Children's home run by Next Stage 4 Life Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 1 Registered provider: Next Stage 4Life Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care and support for three children who can no longer live at home.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020. We last visited this setting on 5 March 2020. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 15 May 2020.

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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: Sustained effectiveness

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/07/2019 Full Good 07/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a calm, nurturing and supportive home. A child said that it is a pleasant and comfortable place to live. A professional commented on the good progress a child has made while living at the home. She said that the child was thriving here because of the support that the child receives from the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move in and out of the home, a good transition is planned. An impact risk assessment shows that the home considers the child’s history and behaviour and the needs of the existing children in the home. However, the manager did not take into account the home’s location area report as part of this process. As a result, she did not consider any identified potential risks and whether these would have any bearing on the suitability of the placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said that their views, wishes and feelings are taken seriously. They have opportunities to talk to staff and they are encouraged to comment on all aspects of their care. Records that are kept in the home show the progress that children are making. However, there is little information on how progress was achieved. Therefore, this does not show the child’s journey throughout their stay at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work well as part of the wider support network to plan for the children’s care. Their strong working relationships with parents, social workers, teachers and health workers make sure that children get the best possible support that continues to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children get the right support and encouragement from staff to take part in education and to do well. Staff help them to study, and provide extra help when children need it. Staff monitor children’s progress at school and challenge education providers and the local authority, when the need arises. As a result, children get the right help to support their learning and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Similarly, children receive good advice, support and services that help them to be healthy and to encourage good emotional well-being. Additional support is given through the company’s therapist and through the child adolescent mental health service (CAHMS). As a result, children are learning to express their emotions better, and they can explore their identity. This is because staff provide a safe environment to do this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities. They like to spend time with the staff team baking, playing board games and going out for walks. Previously, children have enjoyed going to the cinema, bowling and playing pool. The children have earned extra activities, for example, going to theme parks and out for meals. They are excited that these activities can start again. Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 4 Children are encouraged to learn a range of practical skills which will assist them when they are older. They are supported to keep their bedrooms tidy, and to plan, shop and help to cook their own meals. They live in a homely environment that is spacious and maintained well. The children have personalised their own bedrooms, and they proudly display posters and pictures of their family and of their achievements. This gives the children a sense of belonging.

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

Children live in a safe home. The strong and supportive safeguarding arrangements help children feel safe and protected from harm. Staff help children to have a better understanding of risk and healthy relationships. Children are confident to ask for staff’s help when they are worried.

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

Managers and staff report their concerns appropriately and quickly to the safeguarding agencies. They work effectively as part of a well-established safeguarding network that includes the children’s families. The manager will initiate strategy meetings when a child’s behaviour becomes a concern. The manager makes sure that all professionals involved in the child’s care are invited to the meeting. Together, they share information, identify and understand the risk, and make appropriate and effective plans. This means that children get the right support to help them to be safe.

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

Managers and staff make good use of opportunities to look at serious situations or emerging risks that involve dangerous behaviour. They regularly meet as a team, and the company’s therapist provides strategies to help staff to develop their understanding of children’s behaviour, the impact of insecure attachments and trauma on children and the best ways of helping children when they are having a difficult time. The staff have also been able to reflect on their practice in response to children’s behaviour.

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

Staff actively involve children in finding solutions for undesirable behaviour. For example, children can suggest their own sanction or help to make things right. However, the sanction record does not follow the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 in terms of the information required when applying discipline. For example, the manager has not assessed the effectiveness of the sanction imposed.

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

There has been one incident when a child left the home without permission. Staff followed the child’s missing-from-home protocol and searched the local areas for them. A return interview was completed with the child by an independent person. This means that the child has had the opportunity to share the reasons why they went missing and if they have any concern about their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the deputy manager are experienced and have a management childcare qualification. They provide clear, consistent and effective leadership. Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 5 The staff team receives regular supervision that is reflective and is underpinned by development and individual strengths. Appraisals focus on the development of individual staff members, as well as the home overall. Regular team meetings give staff the opportunity to reflect on children’s progress, on how to improve the support they give to children, on how to develop their skills and knowledge, and on the emotional impact of the work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a range of life experiences and qualifications. They are skilled in working with children, and they are passionate and compassionate. New staff complete a full induction and a six-month probationary period. However, some staff have not been registered on a childcare qualification within timescales. This does not ensure that they are continually developed and have their skills enhanced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to support their learning, and the manager has a clear system in place to make sure that staff have received mandatory training. Staff have a detailed induction which identifies their training needs and is reviewed regularly. There is a plan for the staff team to receive further training specific to the children’s needs that will be led by the commissioned psychotherapist. The staff team also benefits from informal learning and reflection by the psychotherapist, which are held on a weekly basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems ensure that plans for children are in place and reviewed when required. However, the management team agrees that children’s records do not include a thorough evaluation. Therefore, the monitoring report lacks reflection on the key themes that would assist in planning for the home’s future development needs or improving staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are strong advocates for children. They challenge professionals effectively to ensure that each child receives the right care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose, which is kept under review, clearly sets out the ethos and aims of the home. The home is centred on the needs of the children. A recommendation was made at the last inspection for the manager to make sure that fire drills are carried out regularly. Children and staff who are new to the home have completed a fire drill, and these are refreshed regularly. This means that everyone knows what to do in an emergency. Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 6

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the location area report is used when considering whether the area is safe for a new admission to the home. 31 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time, and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 31 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 7 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities, and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5)) 31 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 8

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that all staff in a care role, complete a relevant childcare qualification within the relevant timescales listed in regulation 32(5). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)  The registered provider should ensure that that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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 children’s home: 1256904 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Next Stage 4Life Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256904 10 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 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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