Children's home run by Next Stage 4Life Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 1 Registered provider: Next Stage 4Life Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, there was one child living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post who has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 21 and 22 September 2022. Following this inspection, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted also issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. This notice had immediate effect from 22 September 2022 until 14 December 2022.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices and the restriction of accommodation notice.

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This monitoring visit

During this monitoring visit, the inspectors found that the home has complied with the conditions of the restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments and missing from home protocols are detailed and comprehensive. They contain clear strategies to reduce risks to the child and focus on the relevant risks. They are specific for the child and there is evidence that strategies are reviewed and updated regularly. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 2 Records of significant events have improved. These now contain sufficient detail about the incident and the actions that staff have taken to safeguard the child. Staff have received formal training on recording and reporting, which has been beneficial. The manager reviews incidents to evaluate the action taken by staff and identify any future actions that are required to keep the child safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff take effective action in response to safeguarding events, including missing from care incidents. Staff understand their responsibilities in keeping the child safe and recognise the signs that could indicate that the child is at risk of harm. When the child made a disclosure, staff took swift and effective action to report concerns and safeguard the child.

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This monitoring visit

Direct work has taken place to help the child understand risks and keep themselves safe. This is completed in a timely manner and there is relevant, reactive and proactive work being undertaken.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have now received training in subjects that are relevant to the needs of the child that lives in the home. Staff are being supported to reflect on the training that they have received in team meetings and through supervision. Improved management oversight of training is supporting staff to develop their skills and knowledge.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision processes have been improved. Staff are now receiving practice-based supervision. Supervisions provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on the quality of the child’s care, which is supporting the development of good practice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed the staffing arrangements in the home. There is a consistent staff team and staff are committed to their roles. There are sufficient staff to meet the child’s needs and the child is always cared for by staff that know them well.

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This monitoring visit

Regular meetings between leaders and managers and a revised monitoring system have resulted in improved management oversight of the home. This includes oversight of staff training, supervision and recruitment files.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held following this visit. It was the decision of the case review that the compliance notices had been met. The notice restricting accommodation at the home was also lifted.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors did not consider the recommendations or requirements that were set at the last visit. Therefore, these have been restated below. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/09/2022 Full Inadequate 27/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 4

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand children’s individual health needs and have access to any relevant plans, such as child looked after health reports.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must ensure that children’s health needs are addressed in a timely manner, such as their dental health needs and sexual health needs.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that children receive appropriate help and advice to understand their own health needs and how to meet them. 30 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 5 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to 30 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 6 the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) 2(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 30 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff members that work in the home have a current DBS and are not allowed to work in the home if the DBS certificate expires. 30 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; 30 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 7 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that duty rosters accurately reflect which members of staff were working in the home and the hours that they worked. 30 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they keep HMCI informed when a child is missing from home for an extended period of time to enable effective monitoring. 30 October 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any debriefs with children following incidents of being missing from home contain sufficient information to demonstrate what happened and the action they have taken to support the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.31) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 8  The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 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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Inspectors

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602585 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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