Children's home run by Next Stage 4 Life Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 1 Registered provider: Next Stage 4 Life

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people up to the age of 18, who have a range of complex needs based on their previous traumatic experiences.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in place at this home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2018

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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.3

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.3

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.3

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.3

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.3

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 29/06/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31(1)(2)(a)(b)) 29/06/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 4

p.3

improvement to be good

In recent months, young people have lived through a period of high staff turnover. This is not conducive to a stable and predictable home life for them. Moreover, young people are unable to build trusted relationships with the adults looking after them. This permeates all areas of their development. The manager is well aware of this and has taken action to secure a more consistent and committed staff team.

p.4

improvement to be good

Young people’s health needs are generally well met. Young people are regularly attending therapy with trained professionals and they are registered with appropriate health services. Very recently, a young person has been refusing to attend a medical appointment. The staff continue to encourage this attendance through various incentives and rewards.

p.4

improvement to be good

Young people new to the home continue to settle in. They are attending education regularly and participating in activities, such as go-karting and youth club. It is early days for young people, and they are beginning to respond to the boundaries and guidance that the staff put in place. This encourages them to take responsibility for their aggressive behaviour and damage to the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Young people are welcomed into the home and careful planning with other professionals and carers supports this. In addition, the staff visit young people before they come to live here to gather vital information to inform care planning.

p.4

improvement to be good

Young people understand their rights. They know how to make a complaint through an easily accessible and child-focused procedure. This is clearly explained in the children’s guide. Moreover, they have weekly meetings in which to raise their views and opinions.

p.4

improvement to be good

The staff support young people to stay in touch with their family members and have a good understanding of their family history and relationships. They work proactively with parents and professionals to ensure that contact is safe and enjoyable.

p.4

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

Young people are safe and protected from harm. Risk assessments are in place and provide guidance to the staff in minimising risks that young people may present. Incidents of young people being aggressive are reducing.

p.4

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

Young people currently living in this home do not go missing from care. Protocols with partner agencies are in place should this happen. Young people who have left the home since the last inspection did go missing. However, the staff thoroughly searched for the whereabouts of these young people and worked well with the police to secure their safe return home. Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 5 Sanctions and physical intervention are used appropriately to safeguard young people. The staff are fully trained in a recognised technique to safely hold young people if needed.

p.4

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

Safer recruitment practice helps to guard against unsafe adults working in the home. Checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service and references from previous employers are part of this process.

p.5

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

Fire safety and health and safety checks are carried out around the home to ensure a safe living environment. Furthermore, the staff are vigilant and take appropriate steps to verify visitors’ identity to protect young people.

p.5

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

The registered manager has recently left the home. An acting manager is in position and will be applying to register with Ofsted in the coming weeks. She has identified areas for improvement, such as the stability of the staff team and the continuity of relationships.

p.5

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

Staff turnover has been high in recent months, resulting in a lack of the consistency and predictability needed for young people to settle. A recruitment drive is currently under way to fill the two vacant posts. One agency staff member and staff from other homes in the company have been resourced to provide adequate staffing levels.

p.5

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

Staff have regular supervision and training. However, there is not always a trained first aider on every shift. This does not ensure that care practice meets the standards expected within the home’s statement of purpose.

p.5

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

External monitoring is good. The independent visitor attends monthly and raises actions for improvement. A quality of care review has been completed to inform and develop the standard of care provided.

p.5

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

Young people’s records provide an account of their daily lives. Young people comment on their records, and staff share information with them to ensure that they are involved in decisions about them.

p.5

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

The home is welcoming, and staff strive to ensure a homely experience for each young person. There is ample space for them to have privacy to see their friends or to have personal time alone. Any damage is promptly repaired to maintain a good-quality living environment. Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 6

p.5

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.6

Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: 1256904 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Next Stage, 28 Manchester Road, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3QJ

p.7

Inspector

Caroline Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 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

Inspector

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 http://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

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8