Children's Home run by Courtyard Care Limited in Warwickshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 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 is a privately owned home that provides care for up to six children with special educational needs and/or disabilities’

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Information about this children’s home

Two managers are registered at this home. One registered in November 2023. She is due to leave and is handing over to a new manager. The new manager is already in post and registered in May 2025, while covering in the other manager’s absence.

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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: good

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, six children were living at the home. Five of the children were seen during the inspection and one was away from the home with family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know children well and help them to make progress. Children are more confident, with some now starting to use language. Staff help children become more independent, especially with self-care skills. Children who have previously been reluctant eaters are now trying and enjoying new foods.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves to the home are well planned, even in emergencies. The manager gathers as much information as possible about children and arranges visits to the home before children move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know children’s likes, dislikes and how they may present when upset or anxious. Written plans are in place that tell staff about children’s care needs, behaviours and targets. However, some information in those plans is unclear, and some plans are inaccurate. In addition, staff do not demonstrate how children’s targets are being progressed, and children’s daily routines are not always consistently followed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff involve children in making choices on a day-to-day basis. This includes in relation to what they would like to do, eat, drink and wear. However, staff do not use children’s communication tools consistently. For example, there is not always information telling children what is for dinner, and staff do not consistently use children’s now and next boards.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy lots of fun activities in the home and in the community. Staff fully participate with children in activities children enjoy, including water play when staff are happy to get very wet with the children. Staff also take children for drives, trips to parks, on shopping trips to choose clothes and food items and to trampoline parks. This provides children with a wide variety of enjoyable experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some improvements have been made to the home environment. Staff have found out from the children what they like and have decorated their bedrooms and the communal areas. They have also produced some lovely wall murals for children. However, some areas of the home need attention. Where staff have painted children’s bedrooms, this has been rushed, resulting in an untidy finish. In addition, some need cleaning and tidying.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to engage in education. One child has been out of formal education for the last year. Staff have continued to support the child’s learning through lessons with a tutor. The manager has advocated for the child, challenging others so that their education, health and care plan was updated to reflect their needs. This has resulted in a school placement, which the child will start in September 2025. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 4

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

Staff know children well and what behaviours they may exhibit, along with actions they need to take to keep children safe. Children’s behaviour is generally good. There are few incidents between children, and for some children their self-injurious behaviours have reduced. Physical intervention is rarely used and only when necessary. Children have not been missing from home.

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

Staff have developed risk management plans with strategies to help manage risks to children. However, these are not as comprehensive as they should be, with some not including details of all known risks or behaviours.

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

Records are in place to help staff understand children’s individual health needs. This includes any medication that children need to take on a regular basis and any emergency rescue medication. However, medication records are not always completed on the correct forms, which has the potential to confuse staff. In addition, one child’s emergency protocol for epilepsy was not sufficiently detailed, which meant staff were unsure of the correct procedure.

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

There have been two incidents where medication has not been given in line with children’s prescriptions. Neither error resulted in harm to the child. When errors have been identified, actions have been taken to understand how they occurred and learning from this implemented to prevent further occurrences.

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

When concerns have been raised with the manager about staff conduct, the manager has taken the necessary action. She has recorded and reported to those who need to know and investigate as needed. This has resulted in clear actions to address the concerns.

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

The home is going through a period of transition from one manager to a new manager. The new manager was previously the deputy and knows the home and the children well.

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

Managers’ monitoring systems have not been as robust as they could be. Shortfalls in relation to children’s care plans and risk management plans mean that the most current information about children’s needs is not always available to staff. Managers have failed to identify and rectify shortfalls in relation to the home environment. In addition, the practice of staff propping open doors with furniture has not been stopped effectively. Leaders are aware of the improvements that need to be made and have begun drawing up plans to make the necessary changes to improve the quality of care at the home.

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

Managers have high asperations for children and want the best for them. They know the children well and understand the difference that the care children are provided with makes to their progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 5 Previously, staffing at the home was a challenge, but recruitment and retention have now improved. As a result of the staff team being new and inexperienced, managers are helping staff to upskill their knowledge and skills. Managers ensure staff have a comprehensive induction and all the relevant training needed to support the children’s care needs.

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

Staff are complimentary about managers and the support they get in supervision sessions, on a day-to-day basis and with their ongoing learning.

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

Managers have a positive relationship with families and other professionals. Feedback shows that managers are highly thought of. Professionals and family members are complimentary about managers’ commitment to the children and the home and how this is helping children to make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 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 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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s plans include accurate and up-to-date details of all known risks and the actions that staff need to take to keep children safe. 22 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s health plans include accurate information about any medication they need to take, that information in plans is accurate and that staff understand these plans. 22 August 2025

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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; 22 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 7 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—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s care plans contain up-to-date and accurate information, that children’s targets are clear and progressed and that staff work in line with these plans.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 August 2025

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 8 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 9

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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

Registered managers: Samantha Lloyd and Nicola Morgan

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Inspector

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2744898 10 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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