Cambian Group plc is one of the largest providers of specialist behavioural health services for children in the UK. Its children's services comprise specialist education, specialist residential care, foster care, and specialist mental health services.
History
Cambian Group was formed in 2010 with the amalgamation of two operating divisions, Cambian Healthcare and Cambian Education. In the same year the group merged with Care Aspirations, a provider of adult learning disability services. In 2014 Cambian Group merged with Advanced Childcare. The merged company became listed on the London Stock Exchange as Cambian Group plc, and acquired three specialist further education colleges from Mencap. In December 2014 the group acquired Woodleigh Community Care, a community care provider running 13 residential homes and supported living units and one hospital in Yorkshire. At the end of 2014 the group ran 23 schools, 35 hospitals, and 188 specialist care homes, in addition to providing day services and organising foster care. It had over 6,000 employees. Analysts noted that changes in Care Quality Commission operations and a revised assessment system for home operators were "creating challenges" for smaller groups in the mental health and learning difficulties care sector, with an increase in mergers and acquisitions. In such an environment it was believed that Cambian would have increased opportunities to selectively expand its operations. in 2017 it had 25 sites with 36 wards and 686 beds. In December 2016, it sold its adult services business to Cygnet Health Care in a deal worth £377 million, in order to concentrate on children's services. In December 2017, Cambian Group received some public criticism after an ITV exposé of a Cambian Group PLC school. In the resulting fallout, the group's share prices slumped. At the time, Cambian owned 250 schools, hospitals and care homes. Cambian made public promises to change and improve their services. However, currently no significant action has been taken. In August 2018 Cambian was taken over by CareTech for £372 million.
Cambian Education
Cambian Education's main focus is to assist young people who have difficulties in accessing learning. They have a variety of special schools and vocational centres along with at-home education for young people with complex difficulties. They help to educate young people who present emotional and behavioural challenges, those with more complex needs including autism, and for young people who have experienced abuse. Ages range between 6–19 years.
SACCS
Sexual Abuse Child Consultancy Services is part of the residential care provision for children. SACCS assists abused children through therapy. One aim of SACCS is to suggest the idea that a lot of children and young people in care today are fostered, but for those who have suffered severe trauma this may be increasing problems and leading to fostering breakdown and multiple moves. They wish to help children come to terms with their experiences by addressing the conflict between the child’s chronological and emotional ages and by working at the child’s pace. For SACCS, recovery means 'when the child has internalized their attachments and consolidated their emotional development to a point where these can be successfully transferred to other environments and relationships. The child is then deemed to have the potential to achieve full ability in all aspects of their life.'
Cambian Foster Care is a fostering agency based in Midlands, North West, South West and Yorkshire providing a service for young people who are unable to stay with their birth parents.
Advanced Childcare Ltd
Advanced Childcare Ltd merged with Cambian in 2014. Based in Stockport, it was the largest provider of specialist care and education for children in the UK, with revenues of over £50m. Advanced Childcare had 155 children’s homes and 474 beds. The company offered care pathway services ranging from CSE homes, solo homes, complex needs homes, small group homes, group homes to post-16 homes. They also offered therapeutic, residential, fostering and special education services. They aimed to enable Looked After Children to gain the skills and confidence to progress from specialist residential homes to family placements, such as fostering, or independent living. Advanced Childcare was founded in 1996 by Riz Khan. Formerly owned by Bowmark Capital, it was sold for £28 million to private equity groupGI Partners in March 2011. In September 2011 it bought the privately owned Clifford House, which operated 13 children's homes, for £10 million. By May 2012, Advanced Childcare operated 143 children's homes and 15 special schools, employing 1,400 people.
Advanced Childcare Fostering was rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted in 2012. An Ofsted review of the child care industry in 2013, commissioned by Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, reported that one in three of the children's homes run by Advanced Childcare "failed to be classified as 'good' or 'outstanding' by the education watchdog." Advanced Childcare chose not to respond to the media.
