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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1185828 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 children’s home is operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to two children who have experienced social and emotional difficulties. The home also provides care for children who have learning difficulties.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1185828 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2022 Full Good 13/11/2019 Full Outstanding 23/07/2018 Full Good 10/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1185828 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. Both children have made clear progress from their starting points. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. In relation to this child’s progress, a social worker said, ‘[Name of child] made fantastic progress as a result of the support from the staff team.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living in a warm and welcoming environment. Staff support children to decorate their bedrooms. Children’s bedrooms reflect their individuality and interests. Throughout the communal areas of the home, photos of the children are on display. This helps them to feel a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to pursue their hobbies and interests. One child has a season ticket for their favourite football team. The child told the inspector that they had met the football players and had received signed memorabilia from them. This provides children with memories and keepsakes of positive childhood experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team supports children to access education. However, one child accesses education on a part-time basis. For this child, there are large periods of the day when they are not engaging in educational activities. This means that opportunities have been missed to support the child back into full-time education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and speak fondly and proudly of the progress that they have made. Throughout the inspection, positive interactions between children and staff were observed. This helps to reinforce to children that they have adults in their lives who care about them.

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

Children told the inspector that they feel safe and have staff members who they can speak to if they need to. Children are supported by staff to understand the risks posed to them. One child has been supported through numerous key-work sessions to better understand the risks of accessing the internet.

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

Staff regularly update children’s risk management plans. These plans are clear and tell staff what to do in order to keep children safe. When children go missing from home, staff physically go out and search for them. Consequently, it has been a significant period of time since a child has been missing from home.

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

When significant events occur, staff respond proportionately. However, staff do not always complete a debrief or direct work with children after a serious event. This means that some opportunities to develop children’s understanding of appropriate behaviour have been missed. Inspection report for children’s home: 1185828 4 Staff support children to safely maintain relationships with their family members. Staff supervise the time that children have with their relatives on a regular basis. This helps children to maintain important family relationships and their family identity in a safe way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced manager who is also registered to manage another home. The manager spends his time between the two homes and is supported by an assistant manager. This helps to ensure that there is constant management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met all the requirements and recommendations that were made at the last inspection. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the care that is provided and has plans in place to develop the service further.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers meet weekly to discuss the children living in the home. These meetings are supported by the responsible individual and the organisation’s designated safeguarding lead and therapist. This means that leaders and managers are fully informed about the children and what needs to be done to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are very positive about the management of the home. Staff told the inspector that managers are supportive. In relation to this, a staff member said, ‘[Name of manager] is always approachable to me, the staff and the children in the home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular training to help them meet the needs of the children. When children display complex needs, the organisation’s therapist meets with staff and provides bespoke training. This helps to develop staff’s understanding of the children and provides them with ways to better meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager oversees notifications that are sent to Ofsted. However, there have been occasions when some notifications lacked clarity and details on the outcome of investigations. Inspection report for children’s home: 1185828 5

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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, the 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 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

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that key- work sessions are completed with children after incidents occur. 13 April 2023

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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 protection enquiry involving a child — 13 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1185828 6 is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the reason for safeguarding notifications is clear and that the outcomes of investigations are shared with Ofsted.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when children placed in the home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, they are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and engage in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: 1185828 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

Rob Neild, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1185828 8 regulates and inspects 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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