Children's home run by Courtyard Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 1 Registered provider: Courtyard Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home which provides care for up to six children with learning and physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in November 2023 at the same time as the home. She is currently on maternity leave. The home is being overseen by an interim manager, who has yet to apply to be 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This was the homes first inspection since being registered in November 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At this visit, four children were living at the home. No children have left.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager carefully considers which children come to live at the home so that there is minimal impact on the other children living there. This careful planning means children settle quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making considerable progress. Staff help children to develop good routines, which helps them feel safe and secure. As children have become settled their communication has improved, and there are few incidents. One child’s mobility has improved so much that they do not need mobility aids around the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children are doing well in education. One child’s school placement is no longer at risk, due to the child being settled. Other children are exceeding their targets. When children are not able to attend school, staff help them continue with their learning at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop plans which help them understand each child’s needs. However, for one child, the sensory diet advised by the occupational therapist is not in place or being followed by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s birthdays are celebrated. Staff ensure that these are fun-filled events with families and friends attending. There have been games, food and a bouncy castle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take children out on lots of activities and on holiday. However, one child has limited opportunities to spend time with other children with whom they do not live. This limits the chances for the child to understand how to socialise and make friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to keep in touch with those who are important to them. For some who see their parents infrequently, staff still make sure cards are sent on occasions such as Mother’s Day. Staff also support visits to and from families no matter the distance and send weekly updates so that families know what their child has been doing.

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

Children are kept safe due to the high levels of staffing and staff’s knowledge of the children. Risk assessments and behaviour plans help staff provide consistency of approach. This has meant there are few incidents which require staff to use physical intervention and children have not gone missing from home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 3 Managers take appropriate action when concerns arise about staff practice. These are reported to relevant professionals and investigated. Where shortfalls in staff practice have been found, action is taken, including retraining. For some, it has resulted in their employment ending.

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

When staff notice marks or bruises on children, they complete a body map. In most cases these are due to normal play or can be easily explained due to something staff have seen or been told. However, on some occasions, the cause of the bruise or mark has been unknown. Records are not clear as to the action staff and managers have taken to make sure a child has not been deliberately harmed.

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

On occasions, there have been medication errors. Staff seek medical advice and there has been no harm to children. Managers investigate medication errors and, where needed, give staff additional training to prevent further errors.

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

Staff complete daily checks to make sure everything in the home is safe and in good repair. On some occasions, the medication cabinet has exceeded the recommended temperature. Managers have tried to reduce the temperature. However, this has not always been effective. Constant high temperatures could compromise the integrity of medication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the home opened, the registered manager has gone on maternity leave. An interim manager is in post. She knows the home and children well. There has been little impact on the overall running and oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some staff have left the home and new staff have started. The impact has been minimal, but there is now more stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager is child focused and puts the children at the centre of everything. She advocates well for children and is not afraid to challenge staff when their values do not match what is expected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a variety of training which helps them gain the skills and knowledge needed to care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most staff receive supervision which is reflective. However, not all staff have had supervision in line with the organisations policy. In addition, the workforce development plan does not include details of the frequency of supervision for all staff working at the home. This does not help staff to understand when they should expect to receive supervision or have regular opportunities to reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager’s monitoring systems are not always effective. There are shortfalls in checking records staff are completing, in ensuring that all health and safety checks are undertaken, and that medication audits are completed within timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 4 Professionals are complimentary about the home and managers. They say that children are given excellent care and are progressing well. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 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, 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that concerns relating to injuries to children are followed up and a record kept of action taken. In addition, that action is taken to reduce the temperature in the medication room so that the integrity of medication is not compromised. 27 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 27 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 6 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff following a child’s sensory diet.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 27 September 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should assess what would be safe, achievable and reasonable for each child, in line with their relevant plans, and ensure appropriate opportunities are available for each child to have fun, form friendships and enjoy life, relative to their stage of development and individual needs. Specifically, for children who are not is school so that they have opportunities away from the home with children they do not live with. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.10)  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, in line with the organisations policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce

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Recommendations

related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 7

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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: 2744898 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

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 9 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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