacy for the young person has led to increased staffing to ensure that they can access community activities with the right level of support and supervision. One parent said that '[Name of child's] life had widened' because of the difference that staff have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work exceptionally well with parents to ensure that children have quality time with their family. Staff will drive children to meet with their family and stay with children when needed to ensure that the family is fully supported and gets the best out of their time together. Children's families are also welcome to visit the home when this forms part of their plan. One parent said that the staff's actions help their child to feel actively involved in their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Parents say that they feel assured that their children are safe and receive a high standard of care. One parent described staff as 'amazing' and commented 'they make us feel seen'. Parents said that they receive regular communication from staff, are always kept up to date about their child's experiences and feel fully involved in decision-making. Inspection report for children's home: 2607587 4

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

Safeguarding practice in the home is highly effective and children are safer as a result. Staff's detailed understanding of the children's vulnerabilities reduces the risks that they may encounter in the home and community. High levels of coordinated supervision from skilled staff keep children and others safe.

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

Staff know the children very well. They understand possible triggers for children and how to help children who may experience difficulties with their behaviours. Staff are child focused and promote positive ways to help children learn and develop. Staff learn from their experiences of caring for children and reflect on their practice to help each other to care for and respond to children.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been a few minor errors in the administration of medication. However, these have not negatively affected children. Staff have taken advice from health professionals to be informed of any actions needed. Learning is taken forward to staff supervision and team meetings to prevent further occurrences.

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

Safe recruitment procedures are effectively followed when recruiting new staff. This helps to ensure that only suitable people are employed to work with the children who live in the home.

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

Overall, few concerns are raised about the safety of children or staff practice. However, since the last inspection, two allegations have been made about staff conduct. On each occasion, these have been investigated thoroughly and appropriate action taken to ensure that high practice standards are maintained.

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

Children are held and guided by staff for their safety, though only as a last resort. Staff do all they can to avoid the need to do so. They are well trained to respond and prevent children from hurting themselves or others. Overall, children's support plans are comprehensive and provide clear guidance for staff to follow. However, one child's plan lacks some detail about how they can be held or guided by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates inspirational leadership and is aspirational for children's progress, experiences and wellbeing. Due to the manager's approach, staff feel well supported. They are invested in the ethos of the home and have high expectations for children's day-to-day care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and parents speak highly about the manager's commitment to children, ensuring that children have the support and help they need. One parent said, '[Name of manager]'goes above and beyond' and 'keeps a good ship running'.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with training opportunities to help them to develop in their roles. The manager ensures that training is available to staff that is specific to the children's needs. Inspection report for children's home: 2607587 5 In addition, the manager arranged for resilience training when there was a period of staff leaving, to be assured that staff have the right level of support to help them cope with the demand of their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are held regularly. They are supportive in nature and provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their practice and the children's needs. These are complemented by regular team meetings, where time is spent discussing theory and practice issues relevant to children's care. This provides a supportive environment for staff to develop their skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are a limited number of electronic monitoring systems used for children. One child has audio monitoring due to concerns about their health and wellbeing. Although consent is in place and some reviews have taken place to consider the necessity for this to continue, the effect on the child's privacy has not been fully reviewed and evaluated. Other children can hear the child in their bedroom during their personal time due to the positioning of the monitoring system.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff have a qualification as set out in regulation. Three staff are in the process of completing their qualification that has passed the relevant date. Inspection report for children's home: 2607587 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home; or

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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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. (Regulation 32 (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 31 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2607587 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, the registered person should include steps in children's plans about the strategies that staff should use when a child needs to be held or guided for their safety. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standard,' page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that limits on privacy and access are only put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child's needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. In particular, they should consider how any audio monitoring impacts a child's privacy. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standard,' page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: 2607587 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Caretech, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

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Inspectors

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector (lead) Dawn McCluskey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2607587 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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