Children's home run by Next Stage 4Life Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2484682 1 Registered provider: Next Stage 4 Life Ltd

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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 owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people, irrespective of gender. The home specialises in caring for young people who have been or who are experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in August 2018. An acting manager is currently managing the home with the support of the registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Young people were spoken to as part of this inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 26 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2484682 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2484682 3

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person must demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the employment of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)  The registered person should have a workforce development plan which can fulfil

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Recommendations

the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should: detail the necessary management and staffing structure, including any staff commissioned to provide health and education, the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s Statement of Purpose; detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training ( such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33(4)(b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home.

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Recommendations

The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report children’s home: 2484682 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are well looked after by staff at this children’s home. Staff know the young people well and provide individualised care to them. Staff are committed to the young people’s needs and this is having a positive impact on young people’s progress in education. Staff also support young people to take part in other activities throughout the summer, for example schemes where young people can develop skills working on a farm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff manage young people’s physical and mental health needs well. The young people have health plans that are up to date and are supported by staff to attend necessary health appointments. Some young people take medication, and this is managed well by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have good relationships with other professionals and frequently speak to young people’s social workers to keep them updated and share the young people’s plans. This means that young people receive consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people’s contact with their families, enabling them to maintain relationships with each other. Staff have good relationships with young people’s parents and update them about their child and include them in the young people’s plans. One parent was very positive about the care that his daughter receives from the staff, and praised the staff team for keeping his daughter safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making progress in respect of their emotional and psychological well- being. Young people receive support for their mental health. One young person told the inspector that she can talk to staff when she feels low and that this is helping her feel safe. Young people told the inspectors that they like living at the home. The inspectors observed warm exchanges between the young people and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to what young people have to say. The young people have regular meetings and staff respond to what young people say in these meetings. For example, young people wanted to go away on a holiday, so this was arranged. This means that young people feel that they are listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a variety of activities and staff support their interests. For example, are taken out on trips to Blackpool and roller skating. One young person wanted a gym so a room in the home was converted for this purpose, and a personal trainer visited the home to show the young people how to use the gym equipment.

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

Inspection report children’s home: 2484682 5 Risk assessments are clear and provide details of the identified risks and triggers. These assessments link with the behaviour management plans, which are up to date. This means that staff have a good understanding of the identified risks and how to manage these, and that young people are becoming increasingly safer.

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

There have been incidents of young people going missing since the last inspection. Staff know what to do when young people do go missing and follow individual plans. Young people have return home interviews, but there are often delays with these, which is a missed opportunity as staff could use the information from these interviews to identify triggers. The acting manager is looking at ways to improve this. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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

Staff understand why individual risks can cause upset and frustration, and they apply consistent boundaries and establish routines to give young people security and stability. This is helping young people feel safe and secure.

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

There have been incidents of self-harm since the last inspection. The staff manage these incidents well and work with the young people to help them understand their feelings. The organisation employs a therapist and the young people have individual therapy plans. Staff use the information from these plans to manage young people’s day-to-day care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a registered manager is post. However, his is not in day to day management of the home. An acting manager is in place, who has been managing the home since January 2019. The acting manager needs to apply to Ofsted to be the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager is supported by a new deputy manager. They are both ambitious. They know the young people’s individual progress and they have high aspirations for them. The acting manager consistently gains young people’s views on their care and helps them to share their feelings and opinions

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are supported in their roles. Staff are positive about the acting manager and the changes that she has made. Staff say that morale is good and that they enjoy working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff undergo frequent supervision. Staff say that this is helpful. They say that they feel supported professionally. The staff are up to date with training and they say that this helps them in their roles. There are regular team meetings. Staff discuss different topics and are updated with any changes in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are staff vacancies. The acting manager is currently recruiting staff. In the interim staff from other homes cover the required shifts.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a detailed workforce development plan, but it is missing some crucial Inspection report children’s home: 2484682 6 information. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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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: 2484682 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Next Stage 4 Life Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Regency House, 45-53 Chorley New Road, Bolton, Lancashire BL1 4QR

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Inspectors

Catherine Fargin, social care inspector Sarah Oldham, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2484682 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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