Social care · Children's home inspection (SCCIF)
Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire
Summary
Hannah Longdon (lead), Michelle Snape
What we read, and from where
Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.
- Group verified
Cambian Childcare Limited
- Inspection date verified
3 Jun 2026
- Inspectors AI-checked
Hannah Longdon, Michelle Snape
- Helped and protected verified
Good
- Leadership and management verified
Good
- Overall effectiveness verified
Good
- Name on report verified
SC478468
- URN verified
SC478468
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
Join free to get a short, plain-English summary of any report.
Grade profile
Hollow rings show the previous inspection, 2026.
- OverallGood
- Helped and protectedGood
- Leadership and managementGood
70% of comparable inspections in the last three years were graded Good (12,716 inspections).
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
In line with other reports of this type graded Good.
Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.
How the report reads, start to finish
Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.
Strengths
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
Concerns
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
Next steps
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- Specifically, staff must have access to all rooms when there is a risk to children’s safety, particularly in relation to the use of e- cigarettes. 24 July 2026 p.6
- The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— p.6
- The registered person should ensure that children live in a warm, welcoming and homely environment. p.7
- This specifically relates to ensuring that carpets are cleaned regularly and that window restrictors in children’s bedrooms are checked for any damage. p.7
What the report dwells on
Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 9
- Words of findings
- 1,340
- about usual (typical 1319)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 46, typical 51
- Average sentence
- 16 words
- Next steps
- 4
- typical 4
- Hedged sentences
- 4%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Inspection report for children’s home: SC478468 1 SC478468 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework
p.1
Information about this children’s home
The home registered with Ofsted in 2014 and is operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to 5 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.
p.1
Information about this children’s home
At the time of this inspection, 4 children were living in the home. The inspectors spoke with all the children.
p.1
Information about this children’s home
The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.
p.1
Overall experiences and progress of
children and young people, taking into account
p.1
good
How well children and young people are helped and protected good
p.1
good
The effectiveness of leaders and managers good
p.1
good
The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.
p.1
good
Date of last inspection: 17 February 2026
p.1
good
Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good
p.1
good
Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC478468 2
p.1
Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement
17/02/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/04/2024 Full Good 18/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC478468 3
p.2
Summary of findings
Children living in this home form positive relationships with staff and each other, which helps them to develop a sense of stability. Staff engage in meaningful conversations with children, ensuring that their views are heard and topics that are important to them are discussed.
p.3
Summary of findings
Staff promote children’s engagement in education and advocate for them to receive the support they need to meet their individual learning needs. Children are supported to develop their independence skills.
p.3
Summary of findings
Staff receive good levels of support and training, which contributes to a positive and stable team. The home environment has been updated and refreshed since the last inspection. However, some areas still require attention to ensure that children are provided with a consistently well-maintained home.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
Staff help children to make progress in all areas of their lives. The staff team supports children effectively and encourages them to express their views. Staff promote positive routines, which provide stability for children. Staff help children to develop more positive relationships with one another, which has supported their engagement in social activities in the home.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
Staff engage children in meaningful conversations, using these opportunities to listen to their views as well as to educate them on important topics. Children are making good progress in their education, both in formal and informal settings.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
Staff help children to develop independence skills that are relevant to their interests and appropriate for their age, stage of development and abilities. Staff encourage children to engage with the local community and wider environment. For example, children go to the gym, the cinema and the local zoo.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
When children move into the home, staff ensure that all relevant information about them is carefully considered. As new information becomes available, staff keep themselves updated to ensure that they can respond effectively to children’s emerging needs.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
Staff encourage children to lead healthy lifestyles. Direct work is carried out on topics such as the use of e-cigarettes. However, staff do not always challenge children when they are seen with these in the home.
p.3
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good
The home is warm, comfortable and meets children’s individual needs. Children’s and artwork are displayed throughout the home. However, there are some maintenance Inspection report for children’s home: SC478468 4 issues that require attention. For example, window restrictors in one bedroom have been damaged, and there are stains on the carpet in a communal area.
p.3
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
Staff manage incidents involving the children effectively and prioritise their welfare at all times. They confidently use therapeutic approaches and de-escalation techniques. Following incidents, prompt conversations take place between staff and children, and direct work is carried out. Each incident is clearly recorded with sufficient detail. However, action was not taken to implement changes to the home environment following an incident in which children locked themselves in the bathroom. This leaves children at potential risk of harm should similar incidents occur in the future.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
There are detailed plans in place to guide staff in meeting children’s needs, and these are regularly updated. Staff communicate effectively with the wider network of professionals to help ensure that children remain safe.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
Staff encourage children to express their wishes and feelings through regular conversations and by seeking their opinions via a feedback system. When allegations or concerns are raised, the manager takes timely and appropriate action to address them and safeguard children. Children are listened to and kept informed of outcomes. Staff follow complaints and allegations procedures promptly, with clear recording and appropriate information-sharing with relevant professionals.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff understand the procedures to follow should such incidents occur. They receive regular training in a range of safeguarding topics, including specific areas of risk relevant to the children.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
Risk assessments clearly identify children’s risks and needs, and they are regularly updated to ensure that staff have access to accurate, up-to-date information and strategies. However, local authority consent has not been obtained for the use of surveillance measures, such as door alarms in the home.
p.4
How well children and young people are helped and protected: good
Safer recruitment practices are in place, ensuring that unsuitable adults are not employed in the home.
p.4
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good
The registered manager is an enthusiastic and child-focused leader. She has instilled a culture of learning and development in the home and has high aspirations for the children and staff. She models positive and effective relationships in her interactions with others.
p.4
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good
The home benefits from a permanent and committed team of staff who work well together. No agency staff are used, ensuring that children are supported by familiar and consistent adults. Staff speak positively about the support they receive from the management team, and feedback from other professionals is also positive. Inspection report for children’s home: SC478468 5 The manager knows the children well and promotes a therapeutic approach, supported by focused training. She speaks fondly about the children and has a clear understanding of the support they need to develop their skills. She has a clear vision for how this will be achieved and advocates effectively on behalf of children to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcomes.
p.4
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good
Staff have access to a wide range of training and development opportunities. Team meetings take place regularly and provide a supportive forum for staff to reflect on their practice and the progress of the children. Staff are also given opportunities to reflect on their own development needs. Management oversight of staff practice is thorough and child focused.
p.5
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good
The manager maintains effective oversight of children’s progress and staff’s development. Any staff performance issues are addressed promptly and effectively.
p.5
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good
All staff, including the manager, receive regular and reflective supervision. This includes single-subject supervision where necessary, ensuring that any specific concerns can be addressed in a supportive manner. Inspection report for children’s home: SC478468 6
p.5
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.
p.6
Requirement Due date
The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.
p.6
Requirement Due date
In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—
p.6
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;
p.6
Requirement Due date
help each child to understand how to keep safe;
p.6
Requirement Due date
that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(d))
p.6
Requirement Due date
Specifically, staff must have access to all rooms when there is a risk to children’s safety, particularly in relation to the use of e- cigarettes. 24 July 2026
p.6
Requirement Due date
The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—
p.6
Requirement Due date
the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;
p.6
Requirement Due date
the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b))
p.6
Requirement Due date
Specifically, children’s placing authorities must provide consent for the use of door alarms. 24 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC478468 7
p.6
Recommendation
The registered person should ensure that children live in a warm, welcoming and homely environment. This specifically relates to ensuring that carpets are cleaned regularly and that window restrictors in children’s bedrooms are checked for any damage. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)
p.7
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 8
p.7
Children’s home details
Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited
p.8
Children’s home details
Registered provider address: Caretech, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX
p.8
Inspectors
Hannah Longdon, Social Care Inspector Michelle Snape, Social Care inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC478468 9 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.
p.8
Inspectors
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .
p.9
Inspectors
Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .
p.9
Inspectors
T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
p.9
Discuss this inspection
Members compare notes on inspectors and inspections here. Join free to read and post.
Join the discussion