Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in CambridgeshireOfsted inspection, 22 Sept 2026

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 1 SC456911

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to 6 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager ceased to manage the service in September 2026.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken following monitoring visits on 2 July 2026 and the 11 August 2026. These previous visits took place following concerns received by Ofsted from external agencies and professionals.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor compliance with compliance notices reissued following the monitoring visit on 11 August. These compliance notices, under regulation 12 and 13, were reissued because insufficient action was taken by the provider to address the shortfalls previously identified. At the time of this inspection suitable action has been taken for the compliance notices to be deemed as met. A restriction of accommodation notice been in place since July. No new children are able to move into the home while the restriction is in place. The restriction of accommodation notice is due to end on 24 September 2026.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this inspection there have been no children living at the home for a period of 3-4 weeks. Since the last full inspection all 4 children have moved out of the home because staff were unable to keep these children safe or meet their needs. One child moved out shortly after the last monitoring visit because the child's local authority had concerns regarding the care provided to the child.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection there have been several staff changes. The registered manager has ceased management of the home, and a temporary interim manager is in place. Leaders have taken steps to address recruitment of a new manager quickly. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 2 Since the last inspection, investigations into concerns about some staff's practice have been concluded. A number of staff have left the home. This has significantly reduced the core staff team. Leaders and managers have moved staff from a sister home to form a new staff team. However, many of the staff remain new to the service, are in their probation period, and do not yet hold a relevant level 3 qualification.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken steps to improve staff training and monitoring of staff skills, knowledge and experience. All staff are currently placed on performance improvement plans to support the embedding of their safeguarding training and learning and development. This helps leaders and managers to assure themselves that all staff at the home have the skills and experience to meet children's needs and keep them safe.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have now attended a variety of training courses to help them better consider risks to children, behaviour management, and supporting children who may go missing from home. Staff have also undertaken additional sessions with a therapeutic worker to explore trauma and children's lived experiences. These sessions have been undertaken when no children are living at the home, therefore staff skills remain untested.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made positive changes to the house to improve the home environment. Two bedrooms have been repaired and redecorated to make them suitable for children to move in. Two bedrooms still remain unfinished and would not yet be suitable for children to live in. The interim manager has removed the staff office from downstairs. This is currently being made into a snug area. This decision was made to reduce the frequency of incidents that were occurring between staff and children at the staff office.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a significant reduction in incidents. There have been no physical interventions. There has been one incident when the child went missing from home. Staff searched the local area and made contact with people who may know where the child was. The child was later found by staff and returned home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made some improvements to the home. They have provided more support to staff to better prepare them for taking care of children when new children move into the home. However, many of the requirements raised are not able to be tested as no children are living at the home. Training specific to the children’s needs has yet to be completed, improved record keeping has yest to be embedded and staff are not yet able to evidence sustained and effective change in their practice and responses to children to keep them safe. Therefore, a number of previous requirements have therefore been restated. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/06/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/08/2024 Full Good 30/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 4

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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, 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 with 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

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;

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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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 5 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 6 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

(has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

(has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 7 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.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 8 expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

develop positive relationships with them;

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 9 the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; 30 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 10 are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s plans, daily records, and all incident reports are completed diligently and reviewed by a manager in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have access to appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. This specifically relates to ensuring that training to meet the specific needs of individual children is arranged and provided in a timely manner. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information about individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 11

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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 Rd, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

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Inspectors

Rebecca Hannell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456911 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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