Children's Home run by Courtyard Care Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: 2620865 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 children’s home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home, the inspector spent time with both children.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since March 2025.

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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

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: 2620865 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/04/2024 Full Inadequate 18/07/2023 Full Good 05/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2620865 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are happy at this home. There are good relationships between the children and the staff. The children make good progress in many areas of their life. This includes health, education and emotionally. A family member said, ‘They look after [child’s name] very well and communication about his day is excellent.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in their communication skills, understanding and how they manage day to day tasks and situations. The children communicate nonverbally, and staff are trained in various communication systems including Makaton. Each child is supported to use their preferred communication systems, and staff have developed their support to include the specific words and pictures they use.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from imaginative, sensory based activities. Staff are resourceful and creative. They actively seek opportunities for children to engage in important childhood activities, such as becoming confident on play equipment, sensory play, and raising money for charity. This gives children a chance to develop their relationships with staff and to socialise. Staff capture these special moments by taking photos of the children while they are having fun and making memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular one-to-one time with children. These sessions are specific to the child’s needs and development. Staff are creative in the way they engage the children to gain their wishes and feelings. They know the individual way that they communicate. Therefore, the children can make choices and show what they do and do not like.

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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 manager advocates for children and supports increased time spent with loved ones. 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

There are photos on display around the home which show children engaged in different experiences. Children also have memory books that capture moments from when they move to the home until the time they leave. This provides children with life story events from their time living in the home.

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

Staff prioritise the children’s safety effectively. Staff have an excellent understanding of each child’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. There is a consistent, caring, and nurturing approach that supports children’s safety and keeps them safe from harm.

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

Children benefit from high staffing levels, one-to-one support and close supervision when required. Staff assist children when they are upset, distressed, or struggling. They act swiftly to reassure, support and comfort children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620865 4 Children benefit from a homely, cosy, and comfortable living environment. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively to ensure a physically safe and appropriately secure environment for children.

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

Staff receive comprehensive training, supervised by a nurse, to manage children’s complex health needs effectively. Staff competency is thoroughly assessed at each stage of training, which ensures that they can safely handle tasks like medicine administration only after demonstrating proficiency.

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

The children have excellent school attendance, only missing school when unwell. There is a close working relationship with the school, utilising a communication book and daily emails. The staff attend school meetings, assist with homework, and advocate for the children to ensure their swift return after any illness.

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

The staff actively support the children’s health, attending health reviews and contributing to meetings. They safely store and administer all medication. The manager has successfully advocated for medication adjustments that have significantly improved the children’s health, notably leading to less sickness for both.

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

Children benefit from well-trained, knowledgeable, and experienced staff. Most staff are suitably qualified, and those not qualified are working towards obtaining their qualifications. Staff have a lot of experience of caring for children with learning disabilities.

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

Children’s care records, plans and assessments are written in a way that captures their experiences and helps staff better understand their needs and required support. The high quality of these records enhances care. However, inconsistencies in documenting daily routines and support have not been identified by the manager. These gaps could hinder tracking health progress and understanding development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the previous manager has left the home. The manager’s post has been vacant since March 2025. The provider has held interviews and has provisionally appointed a suitable individual. In the absence of a registered manager, the deputy manager is acting as the home’s interim manager. They have a comprehensive understanding of the children’s needs and are managing the day-to-day operations of the home effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The interim manager is a dedicated and committed individual who advocates strongly for children and maintains a visible presence in their lives. The interim manager is supported by the responsible individual. A member of staff said, ‘Staff all work together as a team to ensure the best outcomes possible for children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been some changes in the staff team. The staff team is now consistent and stable. When there have been vacancies, these have been covered by the existing staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2620865 5 team or staff known to children from an agency. Staff say that the interim manager is approachable and that they feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular, reflective supervision that aids learning. However, additional support provided to improve practice isn’t recorded in supervision records. This lack of documentation reduces the manager’s oversight of progress and the impact of the support given.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings are a valuable forum for learning. The interim manager has effectively supported team building and challenged staff practice, promoting reflection and improvement. However, when formal practice reviews and staff’s annual practice assessments were completed, the views of children and key individuals were not included. This is a missed opportunity and could compromise leaders and managers’ ability to evaluate the impact of staff on the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers promptly address complaints, using investigation outcomes to drive improvements. They also monitor practices monthly, both internally and independently, to enhance care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager shares information with other important people in the children’s lives. An education professional said, ‘Communication between home and school is very good. Strategies are shared to ensure a consistent approach is adopted, which ensures the child has the best care.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2620865 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, 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 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any additional support staff receive to help them to develop is recorded, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented to support the development of staff. 25 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 25 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2620865 7 The registered person must ensure that children’s case records contain up-to-date information about the child and the support offered by staff, specifically when children’s health needs are met.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulations at least every six months. This should include feedback from each child’s placing authority, family and staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should ensure appraisals for staff include the views of other professionals who have worked with staff over the year, and the views of children. (‘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: 2620865 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Hills

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Inspector

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2620865 9 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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