Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lincolnshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a large national provider. It offers care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with all the children and considered their views.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a manager, who registered with Ofsted in August 2026.

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Inspection date: 15 September 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 15 September 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Poor matching of children moving into the home which has led to incidents of peer-on-peer abuse and bullying.  Poor management and response to risk factors relating to children including exploitation and missing from care incidents.  A child’s bedroom was in a poor state of repair and maintenance, and repairs had not been completed in a timely way.  A lack of senior management oversight means that significant shortfalls in children’s care and safety have not been addressed.  Staff lack the knowledge, skills and experience to manage the complex needs of children.

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Findings from the inspection

The inspection was carried out due to the home receiving a previous judgement of ‘requires improvement’ in April 2026. This inspection found that the provider has failed to meet the previous requirements set. Additional requirements have been made at this inspection. Some requirements are now subject to compliance notices.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, 2 more children have moved into the home. Both children have complex needs and diagnoses. The matching process has been poor, with available information not being fully considered during the referral stage for the third child.

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Findings from the inspection

A child’s sensory and communication needs have not been fully considered. The child’s support plans do not address how they communicate with peers and adults. The adults in the home have not received sufficient training and reflection opportunities to enable them to support the child with how they process their environment and relationships with others.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders have failed to consider that the manager and staff team are still inexperienced and in need of further development. The admission of a third child to the home has placed additional pressure on the team to support for children when they do not yet have the necessary skills and confidence to do so.

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Findings from the inspection

Children were spoken to during the inspection. They said that they do not like living in the home and that they are being affected by the other children they live with. One child presented as low in mood, and records of incidents suggest that some self-injurious behaviours have escalated because of the atmosphere in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The effect that children have on one another’s safety and wellbeing has not been sufficiently addressed or reviewed to ensure that the home can meet children’s needs and keep them safe. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 3 There have been multiple incidents of bullying between peers in the home. There have been aggressive and intimidating incidents that have left one child fearful of their peer. Staff have failed to intervene to prevent children from being harmed. Senior leaders have not provided timely oversight of these issues to provide support and intervention to the team.

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Findings from the inspection

Safety plans for children do not sufficiently address all the risks they face. Peer-on- peer risk assessments do not provide clear guidance on how risks should be addressed and challenged. Children who are vulnerable to exploitation do not have plans to mitigate risks, despite incidents of specific concern having taken place. A child went missing with unknown adults, and this has not been addressed or reported to relevant safeguarding professionals. Leaders have not demonstrated professional curiosity in relation to this event.

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Findings from the inspection

Incidents of self-harm are well managed and supported. In this area, children’s safety plans are clear and effective. Staff have steps to follow in supporting children when they struggle with their emotions and feelings. Medical advice is sought after incidents, and children are supported to access specialist mental health services.

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Findings from the inspection

One child’s bedroom was in a poor state of repair. The windows had been broken following an incident and, although they had been boarded up, they had not been repaired for over 2 weeks. Graffiti, which leaders had assured children’s social workers would be removed, remained present. In other areas of the home, there were damaged mirrors and a lack of homely features.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has recently registered with Ofsted and acknowledges that they lack experience and skills in the role. The manager is open and honest, and their development needs are being addressed through additional training that has been organised.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and team have needed additional time to develop their skills and knowledge, and the admission of children has affected this progress. This was a specific feature of the requirements raised at the last inspection. Team leaders have recently been appointed and are being supported to develop in their roles. However, this development is in its infancy, and more protected time is required to enable staff to develop their skills.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has begun to consider how oversight and reflection of incidents need to improve. There is evidence of this from records viewed, but there are still shortfalls in how oversight transfers to actions, team reflection and learning.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been a lack of senior leadership oversight of the issues and incidents in the home. It was only shortly before this inspection that concerns regarding bullying began to be addressed, despite these issues having occurred over several weeks. Senior leaders have not addressed significant shortfalls in the standards of care being provided and have failed to provide sufficient oversight and support for standards to drive the necessary improvements. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/04/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/12/2025 Full Good 26/06/2024 Full Good 07/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(v)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that plans are in place that identify children’s needs and outline how staff can support them. It also relates to ensuring that staff respond consistently to children’s behaviour and that managers provide the supervision and support necessary to help staff to do this. 30 November

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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. 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 6 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff receive effective support to develop their skills and confidence in understanding and managing risk.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that risks posed by children to one another are managed effectively to prevent adverse impact and harm.

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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

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)(b)) 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 7 This specifically relates to ensuring that records of incidents are clear, detailed and demonstrate management oversight, reflection and learning.

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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

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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that damage in the home is addressed in a timely manner and that the home is kept in a good and safe state of repair. 31 October 2026

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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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments and home care plans are in place that identify known and potential risks for each child. Staff must have the necessary skills and confidence to challenge and manage inappropriate and risky behaviour. 30 November

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 30 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 8 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that consistent and experienced leadership is in place at the home.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that new and developing staff, including team leaders, receive the support and protected time required to progress in their roles.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, it relates to ensuring that new managers have a period to reflect and learn, enabling them to develop effective action plans to address the improvements required in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 31 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 9 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that placement matching processes are robust and consider the impact that children may have on one another.

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Requirement Due date

*An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit to carry on the home; and

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (5)(a)(b)(c) (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the responsible individual has effective oversight of the home and robust plans to address shortfalls and develop the team, including the registered manager. 30 November

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor Park View, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

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Inspector

Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2683445 11 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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