Children's Home run by Next Stage 4Life Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 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

This home is privately owned and run and is registered to provide care for up to two children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience thoughtful and nurturing care. They make progress across a number of areas in their lives, including attendance at education, enjoying community-based activities and establishing secure relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff invest time in children, helping them to develop as individuals and ensuring they have positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving to the home are immediately made to feel welcome and are encouraged to invest in the home. One child described this experience as ‘heart- warming’ and said it was like being greeted ‘with open arms’. Children’s bedrooms are highly personalised and reflect children’s individual interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social workers were complimentary about how staff work with children, describing their efforts as ‘amazing’, and saying children’s experiences underpinned the progress they make. Children were equally positive about living in the home, saying they liked all the staff and felt listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support children to spend time with their families. Families are welcome to visit the home to see children. This ensures that important relationships are nurtured and maintained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff establish and maintain clear and consistent boundaries, irrespective of the challenges that some behaviour from children may pose. Over time, this helps children to begin to talk about their feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a home that is well maintained and looked after.

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

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and the risks that may be posed to them. Incidents of children going missing from home are rare and children do not engage in behaviours that would compromise their welfare, such as substance misuse. The risks associated with child exploitation are not a feature of children’s lives.

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

Children say they feel safe and that they trust the staff. One child said about the staff, ‘I would trust them with my life.’

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

Staff support children to help them better manage their emotional responses. Over time, the need for staff to use physical intervention to keep children and others safe has reduced. Staff use de-escalation techniques effectively and hold children only as a last resort. Staff continuously promote positive behaviour and, as a result, there has recently been a reduction in incidents in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 4 Some incidents have, however, resulted in staff being hurt by children. Plans drawn up by managers to address these incidents have not always been clear and resulted in some staff feeling vulnerable. These issues have since been addressed by managers.

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

Managers respond appropriately when concerns or allegations are made about staff practice. Relevant agencies are informed and involved.

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good

The management team knows and understands each child well and leads a team of dedicated and committed staff. Managers actively monitor the quality of care provided to children and there are suitable frameworks in place for auditing and review of care.

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good

However, staff have not always felt reassured when changes are planned to children’s day-to-day care arrangements. Some plans and assessments of risk in relation to changes in staffing ratios lack clarity and detail. This has led to times when staff have lacked confidence in the plans that were developed by managers.

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good

Investigations by senior managers into concerns about staff practice have not always considered each of the issues raised in an allegation. Managers stated at the inspection that this would be fully addressed before allegations are passed to the local authority designated officer for consideration. In addition, managers had not fully considered possible risks in the temporary redeployment of staff to work in another of the company’s homes.

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good

Since the last inspection, there has been a high turnover of staff. Managers expressed confidence that this has now stabilised.

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good

Managers liaise well with other professionals and there is a collaborative approach to reviewing the progress made by children. Professionals spoke highly of staff and managers in providing the right environment for children to make progress.

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good

Children’s records are well organised, up to date and reflect their lives and achievements. Children are regularly consulted and their views taken into account in the running of the home. Staff place the well-being of children at the centre of their practice.

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good

There is suitable training available to staff to enhance their skills and knowledge base. Additional bespoke training is also commissioned to support staff in their care of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person 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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to managers addressing issues in the staff team effectively, to ensure children’s plans are thoroughly understood and staff feel supported in their role, and the staff team remains stable. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on form the home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)) 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 6 This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that behaviour management plans and significant changes in the day-to-day care of children are clearly written, with accompanying timescales, and that these changes are reviewed effectively.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that investigations of staff conduct are thorough and address all aspects of concerns raised, and that redeployment of staff is accompanied with clear assessment of risk and a plan to mitigate any risk. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17)  The registered person should ensure that there is support and challenge when considering changes to children’s plans, and any impact on staff is fully recognised and managed effectively. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure that assessments of risk and plans to reduce risk are clear and set out what action should be taken to address the risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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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 for children’s home: 2600759 7

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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

Pauline Yates, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 8 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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