Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Inspection report children's home: SC457433 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC457433 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 privately owned. It is registered to provides care for 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

There registered manager post is vacant.

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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 2026

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC457433 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/02/2025 Full Outstanding 26/02/2024 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC457433 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Summary of findings

Shortfalls in safeguarding and weaknesses in leadership and management of the home have affected the child’s overall experiences and progress. The child settled quickly into the home, and staff have developed positive relationships with them. There has been some progress from the child’s starting point, particularly around education and in reducing risks. However, several shortfalls in safeguarding have been identified. Management oversight is inconsistent, and some staff lack the necessary skills and experience to provide consistently safe and effective care.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. The child's move was in their best interests, and they were supported emotionally by staff prior to the move. Staff have kept in touch with the child, demonstrating the positive relationships built during their time at the home.

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improvement to be good

One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. Due to the child’s circumstances, there was limited time for a gradual transition. However, staff took time to get to know the child before the move and shared important information about the home. They helped the child to personalise their bedroom and make it their own. This has supported the child to settle quickly into the home.

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improvement to be good

The child has made progress in education when considering their starting point. Although the child is not currently accessing a formal provision, staff and the child’s life coach engage them in informal learning daily. For example, through creative writing or book clubs. They have had the opportunity to attend vocational sessions at college to consider their interests and future learning. The manager and staff team are working with the child’s social worker to plan for reintroducing formal education.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the child’s interests and hobbies. They support the child to engage in regular activities, such as ice skating and swimming. This has supported the child’s routine, wellbeing, as well as enabling them to make friends within the community.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of and support the child to maintain relationships with their family. They have welcomed the child’s family into the home, allowing them to enjoy activities such as baking together. The child’s family said that staff are supportive and that the child’s self-esteem and wellbeing have improved since living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff build positive relationships with the child. They spend time with the child and provide them the opportunity to reflect on what is going well or needs to change. However, at times there is a lack of flexibility in staff’s approach to the child’s care, which has contributed to the child feeling like they are not listened to. Inspection report children's home: SC457433 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

There has been a clear reduction in risks and incidents for the child living at the home when considering their starting point. Staff have conversations with the child about known risks and help them to better understand how to keep safe.

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improvement to be good

When staff use restraint to support the child, it is proportionate, necessary, and in accordance with their plans. However, staff do not always follow the child's plans to keep them safe. For example, on one occasion, staff did not follow the plans for supervising the child, despite a known risk. As a result, the child was able to go missing from the home overnight. On another occasion, staff did not maintain the staffing ratios as detailed in the child’s plans, meaning that staff had to rely on police support to safeguard the child.

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improvement to be good

When the child has been missing from the home, staff have not followed the plans to report the child as missing to the police immediately. Staff search for the child and attend known addresses. However, they are not always proactive in using alternative approaches when there is not a driver on shift, leading to delays.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always demonstrate effective skills in de-escalation of incidents for the child. The child said that on one occasion they likened their interaction with staff to arguing with a peer. Staff’s lack of effective de-escalation and behaviour management has led to a delay in staff seeking medical attention for the child on one occasion.

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improvement to be good

The risk assessments for the child are personalised and regularly reviewed with oversight from the manager. However, not all relevant information to support staff in safeguarding the child is detailed.

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

There is no registered manager in post. There is an acting manager, who is registered at another of the provider’s settings, overseeing the home. The manager has a positive relationship with the child and has provided them with continuity of care.

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

The lack of skills and experience for some of the staff has contributed to shortfalls in practice. Staff did not understand the significance of the plans in place to support the child when they first moved into the home. Training for the staff team was identified prior to the child’s move into the home; however, it was not all complete at the time of the inspection.

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

The staff speak highly of leaders and managers and feel supported in their roles. Staff are regularly provided with supervision which is increased during their induction to the home. The quality of team meetings is improved and there is an increased focus in staff Inspection report children's home: SC457433 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

development. For example, staff have been directed to different resources regarding child sexual exploitation and engaged in reflection discussions during recent meetings.

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

The quality of management oversight across incidents for the child is variable. There is improved management oversight across the child's records, including key work and incidents, as well as regular review of the child's plans. However, at times the manager’s oversight is lacking in evaluation and not all shortfalls in staff practice are identified. When shortfalls are identified they have been addressed by leaders and managers through single subject supervisions. Inspection report children's home: SC457433 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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, 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

(Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe and follow the plans in place to safeguard the child.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 03 July 2026 Inspection report children's home: SC457433 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(h)).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is effective management oversight of the child’s day to day care and that shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed. The registered person must ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge, skills and experience to meet children's individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 03 July 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

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 03 July 2026 Inspection report children's home: SC457433 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

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 and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child's respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(viii)(xi)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are effective in de-escalation techniques to support the child and flexible in their approach to the child’s care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home if— there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27(1)(a)(2)(a)(b)). 03 July 2026 Inspection report children's home: SC457433 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 children's home: SC457433 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Caretech, 4th floor, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1UX

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Inspector

Hayley Smith, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC457433 11 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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