Children's home run by Courtyard Care Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: SC062309 1 SC062309 Registered provider: Courtyard Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated and provides care for up to six children who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments. This includes one place provided for short-break services.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home. No children have received short breaks since the last full inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2014.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC062309 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2024 Full Good 25/07/2023 Full Good 09/11/2022 Full Good 17/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC062309 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspectors observed all children during the inspection.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

No children have moved into or out of the home since the last inspection. Since no children have stayed for short breaks, this has been a consistent period for the children who live at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is immaculate and meets the children’s needs. The home has been decorated for Christmas and has a warm and welcoming feel with many photos of smiling children. Despite the need for specialist equipment and storage, children’s bedrooms reflect each child’s personality and are pleasant spaces for them to spend time in. However, the use of audio monitoring equipment has not been consented to or assessed to ensure that it remains necessary and appropriate.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children attend school full time, and if it is required, the staff remain with children in school so that they can be available for support. One child’s physiotherapist said, ‘[Name of child] has progressed so much physically; this is due to the staff following what we do in school at home.’ The staff also work well with school professionals to ensure that the children can access specialist sessions, including rebound and hydrotherapy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children living at this home have significant health needs. The staff are well trained in delivering the required care and are guided by robust plans and assessments. A considerable strength of the staff is their knowledge and understanding of the children, which allows them to respond quickly to any medical concerns and ensure that the children receive the necessary support without delay.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

If children need to visit or stay at the hospital, staff remain with them to ensure their well-being and provide reassurance. The manager works closely with the children’s medical professionals and ensures that staff receive any required training to continue to meet the children’s needs when they return home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the children’s health needs and their structured medical routines, staff ensure that they enjoy the same experiences as their peers. Recently, all the children enjoyed a holiday to the coast. This was meticulously planned and was a huge success. One child attends Rainbows, and other children enjoy rebound therapy, going to the cinema and visiting museums.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are supported to see their family members, who are regularly invited to the home for parties and afternoon tea. Families are very involved in their child’s care and report that communication from the staff is good. For children who do not see their families, the manager uses services that provide independent visitors. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062309 4

p.3

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

Children are supported by skilled and knowledgeable staff. Their competency in providing medical care to the children is regularly refreshed and revisited as needed. Staff are trained by the organisation’s registered nurse, and they say they feel confident in their role.

p.4

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

There are stringent processes in place that aim to minimise risks to children. These include detailed handovers, regular checks of equipment and medication, and processes in place to ensure that children have everything they need in the case of emergencies when away from the home.

p.4

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

The manager has responded appropriately and worked with other agencies when there has been a concern around a staff member’s suitability to work with the children. Additionally, recruitment processes are thorough and reduce the risk of unsuitable people working with the children.

p.4

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

There has been one medication error since the last inspection. Advice was sought, and this was appropriately managed. Considering the high levels and complexities of medication administration, the low number is reassuring.

p.4

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding procedures, and safeguarding children is a standard agenda item during staff supervision sessions and team meetings.

p.4

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

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified and is supported by a deputy manager. Both have worked at the home for many years and know the children well.

p.4

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

The staff report that the team members generally get along. However, a staff member raised concerns about the manager. These concerns were not addressed, and it took six months before a resolution meeting took place. During this time, the manager did not have appropriate oversight of the staff member’s practice and development due to a significant breakdown in communication.

p.4

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

When serious incidents occur in relation to children’s health needs, children’s care records are not always completed fully. These gaps in recording, at critical times for children, mean that the actions taken by staff are not always clear. Additionally, staff supervision sessions and team meetings often lack detail and clarity, and some handwritten notes are illegible.

p.4

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

The manager is a strong advocate for the children. They have been a part of the children’s lives for many years, and it is a real strength that they and the staff know the children so well. However, staff have not received training to build their skills in encouraging and supporting children to communicate their views, wishes and feelings using identified and proven methods. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062309 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

p.5

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.5

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.5

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the use of audio monitoring equipment in children’s bedrooms is consented to by the children’s placing authority and parents.

p.5

Requirement Due date

Additionally, the use of such a measure should be assessed and continually reviewed to ensure that it remains necessary and proportionate. 16 January 2026

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 16 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062309 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and

p.6

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)(b)(c)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any issues relating to staff practice or conduct are addressed and remedied in a timely manner, and they must also understand the impact of such issues on the quality of care provided to the children.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the staff maintain accurate daily records for the children so that their actions can be reviewed. Additionally, records such as staff supervision sessions and team meetings should be detailed and legible.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that the staff have received the appropriate training in communication resources used by children to support children in developing the skills to express their views, wishes and feelings.

p.6

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: SC062309 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Courtyard Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Siskin Drive, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry CV3 4FJ

p.7

Inspectors

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC062309 8 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8