Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 1 SC478468 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

It provides care for up to five children, who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children live in this home and all three children were spoken with during the inspection.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2024 Full Good 18/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/08/2022 Full Good 28/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 3

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improvement to be good

Children have varied experiences while living in this home. Some children make good progress. For example, they are supported by staff to mitigate and reduce risks related to extra-familial harm, to engage in education and to develop independence skills that enable them to move on to semi-independent living arrangements. However, some children are not making the progress expected because staff do not respond effectively to their individual needs. This lack of personalised support results in some children becoming socially isolated, with one child spending prolonged periods of time alone in their bedroom. Staff do not consistently invest meaningful time in building emotional connections with children. In addition, they do not demonstrate a detailed understanding of the children’s individual needs. As a result, some children struggle to form trusting or meaningful relationships with the adults who care for them. Consequently, not all children feel

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improvement to be good

positive about living in the home; one child told their social worker that they do not feel staff care about them. This indicates a shortfall in the quality of relationships and the emotional support that children receive.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious, well-presented and provides a welcoming environment. Staff actively encourage children to personalise their bedrooms, including choosing décor prior to moving in. This promotes a sense of ownership and supports children to settle quickly and feel more at home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met effectively. Staff respond promptly to identified health concerns and make timely referrals to specialist services when required. When children need immediate medical attention, staff act quickly to ensure that they receive appropriate care. Staff also support children to attend health appointments, helping them to understand the purpose of these visits and reducing any associated anxiety. This consistent approach promotes children’s health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children’s education is prioritised. Staff provide consistent support that enables children to attend and engage in learning, meaning all children now access education. Those who previously disengaged are now participating. One child has progressed to college, secured employment and moved to semi-independent living, demonstrating strong outcomes.

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improvement to be good

The response to allegations made against staff is inconsistent. Not all staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities, resulting in delays in reporting concerns about staff practice. Investigations lack depth and do not fully consider the Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 4 context of the concerns raised. Managers do not always share all relevant information with key professionals, including children’s social workers and local authority designated officers. When information is shared, this is not consistently done in a timely way. Managers also do not routinely follow up with children after incidents or allegations to ensure they feel heard, supported and safe. These shortfalls undermine confidence in the home’s safeguarding arrangements and the actions taken to protect children.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and safety plans for children do not always serve a clear purpose, because the volume of historical information in these documents makes them difficult to understand. In addition, children’s case records are poor quality, lacking sufficient detail and evaluation. This does not help staff to keep children safer and help staff and children to understand children’s experiences.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes ensure that full pre-employment checks are completed for all staff. This helps to ensure that suitable adults are employed to care for the children.

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improvement to be good

Children receive clear and age-appropriate information about sexual health and relationships. Staff provide relevant resources and guidance that help children develop their understanding of these topics. This proactive approach provides children with the knowledge that they need to make informed choices and maintain healthy relationships.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate a high level of vigilance and professional curiosity in responding to risks of extra-familial harm. When children go missing from home, staff follow agreed protocols promptly and work effectively with partner agencies to support their swift and safe return. Their strong contribution to multi-agency disruption activity reduces the likelihood of exploitation. Purposeful direct work enhances children’s understanding of potential risks and supports them to make safer decisions.

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

The home has experienced a period of challenge, and managers are still developing their understanding of the underlying issues, which have contributed to shortfalls in practice. Managers have not yet fully recognised when staff’s strategies to engage children are not having the desired impact, and therefore these approaches have not been reviewed or adapted as needed. As a result, some children’s safety, wellbeing and overall experiences are not as positive as they could be, and not all children are making the progress they could at this time.

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

Managers do not always provide staff with the guidance and learning needed when practice falls below expected standards. As a result, some staff do not have a sufficiently developed understanding of the risks that children may face. This impacts on the consistency of safeguarding practice in the home and reduces leaders’ ability to ensure that children are kept safe.

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

Some professionals are positive about the quality of the care children receive; however, others have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the home’s leadership and staff Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 5 team. They report that communication systems are not always reliable and on occasion, staff do not answer the home’s telephone.

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

Staff report that their manager is supportive and approachable, with one staff member noting, ‘I can go to her about anything.’ Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals, and this consistent oversight and guidance helps them to feel valued and well supported in their roles. Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 6

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 31 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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— 31 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 7 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust.

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children.

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same.

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c)(iii)) 31 March 2026

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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

promotes their welfare. 31 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 8 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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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research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and 31 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 9 seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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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: SC478468 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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Inspectors

Laura Roberts, Social Care Inspector (lead) Shaun Martin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC478468 11 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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