Children's Home run by 4d Care Ltd in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC064557 Registered provider: 4d Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide education and residential care for up to 6 children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a day school on the same site. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2009.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2024 Full Good 28/02/2024 Full Good 13/02/2023 Full Good 18/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There were 5 children living at the home. All 5 children were spoken to during the inspection. While children are making some progress and having positive experiences, serious concerns about how well children are helped and protected and the leadership and management of the home have impacted on the overall judgement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not able to access all areas of the home. The kitchen doors are locked during school hours and overnight. This means that children are unable to access this area of the home. There is no clear rationale for why the kitchen is locked, and no reviews about the justification of this take place. Children’s bedrooms lock automatically when shut. Not all children have keys for their bedrooms. This means that they have to ask staff for them to be able to enter their own personal, private space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The language used in some records is not child friendly. Staff use language when describing behaviours that could be seen as child blaming. Children have the right to see their records, and this language would not be helpful for them to read.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children take part in a range of activities. Children have been on holidays and complete activities that they enjoy, including motorbike riding, swimming and horse riding. Staff encourage children to join clubs that suit their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Health needs of children are being met. Children are encouraged to engage in therapeutic support that is suited to their interests. Physical health needs are addressed in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s achievements are recognised and rewarded regardless of how small they may appear, promoting children’s self-esteem. Children are regularly provided with opportunities to have their say and input into the home.

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

Fire doors do not fully close on their own. Some fire doors have gaps between the door and frame. The actions identified on the fire risk assessment that relate to fire doors have not been completed within the required timescale. This could place children and staff at significant harm if a fire were to occur.

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

There have been several concerns about staff practice. These concerns have included staff shouting and swearing at children. Not all concerns have been reported to the local authority designated officer for external oversight. Managers do not always record all conversations that take place as part of the exploration into concerns. This means it is Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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

not possible to explore whether all concerns into staff practice have been appropriately investigated.

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

There have been some concerns about the dynamics between children. Appropriate steps to safeguard them have not been implemented immediately. For one incident, children were in a bedroom together, and an allegation was made against a child. Changes to the supervision of children were not put in place until a week after the incident occurred. This means children were at increased risk due to a lack of prompt actions being taken.

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

Staff do not always report concerns to managers. A staff member spoke to a child about possible risks to their safety. The staff member did not share the information, and managers were unaware of the concerns. This means the concern has not been investigated to ensure that all safeguards are in place for the child. Managers did not identify this concern despite saying they have oversight of the key-work records in which it was recorded.

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

Staff do not always talk to children about their known vulnerabilities. Conversations take place with children, but they do not always include discussion about topics that are relevant. This means children are not supported to develop awareness and strategies to use to reduce the levels of risk.

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

Staff are not confident in the whistleblowing procedure. Some staff do not know how to report concerns externally. They do not feel confident that managers address concerns when they are raised. There have been concerns about staff not reporting safeguarding issues relating to their colleagues. One staff member witnessed a colleague swearing but did not report this. This could have led to children being exposed to inappropriate language and care. Safeguarding training for this staff member was not refreshed until 4 months later. This means managers did not take immediate actions to ensure that the staff member understood their safeguarding responsibilities.

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

Restraints are used occasionally. The records of restraints are limited and do not fully detail what actions staff take to try and prevent the need for a restraint. Managers review the record, but they do not record any evaluation as to whether the restraint was proportionate and necessary. Managers do not identify any learning following restraints to ensure that staff understand what worked well and any areas of learning.

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

Medical attention is not always offered to children. One child was assaulted and had marks on their head. They then complained of a headache. The incident report does not detail whether medical attention was offered. A separate record details that the child was offered medical attention but declined, and they were given pain relief. Managers have not identified that staff should have sought medical advice due to the potential of a head injury. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has not been managed effectively to ensure that children are safeguarded. There is a lack of management oversight and learning from incidents. The records of actions taken by leaders and managers to explore incidents and concerns are limited, and there is a lack of exploration and professional curiosity. Leaders and managers have not identified the shortfalls and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not ensure that staff receive appropriate support following disciplinary action. One staff member had a performance improvement plan. Part of this was for increased supervision to take place and a number of training courses to be completed. Managers did not ensure that the supervision and training were provided to the staff member. There was then a further concern about the staff member’s practice, which could have caused emotional harm to a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following practice concerns, staff are not always spoken to about them. There are not always records of any discussions held. This means that managers are not ensuring staff have the skills and awareness to carry out their roles and safeguarding responsibilities effectively. In staff supervision sessions, staff are not spoken to about whether they have any safeguarding concerns or to check whether they have the appropriate skills and knowledge to identify safeguarding concerns and know how to report them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite there being concerns about staff practice, managers do not ensure that all staff complete training relevant to the concerns to try and prevent similar incidents occurring again. Safeguarding training has been completed by all staff, but a refresher course has not been completed following the concerns identified. Staff have not completed training about professional boundaries despite concerns about this topic for some staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not always have full oversight following incidents and safeguarding concerns. There are not always records of actions taken by leaders and managers to explore the concerns. Leaders and managers do not look holistically to identify if there are any wider concerns that need to be addressed. This means that patterns and trends are not being identified and actions taken to address them are not being implemented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Notifications to Ofsted are not always made in a timely manner. There have been some concerns that were not reported to Ofsted. This limits Ofsted’s oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has written quality of care reports. However, feedback from children, families, professionals or staff is not included. This reduces the effectiveness of the report in identifying and driving improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Several staff members have yet to achieve their level 3 qualification. Overall, 3 staff members have not completed their qualification within the required time frame. The manager has not implemented a clear plan or time frame for these qualifications. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from professionals and families is positive. They feel children are making progress living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 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

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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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

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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) 26 January 2026

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child 26 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 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)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

*If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 26 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 26 January 2026

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

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 13 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(v)(vii)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that restraint records clearly detail the whole incident, including actions taken to try to avoid the use of a restraint and a review of the effectiveness.

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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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an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; and

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there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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A notification made under this regulation—

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the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified;

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Requirement Due date

and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; and

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must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 30 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. 13 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 10 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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.

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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. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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the quality of care provided for children;

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the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5)) 13 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 11 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on 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. This specifically relates to the language used being child friendly and descriptive about what happened. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC064557 12 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8a New Road, Mepal, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 2AP

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Inspectors

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Naomi Starbuck, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064557 13 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspectors

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

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

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