Children's Home, Residential special school run by Cambian Whinfell School Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children’s home: SC066821 1 SC066821 Registered provider: Cambian Whinfell School Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and education for a maximum of 14 boys. Care is provided for children who have a diagnosis of autism and associated conditions, which may include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a main site and a second site for children working towards independence. At the time of the inspection, there were 5 children living in the 2 homes. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision of the 2 sites.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 10 December 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC066821 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2024 Full Outstanding 14/11/2023 Full Good 01/11/2022 Full Good 03/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC066821 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress due to the stable and consistent care they receive from staff. Children spoke positively about their relationships with the staff who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access appropriate education. Staff support children to explore all available education options, and work with wider agencies to secure suitable provision. When children experience difficulties in engaging with education, staff identify and understand the underlying barriers. These barriers are clearly documented and integrated into wider care planning to ensure a coordinated and effective response.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of varied activities that reflect their individual interests and preferences. This promotes high levels of engagement. One child said, ‘They take an interest in what I like. It makes it more fun.’ Staff plan holidays thoughtfully. They identify and reduce potential anxieties, so children feel prepared and reassured. Children actively contribute to the planning, which supports them to feel listened to. These happy memories are captured in photos and kept in photo albums and memory books.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views shape daily practice. Managers gather feedback through surveys and direct consultation. Staff act on feedback. Children influence decisions about their environment, including with regard to personalisation of their bedrooms and resources such as a new pool table. Children attend fortnightly meetings and bring their own agenda items. This supports children to feel listened to and respected. Children have regular access to independent advocacy, which strengthens their ability to express their wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have individual targets that reflect their starting points and progress. These targets align with their education, health and care plans. Staff recognise children’s achievements. They are celebrated consistently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are understood and met. Specialist therapeutic support is available from the home’s clinician. This supported one child to explore their sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager understands the importance of carefully considering the needs of new children moving into the home alongside children already in residence. However, one child’s impact risk assessment contains inaccurate information, for example the name of a different child. This undermines the effectiveness of the impact risk assessment process and does not support the safety and wellbeing of all children in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066821 4

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

Children develop positive relationships with staff. They feel safe to share any concerns. One child has shared their worries openly, helping staff to respond to emerging risks.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff respond in a well-coordinated and timely manner. Recently, one child has experienced an increase in episodes of going missing from the home. Leaders and managers have engaged with relevant external agencies to develop and implement an appropriate safety plan. This multi-agency approach supports efforts to reduce risk and helps to keep the child safe.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of children’s individual risks. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are clear, detailed and actively used in day-to-day practice. Staff apply strategies consistently and confidently. This helps to keep children safe.

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

There has been no use of physical intervention since August 2025. When previously used, it was proportionate and only used to keep children safe. Staff received additional training tailored to the specific needs of the child. This strengthened staff practice, with the training focused on supporting staff with strategies to reduce and prevent the need for physical intervention.

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

Staff complete purposeful direct work with children about risks, including internet safety. This helps children to understand how to keep themselves safe. However, staff do not always follow systems and policies designed to safeguard children online. This weakens safeguarding practice.

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

Children are supported to reflect on their behaviour. Staff use restorative approaches as appropriate consequences. However, leaders and managers do not ensure that all consequences are applied consistently in line with the behaviour management policy. In addition, some consequences have not been reviewed to assess their effectiveness.

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

All staff are appointed following safer recruitment procedures and required checks. This means children are cared for by safe, suitable and appropriately vetted individuals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is appropriately qualified and experienced. She is supported by an experienced deputy manager and responsible individual. Together, they demonstrate commitment and ambition to achieve positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision. Sessions are reflective and enable staff to consider the needs of children. Staff appraisals include clear plans and actions for the next 6 months to support their ongoing development. Staff report feeling valued and well supported. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066821 5 Leaders and managers ensure that the home is maintained to a high standard. When maintenance concerns arise, they address these promptly to ensure that the home remains safe and welcoming for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings support staff development. Leaders and managers use these to address emerging concerns and ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to provide high- quality care. Staff and managers work together to review children’s needs and consider how best to meet them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have appropriate systems to identify triggers and trends in behaviour, which allows staff to access additional support, including from the home’s clinician, when required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers maintain oversight of the home. However, some shortfalls identified in records are not promptly addressed, including language that is not child- centred. There is scope for further reviewing and strengthening practice to ensure a consistently high standard of monitoring and record-keeping. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066821 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

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)(iii)(v)(b)) 29 April 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(h)) 29 April 2026

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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 29 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC066821 7 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s approach to promoting positive behaviour aligns with the home’s behaviour management policy and is fair and proportionate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.35)

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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: SC066821 8

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Whinfell School 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Patricia Sandham

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Inspectors

Alexandra Pearson, Social Care Inspector Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC066821 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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