Children's home run by Next Stage 4Life Limited in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: 1185828 1 Registered provider: Next Stage 4 Life

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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 operated by a small private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

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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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2017 Full Good 13/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1185828 2

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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, 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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)) 17/08/2018

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Recommendations

 If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Ensure that staff have the relevant knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with Inspection report children’s home: 1185828 3 regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have lived in the home for a number of years. They continue to make good progress because of the stability provided and the nurturing care they receive. Young people are growing in confidence and learning to manage their own behaviour very well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health needs are generally well met. They are registered with appropriate healthcare services and attend their appointments. Young people have regular direct therapy with trained professionals to meet their needs. However, detailed information in relation to one young person’s medical condition, such as the symptoms to be monitored, are not contained in their health plan. Staff are ambitious for young people and support them to do well in education. Where young people have been excluded from school, staff advocate for their return to full-time education. Structured activities and private tuition have been secured. Despite the efforts of the staff, an education placement has yet to be identified by the placing authority. Young people enjoy a range of activities of their choice. These include go-kart racing with friends, trampoline club and helping at a farm. As a result, young people make

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

friends, keep fit and gain a sense of achievement, while having fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Effective consultation is regularly undertaken with young people to ensure that they have opportunities to voice their views and opinions. This is a key strength of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote positive contact between young people and their families. Consequently, young people increasingly enjoy the time that they spend at home with their families and friends.

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

Young people feel safe and protected. High staffing ratios and detailed and regularly reviewed assessments minimise the risks that young people may be vulnerable to. Incidents of young people going missing from care have reduced. In the last 12 months there have been 10 missing incidents. Protocols with partner agencies are effective in ensuring that young people return home safely. Young people’s behaviour has improved significantly since coming to live in the home. The use of physical interventions is rare. Appropriate sanctions are used. The manager has recently put in place a guide for staff to help them to promote more positive Inspection report children’s home: 1185828 4 consequences for young people.

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

Staff work well with young people on an individual basis. They support the young people to make informed decisions that help them to reduce risk-taking behaviours. For example, young people engage in meaningful key-work sessions with staff and this helps them to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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

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

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

Since the last inspection, the registered manager who was in post has now left the home. A new manager is in post. She is suitably qualified and has a wealth of experience in working with young people who have experienced trauma. She is supported by a deputy manager.

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

Staff turnover has been high since the last inspection. However, core staff members have remained working here, and have provided a consistent level of care for young people. The members of the newly formed staff team are working well together and building positive relationships with young people.

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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.

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

The staff have built effective relationships with partner agencies and with young people’s families. This helps to promote positive outcomes for young people. A family member commented, ‘I am happy, they are good, especially the old staff; there has been a change of staff, but they are also doing a good job.’

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

The staff have regular team meetings and training. However, supervision for staff on probation has not been completed fortnightly in line with the company’s policy. This does not ensure that care practice meets the standards expected in the home’s statement of purpose.

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

The home environment is warm and comfortable. The dining area and games room provides a warm, child-friendly space in which staff and young people can eat and socialise. There is a private garden where young people can enjoy spending time relaxing. Inspection report children’s home: 1185828 5

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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.

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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: 1185828 6

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Suzanne Grocott-Waters

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Inspector

Caroline Jones: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1185828 7 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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