Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 1 SC476231 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

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to 5 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that a serious child protection allegation was being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspector's judgement.

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Information about this children's home

A manager has been in post since the home re-opened in June 2025 and has submitted their application to register with Ofsted. The manager was not present during the inspection. A regional peripatetic manager is currently overseeing the management of the home.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home. The inspector spent time talking to the child.

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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 inadequate

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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: 12 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 2 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: SC476231 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2023 Full Good 16/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/12/2021 Full Good 07/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 4

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improvement to be good

Two children have moved into the home since the monitoring visit, and one child has moved on. The quality of children's experiences during this period has been inconsistent. One child benefitted from a well-planned move into the home, which supported a positive start to their time at the home. However, their move out of the home was unplanned and abrupt due to staff being unable to keep the child safe and meet their needs. This sudden ending limited the child's opportunity for a supported and well-managed transition.

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improvement to be good

The child living in the home has made some progress since moving in. However, weaknesses in management oversight continue to impact on the quality of care. These shortfalls have had a negative effect on child's overall experiences of living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The child shared mixed views about the care they receive. They were able to identify staff whom they trust and feel supported by, demonstrating some positive and nurturing relationships. However, managers and staff have not responded consistently to the child's requests. For example, despite the child repeatedly asking to decorate their bedroom, staff did not act on this. This lack of follow-through undermines the child's confidence in the adults caring for them and weakens the quality of their relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers have not ensured all of the child's wider health needs are being met. Delays in obtaining prescribed medication and basic personal-care items, such as toothpaste, indicate gaps in staff oversight. In addition, the child is not up to date with their immunisations. These shortfalls do not promote the child's overall health and well-being and limit the effectiveness of their healthcare planning.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide effective support that promotes the child's education. The child now attends school regularly, and there has been a sustained improvement in their attendance. Key documents set out clear and measurable targets, which professionals use well to coordinate support and maintain oversight of the child's progress. As a result, the child is developing greater confidence in their learning and is beginning to achieve more positive educational outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Staff are proactive in supporting and promoting the relationships that are important to the child, even when this involves travelling long distances. They work closely with professionals and family members to help the child maintain and strengthen these positive connections. As a result, the child now spends regular time with family members. This enables them to sustain meaningful and emotionally nurturing relationships, which positively support their sense of identity, security and belonging. Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 5

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improvement to be good

Children are not consistently supported to manage their emotions effectively. Boundaries are not always clearly communicated, and when children struggle to understand these expectations, staff responses sometimes lack compassion and reassurance. These missed opportunities to emotionally attune to children and provide appropriate support hinder the development of trusting and secure relationships.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home incidents have been minimal, and staff have followed agreed protocols to ensure the child's safety. However, on one occasion, when the child returned home, staff imposed sanctions that were not proportionate to the situation. This unsupportive response does not help the child to feel safe and may discourage them from seeking help or returning promptly in the future.

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improvement to be good

Incident reports often lack meaningful reflection or learning. Staff responses during incidents are not consistently therapeutic. For example, when a child expressed feeling unsupported, staff did not show professional curiosity or seek appropriate help. This poor practice negatively affects children's self-esteem and contributes to a reluctance to seek support in the future, limiting opportunities for emotional growth and repair.

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improvement to be good

Consequences imposed by staff are sometimes punitive and not proportionate to the behaviour, which risks negatively affecting children's emotional well-being. For example, on some occasions, children have been unable to access the kitchen for food in the evening. Such practices do not promote children's emotional security or sense of safety and can contribute to feelings of unfairness or distress.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and safety plans are regularly reviewed and updated. Staff use these to maintain accurate, up-to-date knowledge of each child's vulnerabilities. This approach to risk management helps to protect children from harm and ensures that care provided to children remains responsive to changing needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not established or led a culture that promotes children's aspirations, welfare or potential, nor demonstrated an understanding of the impact that the quality of staff care has had on children's progress, experiences or outcomes. This lack of insight has contributed to a culture in which children do not consistently receive the support, encouragement or opportunities they need to thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not taken action to identify or address poor staff practice. There are significant gaps in management records, and oversight of incident reports is inconsistent. For example, following a significant incident, records indicated that a reflective discussion had been completed with staff regarding their practice; however, this could not be located during the inspection. Leaders confirmed that the document could not be found. Inconsistent oversight of incidents directly affects children's experiences and Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 6 safety and limits the ability to identify learning, improve practice, or prevent similar incidents recurring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision records are not up to date, and some records are missing. There is no assurance that staff have received regular supervision or the support and guidance required to improve their practice. In addition, team meeting records are also absent; leaders cannot demonstrate that staff have had opportunities to meet as a team, share practice or discuss the needs and progress of children

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A recent investigation into the use of physical intervention identified significant shortfalls in staff practice. Three staff members resigned while the investigation was ongoing. This has left the home without sufficient staffing levels to safely care for the child. Leaders have made the decision to move the child to another home within the organisation. Whilst leaders are moving the remaining staff with the child, this instability within the staff team and weaknesses in leadership oversight has impacted on the child's sense of security and continuity of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders have not submitted their quality-of-care report in line with regulatory requirements. This shortfall limits external oversight of the home and reduces assurance that leaders are effectively monitoring practice and driving improvements. Leaders have provided assurances that the report will now be submitted to the regulator.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A regional peripatetic manager is currently overseeing the management of the home. He is child-centred and demonstrates a strong commitment to improving the management of the home. He has identified significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home, highlighting that previous oversight was not sufficiently robust. An action plan has been implemented to provide assurance about how these weaknesses will be addressed. At the time of the inspection these had not yet been embedded. Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 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

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 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; 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

(Regulation (13)(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specially relates to leaders and managers ensuring that the home is lead and managed in a way that helps children to fulfil their potential ad is consistent with the ethos that is specified in the homes statement of purpose. In addition, leaders and managers ensuring that the staff provide continuity of care for each child 20/03/2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 8 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

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

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff follow plans in relation to the child and ensure that when a child returns from a missing from home incident, they are welcomed and reassured and not penalised. 20/03/2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered persons ensuring that the child's prescribed medical treatments are made available to 20/03/2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 9 the child and that the registered person ensures that the child's immunisations are up to date in line with their health plan.

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Requirement Due date

The children's views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children's care and welfare and their lives.

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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 staff— ascertain and consider each child's views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child's best interests when making decisions about the child's care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child's views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation (7)(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the children's wishes and feelings are considered and acted upon to promote their welfare. The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and 20/03/2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 10 make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person or leaders ensuring that the quality of care review is completed in line with regulations.

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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: SC476231 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

Julia Tompson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC476231 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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