Cambridge Park - Community Inpatient Unit (CIU)

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 21 August 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 17th June to 26th June 2026.

Cambridge Park Community Inpatient Unit provides short-term inpatient rehabilitation for up to 52 people with nursing, therapy and recovery needs following illness. Although registered to support 52 people, the service advised that the maximum number supported at any one time was 44. It is registered with CQC to provide support to older people, younger adults, people living with dementia, those with a sensory impairment or physical disability. 40 people were receiving care and support at the time of our assessment. The service was assessed due to information of concern we had received in relation to staffing and being able to meet people’s needs. People generally stayed at the service for a short period of time, as the service focused on supporting recovery and rehabilitation for a safe return home. The service benefited from a multidisciplinary approach, with therapists and physiotherapists supporting people throughout the day, including those who chose to spend time in their rooms. Therapy teams monitored progress and adapted support as needed to help people achieve their goals and maximise their independence. People were able to take part in group therapy sessions such as tai chi and engaged well with these. The provider had not established a systematic approach to determining staffing levels based on people's assessed needs. There was no registered nurse routinely available overnight; however, an on-call Urgent Care Team was available to provide urgent support and, where appropriate, follow-up intervention for people with acute or complex needs during out-of-hours periods. Despite this arrangement, we were not fully assured that staffing arrangements consistently provided sufficient oversight and assurance that people's nursing needs could always be met safely. People had developed pressure ulcers while receiving care indicating that planned and preventative measures were not always implemented consistently. Staffing arrangements were not always adequate to support the safe delivery of care and treatment this is a breach of the legal regulations relating to safe staffing. People's needs were assessed on admission and throughout their stay. Staff relied on verbal updates and handovers rather than accessing care plans and risk assessments. We were not assured that information was always shared in a consistent way. The environment was generally safe and subject to ongoing maintenance and improvement. However, further work was required in some areas, such as addressing damaged furnishings. Infection prevention and control processes were established; however, these were not always followed consistently. Concerns identified at the previous assessment relating to safe management of medicines remained unresolved. This included discrepancies in medicines stock, a lack of medicines guidance and protocols, and unsafe medicines storage, this placed people at risk of harm. The provider remained in breach of the legal regulation relating to safe management of medicines. People experienced positive interactions with staff and were treated with kindness and respect. As the service supported people for relatively short rehabilitation stays, there were fewer opportunities to create highly personalised environments that may be seen in longer-term care settings. Further improvements were needed around personalisation, privacy and the consistent recording of people's preferences. However, the service was no longer in breach of legal regulation in relation to the delivery of person-centred care. The provider was effective in rehabilitation, multidisciplinary working and staff engagement. However, improvements were needed to improve governance, record keeping, oversight and the consistent application of safety processes to ensure good practice was embedded and sustained across the service. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to good governance and oversight of the service. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of this regulation.