Children's Home run by Courtyard Care Limited in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home: 2716724 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

The home provides care for up to six children with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post, who is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since it registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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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 outstanding

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2716724 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home opened in June 2023, one child has been admitted. The child receives individualised good-quality care and support, which enhances their well- being and experiences. The child has made excellent progress since they moved in to the home in areas such as communication, socialisation, and improving their independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious, welcoming, and beautifully decorated and furnished throughout. Staff support the child to personalise their room. The manager ensures that environmental adaptations are made as required to ensure the child’s comfort and to help to keep them safe. There are communication tools and sensory items throughout the home to support the child’s sensory and communication needs. The home provides a calm, relaxing, and stimulating environment for children with disabilities to live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built positive and trusting relationships with the child. Staff were observed to be nurturing, patient, and playful with the child. They know the child well, and have exceptional knowledge of the child’s likes, dislikes, and preferences. Staff regularly seek the child’s views using their preferred method of communication. This ensures that the child feels listened to and has opportunities to be involved in their own care. The child communicated that they were happy and that they felt safe in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health and well-being are prioritised. Managers and staff work well with healthcare professionals to ensure that the child’s health needs are met. Staff support the child to attend routine health appointments. When the child struggled to attend appointments, staff worked with them in a sensitive manner to allay their fears and reduce anxieties. Staff also seek specialist support as needed. Staff receive specific training to meet the child’s individual health needs. This improves the child’s health outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education for children. Staff and managers communicate with education professionals to promote a consistent approach for the child. They ensure that the child has opportunities to increase their academic ability and reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to become more independent. Staff help the child to develop self-care skills by using individualised prompting techniques throughout daily activities and self-care routines. As a result, the child is now learning to brush their own teeth and wash themselves. This personalised support ensures that the child makes progress in their independence and self-care skills in line with their abilities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2716724 3 Staff support the child to take part in a range of activities both in the home and out in the community. These include trips to the zoo, shopping, and swimming. These opportunities enhance the child’s experiences. They allow the child to socialise and have fun, which develops their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that the child stays connected with the people who are important to them. The child regularly sees their family. Staff have welcomed the child’s family into the home. This ensures that children continue to build relationships and attachments with those people who are significant to them. Additionally, staff celebrate the child’s achievements and invite the child’s family to join in the celebrations. This helps the family to feel included.

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

Safeguarding practices in the home are effective. Staff understand risks and potential triggers for the child living in the home. They use this knowledge to promote the child’s safety and well-being. As a result, incidents are reducing. Since the home opened, there have been no allegations or complaints. There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. They have received training in a range of relevant safeguarding topics. They are aware of the whistle-blowing procedure and the actions they must take if there is an allegation or if children go missing from the home. In addition, staff undertake good-quality training to help them to understand the additional risks to children with disabilities, including children’s communication support needs. Staff support the child with their social interactions through high supervision levels and consistent, familiar routines. This staff practice helps children to feel safe.

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

Staff manage the child’s behaviours well. Staff use physical intervention as a last resort to keep the child safe. Staff use their knowledge of the child and effective de- escalation techniques to support the child when they are feeling anxious. As a result, the need for staff to physically intervene is reducing. Managers ensure that the child and staff can talk about the incident afterwards to ensure that any actions taken by staff are necessary and proportionate.

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

The child lives in a well-equipped, safe environment. Staff complete regular health and safety checks. A personal evacuation plan is in place for the child. There are regular fire drills to ensure that staff and the child know how to exit the building in the event of an emergency.

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

Recruitment practices are safe. Staff who work in the home are subject to all necessary checks. This ensures that only suitable people work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an ambitious and inspirational leader. She leads by example and provides highly effective leadership. She has high aspirations for both children and Inspection report for children’s home: 2716724 4 staff, and will go above and beyond to help them to reach their potential. This leadership inspires staff to provide exceptional care. The manager is supported by an equally resolute deputy manager and, together, they have created an open and inclusive culture that places children at the front and centre of practice. The manager has a detailed knowledge of the progress that the child has made since coming to live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has developed highly effective monitoring systems to review the quality of care that children receive. The management team have a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. They complete regular audits to scrutinise the performance of the home and children’s outcomes. They use these extremely well. The manager also uses independent person assessments and a plethora of development plans to continuously develop the service and ensure that staff’s practice consistently exceeds the standard of good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is enormously well regarded and is nurturing towards the staff team. This means that staff work in an environment where they feel valued and well supported. Staff say that they enjoy working in the home. Staff receive high-quality, reflective supervision and appraisals, which help them to develop and achieve. Team meetings are also regular and reflective of practice. They support staff to work together to provide consistent care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff training is excellent. Managers ensure that staff receive mandatory training, as well as extensive additional and child-specific training. There are also regular upskilling workshops. Managers regularly check staff’s knowledge through scenario tests in staff supervision and through role play in team meetings. This ensures that children receive care from skilled and knowledgeable staff who can meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager takes responsibility for her own learning and development, including keeping up to date with new initiatives and research that is specific to children’s individual needs. She is innovative and creative in her thinking and is constantly looking for new creative ways to support staff to sustain the highest quality of care for children. For example, she regularly discusses the latest safeguarding updates from the NSPCC in team meetings and how this can have an impact on the child who lives in the home. This strengthens staff’s understanding of the child’s needs and of how to keep the child safe. In addition, she has researched and implemented ‘the theory of colour’ into the home. The home has been decorated in colours that have been suggested to support child development. This provides a calm, yet stimulating, space for children with sensory needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff have developed extremely effective working relationships with external agencies and the child’s family to ensure the best possible care, experiences and future for the child. A social worker spoke very highly of the quality of care provided, and the standards of communication maintained by the manager and staff. The social worker said, ‘Communication is excellent, the best I have ever had. [Name of child] has done really well. They have settled really quickly. It helps that Inspection report for children’s home: 2716724 5 they considered their [the child’s] needs and staff provide tailored care.’ The family of the child said, ‘Staff are really good. Five stars from us and from [name of child].’

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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: 2716724 6

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Hills

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Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2716724 7 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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