Children's Home run by Cambridgeshire County Council in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2602980 1 Registered provider: Cambridgeshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a local authority. It provides short breaks for up to four children with moderate to severe learning disabilities. One of the four children can live at the home permanently.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home under shared care arrangements, and 12 children were accessing respite care on a rotational basis.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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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: 19 December 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2602980 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2023 Full Good 16/08/2022 Full Good 21/12/2021 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2602980 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the inspection, the inspector spent time with three of the children. This included having one-to-one conversations with them and taking part in their daily routines. Other children were with their families as part of their shared care living arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home offers flexible, child-centred stays, which are valued by children and their families. Children have positive experiences and receive good-quality care to meet their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a wide range of activities that support their interests, such as trips to the cinema, aeroplane museums and a safari park. Children stay active through swimming and trampolining sessions. This wide range of activities ensures that children participate in new experiences that support their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff monitor children’s daily health needs effectively. They follow detailed and up-to- date plans for children. This includes working closely with external specialist health teams to successfully meet children’s complex health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An advocate visits the home regularly. This person spends time with children and seeks their views. The advocate provides a report to the manager that details their observations and conversations. This helps the staff to better understand children’s wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s education and learning. They maintain consistent and familiar routines to support children’s good school attendance. Staff maintain effective levels of communication with school staff to ensure that any gaps in children’s learning are reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children work towards achievable targets that help them build important life skills and express their views. Staff support children in developing these skills by using tailored approaches throughout daily activities and self-care routines. However, the monitoring of targets is inconsistent. Some targeted work is outdated and not matched to children’s current abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and well equipped to meet children’s recreational and leisure interests. Individual spaces meet children’s sensory needs. However, in December 2024, the only bath at the home was deemed unsafe. Leaders and managers have failed to secure a suitable replacement within a reasonable time frame. As a result, some children’s personal care preferences have not been met during their stays. Inspection report for children’s home: 2602980 4

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

Parents have trust and confidence that staff will advocate for their children’s best interests, safety and well-being. The staff know the children well and provide consistent, individualised routines that help them feel safe and secure.

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

Staff receive thorough training in effective safeguarding practices. They are clear about their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children and are aware of the children’s additional vulnerabilities. When safeguarding concerns have emerged, leaders and managers have addressed these effectively.

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

Staff actively follow detailed and responsive risk management plans for children. They are skilled in de-escalation techniques and understand how to address children’s emotional needs.

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

Physical intervention is used infrequently and as a last resort. There have been two incidents involving the use of restraint since the last inspection. Managers promptly review these incidents to identify areas for learning. However, children are not always supported in expressing their feelings or understanding the reasons behind these interventions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified. She is supported by a competent deputy manager. Leaders and managers confidently lead the team to provide good-quality care and experiences for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff value the range of support that leaders and managers provide. There are high staff retention levels at the home, which have provided good continuity of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have effective oversight of the support provided to children. Internal management monitoring and review systems are well developed. Records are clear, and improvement areas are promptly identified and addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff have maintained positive relationships with parents and social workers. They said that there are good levels of communication and collaborative working with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend well-developed and bespoke training that equips them with the skills to meet the children’s individual needs. Most staff hold the required level 3 qualification. However, four staff members who should have achieved this qualification have yet to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although leaders and managers have responded adequately to safeguarding concerns, they have not always notified Ofsted as required. Some notifications have not been made within a reasonable time frame. This means that Ofsted’s ability to monitor safeguards during these times has been reduced. Inspection report for children’s home: 2602980 5 Staff supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly. All staff receive an annual appraisal. However, the appraisal process does not include feedback from professionals or children. This area of improvement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers request permission from parents and placing authorities to use live-feed video monitors in two of the children’s bedrooms. However, there is no process in place to review the use of these monitors. The lack of clear and documented reviews of these monitors means that leaders and managers cannot ensure that their use is consistently proportionate and justified. Inspection report for children’s home: 2602980 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that a replacement bath is sourced without delay. 30 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 30 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. 9 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2602980 7 The relevant date is—

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any limitation on a child’s privacy is informed by a rigorous assessment of that child’s needs and is kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that children have an opportunity to express their views as soon as practicable following incidents of restraint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should support staff to be ambitious for every child in the home and to acquire the necessary skills and experience to actively support each child in reaching their full potential. Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children’s targets in expressing their views and building their independence are monitored and up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)  The registered person should ensure that annual appraisals for staff include, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2602980 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambridgeshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sunley House, Summers Hill Drive, Papworth Everard, Cambridge CB23 3AB

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Inspector

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2602980 9 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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