Midmeadows

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457025 1 SC457025 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

This home is owned by a private company. It provides residential care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified manager registered with Ofsted in December 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

This home was last inspected in September 2021. No children have lived at the home since July 2022, after leaders temporarily closed the home.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children live in the home. The children spoke with the inspector.

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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: 15 September 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457025 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/09/2021 Full Good 13/01/2020 Full Good 14/11/2018 Full Outstanding 22/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457025 3

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Summary of findings

Children receive nurturing care from a stable staff team. Staff promote children’s education, health and emotional wellbeing. The staff team feels positive about working in the home and staff speak fondly about the children with care and respect. Managers are ambitious and drive improvement through effective oversight.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have settled well and appear relaxed and comfortable. Staff keep the children informed about their future and provide regular updates that children can understand. This helps children to understand what is happening and prepares them for their next steps.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff practice is not always consistent. For one child, clear and consistent boundaries are not consistent, which has led to the child spending large amounts of time in their bedroom, on electrical devices and displaying unhealthy sleeping routines. This impacts on the child’s emotional health and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities, such as attending a local football club, swimming lessons, walking to different mountains and planting flowers in the garden. They have positive bonds with staff and enjoy spending time with each other. Staff create journal books for children which capture the children’s positive memories through photos. This approach helps children feel valued and loved by the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children attend full-time education. Staff work collaboratively with education providers to find alternative and suitable provisions and to promote children’s engagement. When one child struggled to attend education, staff remained patient. Plans were in place for post-16 opportunities and staff encouragement to engage. The manager has created an alternative plan should the child struggle to participant. This practice means that learning is promoted and available.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to see family and friends. They plan arrangements flexibly and empower children to make decisions about these arrangements. This ensures that children feel fully involved in their care planning. Furthermore, the manager and staff support children to have positive relationships with family members. For example, the manager spent time with a child’s mum to create a photo album of memories that the child could cherish. This helps children enjoy positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming and has a homely feel. It is well maintained and provides a variety of spaces for children to relax and play. Children were observed to play football in the garden and dance to music with staff in the lounges. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms in line with their individual preferences. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457025 4

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

Staff maintain a safe environment for children. They have appropriate knowledge and confidence to respond effectively should concerns arise.

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

Physical intervention is used on rare occasions and as a last resort to keep children safe. The manager reviews each incident to determine the effectiveness and to identify learning opportunities for staff. Children are given opportunities to talk about incidents and supported to identify coping strategies. This allows staff and children to reflect and develop de-escalation strategies together.

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

When children go missing or present with self-injurious behaviours, staff use their knowledge of their individual needs effectively. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and know how to take prompt and effective action. They work with external professionals successfully and encourage children to express their views. This ensures that children are protected from harm, and risks are minimised.

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

Staff do not use consequences to respond to children’s behaviours. Children’s positive behaviours are celebrated and rewarded by staff. Some children have reward charts that provide the opportunity to earn extra pocket money. More recently, the manager has introduced a system whereby they record kind messages to the children to capture children’s achievements.

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

When concerns have been raised about staff practice, action has been taken by the manager to address the concerns. However, on one occasion, although an investigation took place, the manager did not provide a child with feedback about the outcome of the investigation. This makes it difficult for the child understand the process.

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

Managers and staff have meaningful conversations with children about risk and making positive choices. Staff talk to children about important topics and about their thoughts and feelings. The manager has made some changes to improve the quality of conversations that staff have with children. This provides the manager with greater oversight and ensures that important conversations take place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. They lead by example and is fostering a positive and child-focused culture within the staff team. The manager is supported by a responsible individual who is committed to delivering high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable. Staff speak positively about working in the home and say that they feel well supported by managers. They receive regular supervision and benefit from group reflective practice to consider children’s presenting needs and the emotional demands of the role. These conversations support staff to reflect on practice and encourage professional development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457025 5 Professionals speak highly of the staff, managers and the care given to children. They said they are informed about all significant events and receive regular updates about the children’s progress. This ensures that people who are important to the children work collaboratively to implement and review their care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers have various systems in place to monitor the quality of care that children receive. Leaders and managers know the strengths of the service and are reflective and focused on improving practice and outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457025 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are informed of outcomes when they raise concerns about staff practice. 10 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; 10 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457025 7 understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that healthy habits and routines are promoted to support children’s health and wellbeing, and that staff consistently follow these approaches.

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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: SC457025 8

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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, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

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Inspector

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457025 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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