Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC476289 1 SC476289 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd 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 and provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 4 children between the ages of 5 and 13 years were being cared for. All the children were spoken with by the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced manager who is registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 14 October 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC476289 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/06/2024 Full Good 01/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC476289 3

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Summary of findings

The home has had a difficult inspection history, with children impacted on by poor practice and the instability of the team caring for them. A new manager with an outstanding judgement history was transferred to the home to address the shortfalls. They have worked to bring about widespread change in a relatively short space of time. Three of the children have lived in the home for a long time and one new child has moved in. There have been significant improvements to the environment and the staff team and in the consistency of care being provided. As a result, children are significantly safer and their future life opportunities have improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The experiences of children living in the home have significantly improved since the last inspection. The manager has used their experience to significantly improve the environment and staff practices. Children already impacted by trauma and separation were measurably affected by the loss of several key adults caring for them. Children are now experiencing stability, consistency and a loving environment, with their trust in those caring for them being restored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The foundation of the progress children are making is the exceptional focus on building trusting and meaningful relationships with the adults in the team. Relationships are warm, genuine and loving. Children receive positive role modelling, with some phenomenal relationships and connections emerging. The home is full of fun, laughter and enjoyment. Children see it as their home. The environment has improved significantly. Photos, toys, personalised bedrooms, the introduction of pets and a new lease of life to the garden mean children are happy where they live.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to maintain and develop relationships with their families or previous carers. Staff go above and beyond to manage this for children and support them to process the emotional impact of the family dynamics. Families feel connected and reassured by this approach. One child’s brother is written to weekly by staff about what his sibling is getting up to and the excellent progress they are making. Letters are written from the child, with photos to show he is safe and well cared for. One family member spoken to said, ‘We are so reassured, he is like a different child and making progress in so many areas.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to enjoy a range of activities. When they take more interest in a hobby, this is celebrated and encouraged to develop by the staff team. Staff do not stop; they focus on children not getting bored. Outings, group events with sister homes and holidays are prioritised. Prior to the inspection, all the children had enjoyed a holiday away with the children from 2 other homes in the local area. This is providing the children with further opportunities to develop peer relationships outside of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476289 4 Children in the home feel heard. There is a consistently strong approach to listening to children’s views and considering their feelings. Discussions cover a wide range of areas that are important to children and where they need support. Children come together to share their opinions and ideas as well as always having time for one-to-one chats with

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

adults. House meetings are regular and child focused. The manager takes the time to write to each child after considering their comments. This acknowledges what they have said and ensures that requests are acted on, wherever possible and realistic.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health needs are prioritised by the team. Emerging health concerns are addressed, with appointments chased and the right support identified to meet children’s needs. After a significant period of delay, the process of getting the right diagnosis for one child has been completed, which is recognised by the child’s social worker as being important to the child’s wellbeing and care. Where children struggle with routine appointments, adults are determined to support them to work through anxieties and build resilience. Balanced diets and exercise through fun activity mean that children are healthy and happy.

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

Risks to children have significantly reduced since the last inspection. This can be broadly connected to the strong relational work undertaken. Children now feel they can again trust the adults caring for them. The secure base that children need to feel safe has been restored. This has led to a significant reduction in incidents of children feeling overwhelmed and dysregulated in the home.

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

The strength of some individual relationships has provided children with the reassurance they need to share past experiences of trauma, abuse and neglect. This is further reinforced by children being supported to see what healthy and safe relationships with adults look like. When children share experiences, this has been carefully and sensitively managed. This is reinforced using a clinical team attached to the service. Staff are receiving one-to-one and group support to help them process difficult information and continue to carry out their role as key individuals for children to confide in.

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

Children’s safety plans and behaviour support guides are detailed and effective. Staff know children’s risks and follow plans when managing behaviours. They do this as a team, and ensure the approach is consistent around boundaries and around how to process emotions safely. Children’s plans are under continual review. They reflect when risk reduces, and when it is no longer a concern it is removed from the plans. This means children are not inappropriately labelled with risks and behaviours that are no longer relevant. This provides prospective placements such as foster carers or education settings with an accurate reflection of the progress children have made.

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

The use of restraint has significantly reduced. The approach to using holds on children when they are struggling with emotions or communication is careful and considered. All adults are trained in its safe use. They universally understand that it should be as a last resort when helping children with big feelings that overwhelm them. Incidents of Inspection report for children’s home: SC476289 5 restraint are thoroughly reviewed by the manager. Reflection is seen as necessary to ensure safe practice. Staff, and more importantly children, are supported to reflect and talk about incidents and why they have occurred.

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

As a result of children feeling more secure, the number of concerns they raise about staff has dropped significantly. When concerns are raised, the response from staff is always effective and in line with required procedures. There is robust and timely communication with professionals around recording and reporting. This ensures transparency and the necessary scrutiny of incidents. Safety plans in relation to children raising concerns have been effective in helping leaders to manage information and support children with their worries.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an outstanding leader of the team. She has worked tirelessly to stabilise the home and children’s wellbeing. The manager has an open and transparent approach to the role. This underpins the reason for the high level of improvement. The manager is dedicated to the children making progress and feeling safe. They are committed, and staff see them as one of the main reasons the home is now in such an improved position. They have a simple ethos of wanting a family environment, and this is being achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is supported by an experienced and dedicated responsible individual. The relationship between them has been instrumental in the home’s progress. The responsible individual is part of the family and is embedded in the team despite responsibilities elsewhere in the organisation. They foster a community atmosphere between this home and sister homes nearby. This adds an additional layer of support to the manager through strong leadership peer relationships and an ‘all one team’ approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team members are happy and love their roles. Feedback was universally positive when reflecting on how supported they feel and the flexible approach of the manager. There is a commitment from the manager to protect staff’s work-life balance where possible. One staff member said, ‘She’s amazing, she has given me the opportunity to feel like I can have a career alongside my personal circumstances. I love it here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team is now at the numbers required to safely operate the home and meet children’s needs. However, staff still require development and experience as several are new to the role. The manager knows and acknowledges this, particularly in a home supporting children with complex trauma. There are some areas where staff need more time to grow in confidence and awareness of their responsibilities, and in how that impacts children’s progress. Staff have all been enrolled on the course to complete the required qualifications. The approach to wider training is excellent, and additional learning that aligns with the more specific needs of children living in the home is quickly identified. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476289 6 The manager and responsible individual are developing the leadership structure in the team. The home now has a committed and experienced deputy manager, and team leader roles have been allocated. Those individuals are being supported with additional

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

training to support their new roles and responsibilities. This is all being overseen by the manager to monitor development and ensure continued quality of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals have faith and confidence in the manager and the team. They feel that children have made significant progress since the new manager was appointed. Professionals feel that communication is excellent and that children are safe. Where there are shortfalls in professional input or involvement, these are challenged and escalated appropriately. Leaders are always strong advocates for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476289 7

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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: SC476289 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC476289 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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