Children's Home run by Courtyard Care Limited in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: SC389823 1 SC389823 Registered provider: Courtyard Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager registered with Ofsted in February 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 February 2020

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC389823 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2018 Full Good 14/12/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC389823 3

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15). Inspection report children’s home: SC389823 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The quality of individualised care and support provided by this home is outstanding. Young people live in a mutually respectful environment. They feel safe and secure to express their fears and anxieties. With staff’s support and guidance, young people have a solid foundation, so they begin to manage their behaviours and develop emotionally, and go on to lead successful lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is decorated to a very high standard, with soft lighting and a choice of colours on the walls to help to create a calm and peaceful environment. Subtle touches around the home create a homely appeal. All young people are encouraged to decorate their own rooms and have an input into the overall design of the home. This helps young people to have a sense of ownership over their living environment. A large, secure grassed garden area at the back of the property is an ideal space for young people to sit outside and/or make use of the swings/climbing frames or simply sit and spend time on their own.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Excellent working relationships with professionals ensure that staff work alongside a multi-agency team. Staff, social workers, education providers, psychiatric services and the in-house therapy team all work together to ensure a consistent and prescriptive approach. This ensures that young people have a professional team around them to progress their care plans. Communication between the home and the in-house therapy team supports staff and young people, where necessary. A therapeutic approach is fully embedded into the foundations of the home. Staff access therapeutic support and guidance to inform their day-to-day work. This ensures that staff have an excellent understanding of the emotional needs of young people. Staff provide safe and structured support to young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress in relation to their education. Young people who have had long periods of time out of educational programmes are now involved in education. Young people who have had episodes in hospital due to their mental and/or emotional well-being have successfully progressed through their education, completing school and college placements with a view to progressing to university.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have education plans that clearly meet their needs. Staff ensure that the correct education provider is sourced to ensure the most positive experience for young people. There are clear lines of communication between the home and school. To avoid delays in young people accessing the correct provision, clear education plans are required from placing authorities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have successful transition plans. They have a comprehensive and detailed independence plan which supports their transition to adult services, ensuring continuity of care. Detailed impact assessments for external agencies provide a helpful handover resource. Staff continue to adopt a multi-agency approach. They work alongside external Inspection report children’s home: SC389823 5 mental health providers and housing agencies. Some young people have moved to semi- independent providers, and others have moved to live with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Despite their personal challenges, young people report feeling happy and say that they have an opportunity to do lots of things and live fulfilled lives. One young person said about the home: ‘We are like one big, crazy, extended family. I love it, how we are all unique; everyone knows how you are. I do a lot of things. I enjoy roller-skating, musical things like playing my guitar, playing my piano and singing.’ A professional said: ‘Staff have a good track of procedures. They provide a safe and nurturing environment. They put back the building blocks, with a lot of time and attention. They spend time getting to know the young people, as any parent would, to understand the behaviours.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people build trusting relationships with staff. Staff work consistently with them to ensure that these young people, who have highly complex mental health and/or emotional needs, feel safe and secure. Young people can explore their sexuality and identity in a respectful and supportive environment. Staff nurture and support young people with great sensitivity, allowing them to flourish with no feeling of guilt, judgement or discrimination.

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

Robust care plans, detailed risk assessments and behaviour support plans, all followed in practice by staff, ensure that young people are helped, protected and safeguarded. In addition, clear and comprehensive safety plans provide bite-size management plans for all aspects of self-injurious behaviour. Staff have a high level of knowledge and understanding of self-harm. They manage incidents with respect and dignity. The emphasis is on harm reduction.

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

One young person struggles to make sense of important meetings that relate to her care plan. Following on from meetings, staff have introduced a communication booklet that clearly explains conversations with professionals in a simpler format. This helps the young person to make informed decisions about her care plan and ensures that she does not misinterpret information. Equally, the introduction of a reflection book has helped the young person to write down any intrusive thoughts and worries. All care plans are signed by staff and young people.

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

Young people have highly structured key-work sessions. These help them to achieve realistic goals and expectations. One young person wishes to join the local running team. Staff have encouraged her to go to the local running track to build her confidence. Other sessions help young people to explore strategies to manage self-injurious behaviours.

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

The home adopts a locked front-door policy. This is to safeguard and protect young people who pose a risk to themselves due to suicidal thoughts. This also safeguards young people from others, who may enter the building without permission. This is agreed with the young person and their social worker at the point of referral. The policy has the intention of keeping young people safe. In this instance, this does not impact on the liberty of any young person due to their presenting behaviour. If a young person is Inspection report children’s home: SC389823 6 upset and wishes to leave the home, staff employ de-escalation techniques to defuse the situation. Young people can go out into the secure back garden, if necessary.

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

Missing-from-care episodes have reduced. Staff liaise closely with police and all agencies if a young person is missing. Staff act swiftly due to the nature of the risks associated with the young people. Due to excellent partnership relationships, the police are quick to respond. Staff follow all due processes proficiently.

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

The local police keep the registered manager up to date, should there be any local area concerns. The area risk assessments are frequently updated, which ensures continued safeguarding of young people in the local area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2019. This is her first position as a registered manager. She is a highly skilled and knowledgeable individual. She has a very good understanding of the young people in her care. She is calm, focused and ambitious by nature. Moreover, she is child-centred in her practice. The registered manager is highly organised and sets clear boundaries for young people when mapping care plans. This quality is key to the smooth running of the home, particularly for young people who self- harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff report excellent senior management support. Training and development opportunities are detailed and thorough. Bespoke training focuses on the direct needs of young people. The manager provides regular supervision that is reflective in nature. All new staff complete a detailed induction pathway. Therapeutic support from the clinical team provides additional support to staff. Collectively, the team members report that they are supportive of one another and are happy to come to work. Staff are positive, focused and enjoy their work, and they help young people to feel confident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The inspector spoke to a member of staff, who said: ‘I really enjoy and love my job. It has boosted my confidence massively to manage situations in the home. I feel I can guide others.’ There is evidence of good partnership working and strong links with stakeholders, such as schools, health professionals, local hospitals, parents and family members. Staff have supported family members to help to understand the presenting needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is a strong advocate for young people. In one instance, she actively pursued the most appropriate educational provision for a young person, as she was confident that the school would provide the ideal environment of combined learning and emotional support for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Internal and external monitoring ensures that the registered manager evaluates and reflects on the progress of the home. An independent visitor provides independent scrutiny and monitoring of the service. Any recommendations are acted upon in a timely manner. This system ensures that there are consistent, ongoing opportunities for development and improvement. Inspection report children’s home: SC389823 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC389823 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Courtyard Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Siskin Drive, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry CV3 4FJ

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Inspector

Kamal Bhamra, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC389823 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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