Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 1 SC430239 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 owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to 5 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home. They spoke to the inspector about their experiences living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no responsible individual formally appointed to the home.

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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: 23 September 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/09/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/10/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/11/2023 Full Good 27/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 3

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Summary of findings

The manager and staff provide good-quality care to the children living in the home. The children are all settled and making progress.

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Summary of findings

The children are supported by staff that have the skills and knowledge to build strong meaningful relationships.

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Summary of findings

Some shortfalls were identified. However, these have not impacted on the standard of care provided to the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the same 3 children remain living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they are happy living in the home and have built trusting relationships. One child who is due to move to supported accommodation said, ‘I have been supported to build on my independence skills and feel ready to move on’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their family and friends and work hard to build positive relationships with family members. However, one child recently spent more time with their family than was agreed in their local authority care plan. Leaders had not ensured that all known risks were reflected in the child’s risk assessment and were unclear about the frequency of welfare checks required. However, these shortfalls did not have a direct impact on the child, and the social worker identified that some misunderstanding may have contributed to the situation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a stable staff team who know the children well and speak about them with warmth and affection. Staff spend meaningful time with children, engaging them in a range of positive activities and experiences. Staff also recognise and celebrate children’s achievements and important milestones. For example, they have supported children to celebrate significant events such as the school prom and religious festivals. These experiences help children to feel valued and contribute positively to their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with relevant health professionals and staff support them to attend routine health appointments. However, managers have not consistently monitored children’s health needs. For one child, the manager had not fully reviewed their health assessment and outstanding vaccinations had not been addressed. These shortfalls reduce oversight of the child’s health needs and do not provide assurance that all aspects of health and well-being are promoted. Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 4 Staff support children’s education well. All three children have completed Year 11 and have plans in place to support their next steps in education, training or employment. This helps children develop the confidence needed to achieve their future aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value and respect children’s ethnicity, heritage and cultural backgrounds. They show a genuine interest in children’s identities and ensure that significant cultural and religious events are celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and displays photographs of the children, helping to create a personalised environment. However, children’s bedrooms are not consistently maintained to a high standard, which does not ensure that all children live in a comfortable and well- presented environment.

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

Children are safeguarded effectively, and staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and vulnerabilities.

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

Staff understand the risks associated with children going missing from home and take appropriate action to keep them safe. Risk assessments and safety plans are regularly reviewed and provide clear guidance for staff, who follow them consistently. One social worker said, ‘Staff don’t sit and wait, they look and search and they all really care about [child’s name].’

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

Professionals spoke positively about the care children receive and the quality of communication from the staff. Partnership working is a particular strength, with leaders and staff work openly and effectively with external agencies. Professionals are welcomed into the home and recent collaborative working has included the Local Authority Designated Officer and a substance misuse service.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour and understand the importance of providing children with consistent boundaries and structured routines. When concerns regarding supervision arose, the manager acted swiftly to address the issue and ensure that reflection and learning took place.

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

Bedroom sensors are used to support children’s safety and leaders regularly review their use in consultation with children. However, the manager has not obtained written consent from children’s social workers. This does not provide assurance that all relevant professionals have agreed to these additional safeguards.

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

Staff regularly engage children in meaningful conversations that reflect their individual needs. These discussions cover important topics such as substance misuse, vaping and online safety. Staff are confident in addressing sensitive matters and promoting children’s social and emotional development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 5 Staff have not needed to use physical intervention. Instead, they promote positive behaviour through praise, rewards and the development of trusting relationships.

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

Staff carry out bedroom searches when necessary to safeguard children. They complete these sensitively and, wherever possible, involve children in the process.

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

Recruitment processes are safe and help to ensure that only suitable adults work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitable qualified and experienced manager who is child centred and committed to improving outcomes for children. The manager ensures there is a therapeutic approach to children’s care and speaks warmly and positively about each of the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the support they receive from the manager. Staff including the manager receive regular reflective supervision. Annual appraisals are focused and show that feedback on staff practice has been sought from peers, professionals and from children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong learning culture in the home. Staff meet regularly as a team to reflect on children’s experiences and progress. Team meetings provide opportunities for discussion, professional reflection and shared learning. Leaders use these meetings to reinforce expectations, review practice and help staff to develop the knowledge and skills needed to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders continually strive to improve the quality of care provided to children. The manager has monitoring systems in place. However, they have not updated Ofsted when there has been changes in the staff team. The manager took action to address this during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager completes a detailed review of the quality of care provided in the home, incorporating feedback from children, staff and professionals. This report identifies strengths and areas for development and supports service improvement. However, one child’s care plan had not been received, and the manager had not formally escalated this with the placing authority. As a result, staff did not have access to an up- to-date care plan to guide their practice, and the child did not have access to a key document setting out how their needs should be met. The manager recognised the action required to address this shortfall. Although this has not had a direct impact on the child or the quality of care they receive, it reflects a weakness in oversight. The manager does, however, ensure that all serious incidents are notified to Ofsted in line with regulatory requirements, promoting transparency and effective oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 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

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

and 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessment include all known risks and staff have clear guidance on welfare checks that are required to be undertaken.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure children’s care plans and time with family is adhered to. 6 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 6 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 7 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to have all their health needs met.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.(Regulation 5 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must formally challenge the placing authority when there are delays in care plans being shared. 6 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 8 The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 6 November 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children live in a warm and welcoming environment that has a homely feel, and that children are helped to maintain their bedrooms to a high standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that consent is gained to any monitoring or surveillance of the children by the placing authority in writing. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

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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: SC430239 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: Caretech, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

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Inspector

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC430239 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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