Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Middlesbrough

Inspection report for children's home: SC454266 1 SC454266 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare LTD

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 4 children who may have social, emotional or mental health difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were 4 children living at the home at the time of the inspection. All 4 children were spoken with.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC454266 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/07/2025 Full Good 16/10/2024 Full Good 10/10/2023 Full Good 21/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC454266 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Staff build strong, trusting relationships with children who benefit from warm, inclusive and nurturing care. Children feel valued and listened to and are supported to achieve positive outcomes. Staff promote participation, celebrate achievements and support children to explore their identity, culture and interests. Children are helped to settle into the home well through planned admissions and they quickly develop a sense of belonging.

p.3

Summary of findings

Safeguarding practice is effective, with staff responding promptly to concerns for children’s safety and emotional wellbeing. Leaders and managers provide effective oversight, advocacy and partnership working that support positive outcomes for children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience a warm and inclusive environment where their achievements are recognised and celebrated. This helps children to have a sense of belonging, feel valued and develop confidence and self-esteem. Furthermore, children are encouraged to explore new interests and participate in a range of group and individual activities. These opportunities support positive relationships, enhance social development and contribute to the children’s sense of belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote and celebrate children’s different cultures and identities. Individual cultural needs are recognised and explored through planned activities and experiences. Furthermore, children are supported to participate in community-based opportunities and trips, including overnight stays away. The encouragement that children receive around exploring their identity means that they have a deeper understanding about their heritage.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children move to the home in a planned way. They are supported to visit before moving in, creating opportunities to develop early relationships, understand expectations and experience a positive beginning to their time in the home. This contributes to children feeling welcomed and settled from the outset.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak highly of the staff. One child said ‘This is the best home I have lived in.’ Staff respond to children’s wishes and feelings consistently. For example, when children request things to be changed in the home, staff ensure that this can happen where possible. This encourages children to share their opinions openly.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is not fully reflective of the nurturing care children experience. Areas of the home requiring attention have been identified but are yet to be repaired or changed. These issues do not significantly detract from children's experiences, but improvements remain necessary. Additionally, the use of door alarms in the home is Inspection report for children's home: SC454266 4 regularly reviewed and discussed by staff. However, the rationale for their use does not clearly demonstrate how their use specifically supports the needs of the child concerned.

p.3

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

Children are protected by staff who respond sensitively and effectively to safeguarding concerns. Staff provide children with consistent reassurance and emotional support throughout difficult times. A safe and open culture gives children confidence to share any worries they may have.

p.4

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

Staff respond proactively to emerging concerns. Following serious incidents, staff take swift action to keep children safe and inform relevant agencies. Any subsequent learning for staff is identified, and additional training sourced to improve staff knowledge and practice.

p.4

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

Children benefit from reflective discussions following incidents. Staff explore children’s feelings and help them identify strategies for managing their emotions more safely when children are upset or angry. Furthermore, staff wellbeing is fully considered. Support following challenging incidents helps staff reflect on their practice and maintain their ability to provide consistent care.

p.4

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

When children raise concerns about staff these are taken seriously. The manager responds promptly, investigates appropriately and ensures that children are supported to express their views and feelings throughout. This means that children feel safe in sharing concerns, knowing they will be managed effectively.

p.4

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

Risk assessments are reviewed regularly and updated. However, staff lack clarity about where specific information about children’s risks should be recorded. This means staff do not always have all the information they need when evaluating and responding to risks that children face.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides strong leadership to the team and supportive advocacy for children. Effective professional challenge is evident, with concerns escalated appropriately when required. The manager places children's needs and welfare at the centre of planning, decision-making and multi-agency discussions.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is consistently positive regarding the manager's communication and responsiveness. Professionals said that they are kept well informed about significant events and the children’s progress. Positive relationships are established with partner agencies, including education providers, which supports coordinated care and planning for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and oversight of the home is effective. The manager completes regular audits that provide detailed evaluations of children's progress, experiences and known risks. Inspection report for children's home: SC454266 5 Auditing processes include analysis of emerging themes and reflection on practice, resulting in clear actions to identify improvements and maintain good standards of care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the support and leadership provided from managers. A strong emphasis is placed on staff wellbeing, with staff reporting that they feel valued, supported and listened to. This contributes to a stable and committed workforce that remains focused on meeting the children's needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear vision for developing the staff team and is actively working towards embedding these changes in practice. For example, ensuring the use of child friendly language in every aspect of staff’s practice. Progress has been made despite a period of instability for children due to staffing changes.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager notifies Ofsted about serious incidents appropriately. However, on one occasion, the manager did not notify Ofsted following the conclusion of a child protection enquiry. While this did not have a direct effect on children's safety or welfare Ofsted not being aware of the outcome prevented effective regulatory oversight. Inspection report for children's home: SC454266 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of the children. Issues requiring maintenance and repair should be rectified without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the recording system to assess children’s risks is understood by all staff to ensure that all children’s risks are recorded clearly and kept under review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. In particular, notifying Ofsted about the conclusion of a child protection enquiry. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

p.6

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: SC454266 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare LTD

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Gary Smithson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC454266 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8