Children's Home run by Courtyard Care Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC389823 1 SC389823

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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 home is privately owned and operated. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have a wide range of social and emotional issues, as well as mental health and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living in the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 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 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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC389823 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2025 Full Outstanding 28/02/2024 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 17/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC389823 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home are making progress. This is due to the consistent levels of care and child-centred approach to their individualised needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to access a wide range of activities both together and individually, based on their interests and likes. When one child developed an interest in football, staff took swift action to secure a place at a suitable local team that could meet their specific needs. As a result, the child’s confidence has grown significantly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consistently recognise and celebrate children’s achievements. They ensure that children are fully aware of how proud they are of their efforts, positive attitudes and ongoing progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carefully assess each child’s needs and quickly address any gaps in their care, securing specialist support when required. Their targeted interventions lead to clear progress, such as improved mobility. Staff also help children develop meaningful communication skills by encouraging them to use these in real, everyday situations, rather than simply repeating words or phrases, enabling children to communicate more effectively in daily life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support each child’s educational progress by ensuring that they attend settings that meet their individual needs and by working closely with professionals to consider all suitable options. They set personalised targets that align with each child’s EHCP outcomes and provide regular, targeted opportunities for children to practise and strengthen their skills. As a result of this focused approach, children have shown clear improvements, including better spelling and writing abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take a creative approach to ensure that children understand their life story. The process is child led and reflects the child’s wishes and feelings. Staff encourage the child to ask questions about the aspects of their past that they feel are important to them and ensure that they can access information they need to help them understand their lived experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of family time and actively support children and their families to build positive shared experiences both at home and in the community. Parents speak highly of the progress their children have made while living in the home, describing their development as progressing in ‘leaps and bounds’.

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

Staff ensure that children are kept safe by understanding their individual needs and completing relevant training. Detailed records and logs help staff identify patterns and triggers in children’s behaviour, enabling them to seek additional support and adapt their practice when needed. Each child has a behaviour support plan developed in partnership Inspection report for children’s home: SC389823 4 with the home’s clinician, reflecting their specific needs. These plans are reviewed regularly and updated when required to ensure they remain effective and responsive.

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

Staff take part in meaningful debriefs following incidents. They can also access clinical supervision for additional support and reflection. This helps staff understand and respond to the child’s emotional, behavioural and developmental needs in a consistent and informed way.

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

For a short period, one child device time was limited due to concerns around safety. Alongside this, staff completed focused work on online safety and explored the child’s feelings. As a result, the child developed a clear understanding of how to stay safe online as well as a feeling of being understood by staff.

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

Children have personal evacuation plans and take part in regular fire drills. However, the manager has not ensured that they have oversight of the home’s annual fire risk assessment. As a result, identified fire safety priorities have not progressed. Thumb locks have not been installed on the back door to support a safe and prompt evacuation in the event of a fire. A key lock box had been fitted. However, the manager and staff were not clear on the access code. These shortfalls mean that both fire safety measures and arrangements for a swift evacuation in an emergency are not sufficiently assured.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and has taken on a senior role within the provider’s organisation. This has not impacted on their ability to retain effective oversight and leadership of the home. The manager has high expectations for all children. These expectations are shared and consistently promoted by the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. The manager knows the staff team well and understands their individual needs. She provides effective support, including help with qualifications and emotional wellbeing. This creates a supportive culture in which staff feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for children. She maintains positive working relationships with partner agencies. One social worker praised staff for supporting communication during visits.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager sets clear standards for the staff team. She addresses concerns about practice promptly. When staff do not meet these standards during probation, staff are placed on performance plans. This means children are supported by skilled and knowledgeable staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well. She ensures that information from all agencies is carefully considered when developing children’s plans. She works closely with the home’s clinician to gain a complete understanding of each child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC389823 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In this regulation, “the fire and rescue authority” means the fire and rescue authority under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004(2) for the area in which the home is located.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 25 (2)(b) (3)) 15 April 2026

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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: SC389823 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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Inspector

Alexandra Pearson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC389823 7 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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