Children's Home run by Courtyard Care Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2709657 1 Courtyard Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out in response to concerns received by Ofsted relating to managing children’s behaviour, and the experience, training and support of staff in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff respond effectively when children’s behaviour is difficult to manage. They know the children well and how to help them individually. Staff are trained in de-escalation techniques. Physical intervention is rare and only used as a last resort to keep children safe. There is clear recording and management oversight following incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that staff have received the training required for their role, including training relating to children’s specific needs and disabilities. Staff without residential childcare qualifications are now registered to attain the diploma. A comprehensive induction programme has been devised.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and service manager have dealt with a complaint well. They have taken it seriously and handled it professionally. Measures have been put in place to address the issue identified. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2709657 2 Staff recognise risks to children. Prompt action has been taken to address and report unsafe practice. The manager has responded appropriately and quickly to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager ensures that all staff receive regular one-to-one supervision sessions. Staff feel that these are effective and supportive meetings.

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This monitoring visit

Staff reported a medication error as soon as it was identified. The manager responded to this thoroughly. Additional staff training was undertaken, and competency checks were carried out. A change of practice has included further checks for giving children their medication.

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This monitoring visit

Children are happy at this home. They have good relationships with staff and enjoy spending time with them. One parent said, ‘I think they do an incredible job of looking after my son.’

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This monitoring visit

Some of the statutory requirements set at the assurance inspection have been met. Others were not considered during this visit and therefore remain. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2709657 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2709657 4

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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 with 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children have detailed, accurate and up-to-date risk assessments in place for staff to follow. This also relates to ensuring that a thorough assessment of new children coming into the home is carried out so that their needs can be met and children are suitably matched. 15 March 2024

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 15 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2709657 5 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(h))

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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; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period;

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Requirement Due date

or works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff attain the residential childcare qualification within the required time frame. 15 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b) (3)) 15 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2709657 6 This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff, including agency staff, receive a thorough induction. In addition, there must be a probation process for all permanent staff.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce development plan in place that meets the requirements of Regulation 16, Schedule 1. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that any limits on children’s privacy or restrictions are informed by rigorous assessment and kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2709657 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

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2709657 8 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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