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Inspection report for children’s home: SC428599 1 SC428599 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

The privately owned home provides care for up to five children who may have social, emotional or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is away presently on maternity leave. The interim manager has applied to Ofsted to become registered.

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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: 21 September 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC428599 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/09/2021 Full Outstanding 04/09/2019 Full Outstanding 02/10/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC428599 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. One child had recently moved on following an extended stay in hospital, and another child had recently moved in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive and well-planned moves into the home. They visit the home before they move in and meet the staff team. Staff consider children’s wishes and feelings before they move in. One child said, ‘The staff helped me when I first came here, and I was able to learn about the home before I moved in.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a spacious and warm environment. The home is furnished to a high standard with bright, tasteful decor. Children choose how they want to decorate and personalise their bedrooms. However, the lock on the front door makes the home feel less homely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to the organisation’s therapist. This contributes to children receiving support in relation to their development and emotional well-being. The therapist works with staff to further develop their understanding of the children’s needs. One parent said, ‘[Name of child] has come on in leaps and bounds. The staff have helped them to understand their feelings.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to spend time with people who are important to them. The managers advocate for children and encourage additional time with family members, as appropriate. In addition, staff support children to spend time with friends when it is appropriate to do so. This ensures that children maintain important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote education. They ensure that children’s educational needs are met, and they attend all education meetings. All children have excellent attendance in school and engage well. One child has taken their exams and is now doing research to find a college placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to become more independent. Children learn to manage their finances and prepare their own meals. They also learn to manage their own personal care needs. This helps to build confidence and prepare children for their futures.

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

Children feel safe and supported. Staff work closely with other agencies to safeguard children. A social worker said, ‘The communication from the home is the best I have ever had. The staff are great advocates for children.’

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

There are clear strategies in place to support children and keep them safe. The strategies are informed by specialist advice from the organisation’s therapist and are Inspection report for children’s home: SC428599 4 tailored to meet the needs of the individual children. This approach reduces children’s exposure to risk and, as a result, children are safer.

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

There have been three missing-from-home incidents since the last inspection. Staff take swift action to ensure that children who are missing from the home return safely. Staff adhere to missing-from-home protocols by following children to encourage them to return. Records are well maintained and reflect a proactive approach by staff to achieve the child’s safe return to the home.

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

Safe recruitment processes for all staff are thorough. There is a robust checklist system in place to ensure that all recruitment checks are completed. Consequently, only suitable adults can work in the home.

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

Children’s care plans reflect the aims and objectives of the placing authority. Staff ensure that they provide care in line with these plans. As a result, all children are making progress. A social worker said, ‘The home is brilliant, [Name of child] is progressing in so many ways, especially with their emotional health, and is exceeding expectations at school.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager is experienced and supported by her deputy and staff team. The leadership team is strong and efficient. This enables the wider team to provide children and their families with a good standard of care that improves their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is currently fully staffed. However, for a time, there were vacancies. There was minimal impact on children, as shifts were covered by the existing staff team or familiar agency staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a good understanding of the progress that children make. They spend time with children on a regular basis, which helps them to measure progress. Additionally, the manager completes a regular review of care to highlight children’s progress and evaluate children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. Staff say that they feel fully supported in their role and enjoy working at the home. This helps to retain staff and keep them motivated. They also attend regular team meetings, which helps them to share current issues and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend regular training to improve their skills and personal development, including obtaining the diploma at level 3. However, not all staff receive training to help them to respond to children’s specific needs. Staff have researched best practice in support of children’s needs; however, this needs to be strengthened with the relevant training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers conduct appraisals with staff on an annual basis. Staff reflect on their work and set targets for the year ahead. However, the appraisals do not include the Inspection report for children’s home: SC428599 5 views of children or key individuals. This limits the manager’s understanding of children’s experiences and the ability of leaders to make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers understand the strengths of the home and areas of improvement. They have implemented systems to improve their oversight through regular auditing and evaluation. This is improving practice in several areas and means that staff are providing better care for children. The home has met and addressed the requirements made at the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC428599 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, 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

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)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that restrictions are only used to safeguard children, when necessary, in response to a specifically identified need, in accordance with this regulation. This specifically relates to the need for the front door lock to be changed as it prevents ease in leaving the home. 10 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate resources to support their training needs, and that the training available meets the needs of the children who are in their care, including substance misuse and online safety. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals include the views of other professionals who have worked with staff over the year, and the views of Inspection report for children’s home: SC428599 7 children who have been cared for at the home. (‘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: SC428599 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

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC428599 9 to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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