Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 1 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 operated by a private provider and provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were registered in March 2025. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 1 child was living in the home. The child did not want to speak with inspectors.

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 2

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Summary of findings

There is a multi-agency approach to supporting the child in the home. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the strengths of the home and areas to develop. However, some shortfalls in safeguarding practice have compromised the child’s wellbeing.

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improvement to be good

Since the home was registered, one child has moved into the home. The manager did not undertake a robust assessment of the child’s care needs and risks alongside the staff training needs when they moved in on an emergency basis.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide the child with opportunities to share their views, wishes and feelings. They capture this through feedback forms which the child completes.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s education. The child is receiving tuition in the home and also has a mentor, who supports them in additional educational sessions. These cover topics such as life skills and independence tasks. The child has enjoyed taking part in activities with staff. These include going to the gym, playing squash and climbing. This supports the child to develop confidence and social skills.

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improvement to be good

Multi-agency working is a key strength of the home. Staff work collaboratively with other professionals to ensure that the child’s health needs are understood. This approach ensures that all professionals are kept informed about the child’s circumstances and that appropriate support is provided when incidents or concerns arise. A social worker said, ‘Staff are nurturing and couldn’t be doing any more than they are.’

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to spend time with people who are important to them. The child’s family are welcomed into the home. This helps the child to maintain important relationships.

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improvement to be good

The home is welcoming and homely. The manager has undertaken a detailed assessment of the location of the home to ensure that the child is safe to live here.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always take action to safeguard the child. On one occasion, staff did not follow health advice and did not continue with welfare checks on the child during the night, as advised, when the child was known to be under the influence of substances. This compromises the child’s safety. This was addressed by the manager, and concerns were shared with safeguarding professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 3 Staff responses to the child being missing from the home are not consistent. Staffing arrangements do not always ensure that drivers are on shift. As a result, attempts to locate the child are not always sufficient, due to staff not being able to travel by car to search for the child when missing. In addition, staff did not follow the child’s plans in reporting the child as being missing from home. This led to a delay in action being taken to locate the child and return them home.

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improvement to be good

Staff are nurturing in their approach to the child. They use de-escalation techniques to manage the child’s behaviour at times of distress. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. However, risk management plans do not include all known risks for the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff engage the child in important conversations about the risks they may be exposed to. Staff discuss topics such as emotional wellbeing, substance misuse and exploitation. This helps the child to develop an understanding and awareness of risks.

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improvement to be good

When safeguarding concerns arise, room searches are undertaken to ensure that the child is safeguarded appropriately.

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improvement to be good

When external complaints are made, leaders and managers take appropriate action. Leaders and managers are committed to improving external relationships.

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improvement to be good

Incident records do not always accurately reflect safeguarding concerns or action taken by staff to safeguard the child. The manager had not had full oversight of daily logs and incident reports. The registered manager acknowledged this and has plans to improve this. However, these are not yet embedded into practice.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are in place. All necessary checks are carried out to ensure only safe adults are employed to work in the home.

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

The home is managed by a child-centred and dedicated manager. She is committed to improving outcomes for children. The manager is completing the relevant leadership and management qualification.

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

Staff receive regular, reflective supervision, which they find beneficial. Supervision sessions provide staff with an opportunity to discuss the child’s needs. Staff are positive about the support they receive from the manager.

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

Team meetings are held on a regular basis, which have also been attended by the home’s therapist. These meetings with the therapist create an opportunity for learning and reflection and help to improve consistency in staff’s practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 4 Staff have completed mandatory training, but not all training has been undertaken or refreshed to need the needs of the child, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This means staff do not have up-to-date knowledge and skills to meet the child’s needs.

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

Records do not demonstrate that new staff have appropriate induction plans to support them in their roles. This does not ensure that staff have the necessary understanding and skills when they first commence their employment.

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

The home is suitably staffed. There have been minimal changes to the staff team since the home was registered. The provider has used agency staff on one occasion and staff from other homes in the organisation to cover shortfalls in staffing.

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

Internal and external monitoring systems are not yet embedded into practice. Shortfalls in incident records do not prove that care is receiving robust oversight, nor do they show that necessary follow-up actions are being taken. Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 5

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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. 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff understand what action they are expected to take to reduce 30 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 6 known risks and ensure staff take action to always safeguard children.

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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; and

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that there is robust oversight of the care provided and ensure that action is taken to address any shortfalls. 30 September 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 30 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 7 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

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that, when children move into the home in an emergency, they undertake a detailed review of known information to make an informed decision as to whether their needs can be met and what additional training for staff may be required.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, staffing arrangements in the home must meet children’s needs, including managing risks of children being missing from home.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that there is ongoing training to meet the needs of the children, and this also includes the manager.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive a thorough induction. 30 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that recording systems are effective and that they review and evaluate all incidents to identify any learning and support to develop practice in the home. 30 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 8

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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: 2876240 9

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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, London UB8 1UX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Beverley Williams

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Inspectors

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Claire Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2876240 10 regulates 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 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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