Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 1 SC456800

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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 owned by a private provider. It is registered to care for 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child has moved out since the last inspection, and one child has moved in. At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

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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: 21 January 2025

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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: SC456800 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 14/11/2023 Full Good 09/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 3

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improvement to be good

Relationships between staff and children are not always positive. There is an inconsistent staff team, which means that children are not always cared for by adults who know them well. This does not support children to develop positive or meaningful relationships with adults who care for them. However, the members of the small core staff team understand the children’s needs well, and they spend time together with the children.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational progress is limited. None of the children attend school, and although staff try to engage them in informal learning at home, this is ineffective. Staff do not promote consistent routines for the school day, and activities are not always educational or sufficient to meet the children’s educational needs.

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improvement to be good

The home is large and spacious. However, there are maintenance tasks outstanding. The home is not decorated to feel homely and welcoming. This does not provide children with a warm and nurturing environment.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to develop their independence skills so that they can manage daily tasks and prepare for adult life. Staff work with others to support children’s transition out of the home in accordance with their care plan. For example, one child has successfully returned to live with their family, and staff are supporting another child in how to live independently. Staff listen to children and adapt their approach to suit the individual child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Professionals report that they are happy with the care provided to children. They say that the registered manager and staff are responsive to the children’s needs and keep them up to date with the children’s progress.

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improvement to be good

Incidents are not always managed well. Some staff do not have the skills to support children’s behaviour effectively and exacerbate some incidents due to their lack of effective de-escalation skills. On occasion, the police are called to help defuse incidents and support the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always take appropriate action when children make allegations. For example, allegations are not consistently shared with the appropriate agencies in a timely way. Failure to follow allegation procedures places the child and staff at increased risk and leaves them unsupported. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 4 Staff do not consistently manage children’s smoking and vaping despite talking to them about the negative impact on their health. There are clear actions in place for staff to follow when children smoke and vape at the home. However, these are not followed. Children continue to vape at the home in the presence of staff.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions are uncommon. However, when physical intervention does occur to keep children and others safe, unapproved holds are being used. This increases the risk of injury to both children and staff. Furthermore, the records for physical interventions do not contain all the information required in regulation.

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improvement to be good

Children say they feel safe. Staff talk to children about risks and use research and external resources to inform their practice. This is shared with children and all staff. This helps children to develop their understanding of risks and how to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond effectively when children are missing and actively search for children to ensure their safe return home. Staff know what to do if a child self-harms and ensure that they receive the appropriate support.

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

Children are cared for by an inconsistent staff team, which limits their opportunities for positive experiences at the home. Furthermore, the instability among the staff is contributing to the poor management and escalation of some incidents.

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

Staff do not consistently conduct themselves professionally or adhere to professional boundaries, for example staff bickering and staff telling children what other staff have said about them. This has an impact on children’s sense of safety, stability and welfare.

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

The registered manager is a consistent presence at the home. She has a good understanding of the children’s progress and what support they need. However, the registered manager’s oversight of records is inconsistent. Some records are unclear and lack information, which makes it difficult to determine what happened and for the manager to address any shortfalls in practice.

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

Team meetings and supervisions take place regularly. These provide staff with an opportunity to reflect on their practice and share learning with one another. Discussions also take place about the children’s needs and progress, and how the quality of their care can be improved. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 5

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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 (1) 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e)) 3 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 6 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to keep children safe. The registered person must ensure that staff manage incidents and allegations in line with processes laid out in risk management plans.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that children are not permitted to smoke and vape in the home and lighters are not accessible to children.

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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

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 where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 3 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are suitably skilled to meet the needs of children. They must also ensure that reporting and recording across all records are accurate to allow sufficient oversight of all aspects of the home.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that children are cared for by a consistent team of staff who conduct themselves with professionalism.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training, and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all children are supported to engage in education in the home and outside of the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 3 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 8 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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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

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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 3 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 9 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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that records of physical intervention are complete and contain all necessary information as required in regulation.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that holds used to keep children safe must be recognised and approved.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home children live in is a homely, domestic environment which is well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: SC456800 10

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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

Danielle Allen, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456800 11 regulates and inspects to 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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