Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Devon

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 1 SC467704

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Registered provider: Cambian Childcare LTD

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the first day of inspection, one child was living in the home. At the time of the second day of inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in September 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 29 April 2026. An inspector returned on 2 June 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 29 April and 2 June 2026

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 2 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 3

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Children accessed a known high-risk environmental hazard on more than one occasion, resulting in life-threatening incidents and one child sustaining serious injury.  Known risks were not managed in practice effectively. Risk assessments and plans did not accurately reflect the level of risk or ensure consistent, timely preventative measures.  Opportunities to identify escalating risks, implement effective control measures and learn from previous incidents were missed, leading to repeated incidents.  Leaders demonstrate insight into the required improvements and have taken some action; however, changes were not implemented swiftly enough at the time to prevent further harm.

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Summary of findings

Following an assurance inspection on 29 April 2026 and a return visit on 2 June 2026 to gather additional evidence, serious concerns were identified in relation to the care and protection of the children living at the home.

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Summary of findings

The impact of children’s needs and histories was not fully considered before children moved into the home. This resulted in risks that were not sufficiently anticipated or effectively planned for. Risk assessments, including the risk assessment of the local area, were not robust. They did not fully reflect known environmental hazards or provide clear, cohesive strategies to manage risks such as self-harm, suicidal ideation and concerning shared behaviours. Managers have since begun to review and strengthen these arrangements; however, improvements were not implemented in time to prevent significant incidents and serious harm to children.

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Summary of findings

Leaders, managers and staff do not take all opportunities to identify patterns of concern, respond to escalating risk and learn from previous incidents. As a result, staff responses are not always sufficiently proactive to mitigate developing risks and concerns. While leaders communicate with partners about risks to children, they do not always escalate concerns quickly enough when partners’ responses are not sufficiently urgent. This contributes to situations where children are harmed.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding plans and documents contain ambiguous language. These do not provide staff with sufficient clarity about their roles in managing risk. As a result, safeguarding measures are not consistently implemented in practice. Agreed safety actions, including the use of door alarms and supervision arrangements, have not been put in place quickly enough to prevent children from coming to harm. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 4 Leaders recognise that staff need updates to their training and this work has been started. Staff do not always fully understand children’s behaviours, recognise early signs of increasing risk or respond in a consistent and proactive way.

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Summary of findings

Leaders demonstrate some insight into the concerns found during this visit. They have begun to take some action in response to incidents. This includes strengthening plans, increasing staffing and working closely with external professionals. However, learning from incidents with one child was not embedded quickly enough to reduce the risk of a similar incident occurring.

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Summary of findings

While there have been very serious incidents, staff do help children to work towards their goals. Children attend education, and the home recognises each child’s individuality. One child said that staff’s support is helpful, and they have been able to take part in activities they enjoy. Staff also make sure that children are involved in decisions about their daily lives, including how their bedrooms are decorated, the food they eat and the activities they take part in. One child left the home at short notice following a serious incident. Staff have provided ongoing support to them to ensure there is a period of continuity of care and support.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers are visible and accessible within the home, fostering positive relationships with children. They also ensure that staff have regular supervision where they can discuss practice.

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Summary of findings

Ofsted will continue to monitor the home. No further admissions are planned at this time, to allow for reflection, completion of training and to build staff confidence. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/07/2025 Full Good 02/12/2024 Full Good 27/02/2024 Full Good 12/12/2022 Full Outstanding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

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 located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments fully identify all known risks, including environmental hazards, and set out clear and effective strategies for staff to follow in order to reduce and manage these risks in practice. 28 August 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 7 Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that children’s safety plans are effective and implemented in practice as promptly as necessary. Staff must take consistent and effective action to support children to make safer choices and reduce the risk of harm.

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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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is consistent and effective management oversight of safeguarding practice, including the timely evaluation of incidents and the provision of clear direction to staff.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that learning from incidents is clearly identified, shared with the staff team and embedded in practice without delay in order to strengthen safeguarding arrangements.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that there are sufficient numbers of staff deployed at all times to safely 28 August 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 8 manage identified risks, including putting in place waking night staff where this is required.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders should also ensure that staff receive up-to-date training to support their care of children, for example in suicide prevention, self-harm, attachment and trauma- informed approaches, and that this learning is consistently and effectively applied in practice.

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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.

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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;

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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

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s needs are fully assessed and that care planning includes consideration of the context and interaction of children’s risks, needs and vulnerabilities. The registered person must ensure that there are clear and effective strategies in place to manage these safely in practice. 28 August 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 9

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the language used to record information relating to safety plans and risk assessments is clear, fit for purpose and factual. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge, London UB8 1UX

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Inspectors

Hannah Spencer-Townesend, Social Care Inspector Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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