Emily's - Courtyard Care is a 6-bedroom children's home in Warrington which has a bright and homely feel. We are registered to care for children from birth to 18 years old with complex health needs. Due to the complex needs of our children, they rely on our teams for all aspects of their care. Every team member is highly trained, kind, caring and supportive, they meet the health and emotional needs of the children to the highest standard
I started my career in social care with Courtyard Care 10 years ago. When I first joined, I supported children and their families in their own homes, then progressed to The Courtyard as a Support Worker, where I had the opportunity to progress through my career to Registered Manager of Emily’s - Courtyard Care.
During this time I have completed my NVQ Level 5 in Children, young people’s and families Management with the help and support of Courtyard Care. I believe that children with additional health needs are equally entitled to an exciting and brilliant future and that the children in our care are at the centre of all we do.
I have been working in residential care and special needs school/services since 1999. My previous roles include consultancy work, supporting failing homes and schools to improve. I then became a Registered Manager for 5 years, during this time, the team and myself had an Ofsted Judgment of ‘Outstanding’ for 5 years.
My more recent roles progressed to Operational Manager supporting 13 homes and most recently In November 2015 I joined Courtyard Care as Regional Director.
I am a qualified Social Worker who is passionate and driven to provide the best possible outcomes for children and young people we support. Myself and my team have a keen interest in ensuring our services are ‘fit for purpose’ and meet all regulatory frameworks/requirements. We are very child-centred and believe every child should be given the opportunity to grow and succeed. Barriers can be overcome by working together to achieve the best outcomes. We celebrate all achievements as every step is a milestone for the children and young people we support.
I started my career in the corporate sector in learning and development before setting up my own business and then moving in to teaching within the prison service in 2000.
Since that time, I have worked in a number of positions within Health & Social Care and Special Education including Mentoring Project Manager, Head Teacher, Regional Education Manager and Operations Director.
My previous background in business combined with extensive knowledge and experience gained over the past 20 years lends itself well to the role of Director of Children’s Services. I am delighted to have joined Swanton in October 2022 and am excited to contribute towards the growth and development of the services.
I believe that everyone of us has the potential to make a positive difference to the lives of vulnerable children and adults so that they can be happy, healthy, and live as independently as possible. We do this by ensuring that we always doing the “right thing” and continue to ask ourselves how can I make this better.
All our children at Emily’s - Courtyard Care, are given the same opportunities as other children, they are empowered and given choices to live a fulfilled life. Each child is treated as the individual they are, and their care and lives reflect that.
Our team are passionate about their roles and strive to keep the children safe whilst giving them the best quality of life, we all work together to create the best environment for the children to grow and thrive.
We had our latest Ofsted inspection in July 2022, one comment read:
“Children are supported by a consistent staff team whose members know the children well. Staff are very responsive to children’s needs. They understand children’s unique methods of communication and are skilled at interpreting children’s body language and reading changes in their presentation."
