Children's home run by Courtyard Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2650054 1 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

This home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to care for up to six children who experience learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 11 May 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 14 February 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: On 7 July 2023, following an assurance inspection where serious and widespread concerns were raised, Ofsted issued compliance notices which were set under ‘Regulation 12 – The protection of children standard’ and ‘Regulation 13 – The leadership and management standard’. Ofsted also issued a restriction notice preventing the admission of any other children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2650054 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2023 Full Good 16/11/2022 Full Inadequate 16/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2650054 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with staff and there is lots of laughter within the home. Staff provide children with encouragement, nurture and praise. Children go to staff for a hug or to play games. Children enjoy the swings, trampoline and other activities in the garden.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend school. Staff work collaboratively to ensure children’s positive transitions between home and school. For one child, this has led to a reduction in behaviour incidents when they arrive at school. Staff support children with fun educational activities in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to eat a balanced diet. Staff have a good understanding of children’s health needs and how to support them. Staff encourage children to be physically active and think of creative ways to support this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to increase their independence. Staff are developing children’s communication skills through signing. This means children can better express their views and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children communicate with staff or social workers if they have worries. Children have not got access to the contact details of those who could support them, such as the children’s rights commissioner and the home’s advocacy service. The children’s guide does not currently give children these details.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to experience different activities, such as going to the safari park. Staff support children appropriately to spend time with their family.

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

Staff know how to keep children safe. Staff help children understand how to keep themselves and others safe. For one child, a social story was created to help them to be kind to others. This has improved their relationships with peers.

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

Risk assessments are up to date and include individualised techniques for staff to use in order to help each child. Therefore, staff are knowledgeable about how to support the children. There are clear de-escalation techniques for staff to use when children’s behaviours escalate, and physical intervention is a last resort. Staff often review what techniques work best for each child and this helps them to know how best to help children in the future.

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

Staff speak to children after behavioural incidents and physical interventions. Staff help children to understand how their behaviour and feelings may be related. When these discussions do not happen, records do not always include the reasons why. Inspection report for children’s home: 2650054 4 This is an opportunity missed to help the child to regulate their behaviour in the future.

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

Staff have a sound knowledge of the whistleblowing procedure. Leaders and managers have acted in a timely way when practice concerns about staff have arisen. Staff update outside agencies, including the Local Authority Designated Officer and Ofsted. Staff utilise team meetings to reflect on their practice and develop skills. This creates better outcomes for the children in their care and a more consistent approach to keeping children safe.

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good

There is currently no registered manager in post. However, the temporary manager and other leaders have made positive changes to the home in a short period of time. This has improved the care that children receive. Staff feel supported and listened to.

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good

The home currently has staff vacancies. Staff from the wider organisation are currently deployed while recruitment takes place. Leaders and managers have a plan in place to ensure the gradual transition from current to new staff. This will ensure minimal impact for children and create stability. Staff consider children’s emotional well-being when communicating such changes to them.

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good

Leaders and managers have a clear plan to supervise staff. Although reflective discussion takes place in these sessions, the recording of this not always detailed. Records do not include detail of how discussions develop individual staff practice. Therefore, it is difficult for leaders to ensure that staff continue to learn and reflect on their own performance.

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good

Monitoring systems are beginning to take effect. This results in the manager creating effective oversight of the home. The manager does not ensure that any actions from her quality assurance receive further monitoring in order to ensure they are met. The registered person is required to complete a report following a review of the quality of care provided for the children. This would further improve management oversight.

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good

The compliance notices in respect of ‘Regulation 12 – The protection of children standard’ and ‘Regulation 13 – The leadership and management standard’ were found to be met at this inspection. The restriction notice is therefore lifted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2650054 5

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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 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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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed;

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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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) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 16 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2650054 6 This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered person completes and shares a report following a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every six months.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure the children’s guide helps children to understand how to make a complaint, access advocacy support and contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. This is in relation to ensuring that the information is displayed in a way that the child can understand easily. It specifically relates to having an accessible way for children to raise that they would like support in making such contact. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision enables staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. This relates to ensuring that reflective discussion is consistently documented in supervision records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2650054 7

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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

Ellen Monk, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2650054 8 regulates and inspects 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 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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