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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 1 Registered provider: Next Stage 4Life Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2017 and is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home. The inspectors spoke to both children about their experiences of living in the home.

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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 requires improvement to be 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 is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Date of last inspection: 29 October 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/10/2024 Full Outstanding 07/06/2023 Full Good 03/05/2022 Full Good 11/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home, and one child has moved on into supported accommodation. Children are helped to move into and on from the home in a planned way. Children can identify adults they trust and are making progress from their starting points.

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improvement to be good

There has been instability in the staff team, which has led to a lack of consistency for the children. However, leaders and managers are taking action to address this issue, and there continues to be a core staff team.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children with their education and maintain regular communication with education professionals. This ensures that children are helped to reach their full academic potential.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with people who are important to them. This helps children to maintain relationships and increase their sense of belonging and identity.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of social and leisure activities. Children enjoy holidays and are supported to engage in faith-based activities. Children are actively involved in the planning of these and experience fun and memorable times.

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improvement to be good

Children are registered with local services and receive additional support from external agencies when required. Children’s emotional wellbeing needs are understood. The home’s therapist works with the children and provides guidance to staff. This supports the children’s emotional needs and also enables staff to reflect on and understand the children’s current and emerging needs.

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improvement to be good

The home is welcoming and homely. However, a lock on both the conservatory and kitchen door limits children’s access to areas of their home.

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improvement to be good

There have been several incidents for the children during this inspection period. On 2 occasions, children have returned home under the influence of alcohol, and medical advice was not sought by staff. On one occasion, the staff did not undertake welfare checks on the child during the night. This compromises children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Risk management and behaviour support plans are reviewed on a regular basis. However, not all known risks have been included in one child’s risk management Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 4 plan, and records do not include clear guidance for staff to follow to keep the child safe. This does not ensure that all staff know how to respond should incidents occur.

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improvement to be good

There is a well-coordinated response by staff when children go missing from the home, and action is taken to ensure the child’s safe return. However, on one occasion, a child went missing from a window in the home during the night. Staff were not aware that the child had left the home, and the police were unable to speak to staff as the mobile phone was on silent. The manager took swift action to ensure this was addressed and additional safeguards put in place.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint, and swift action is undertaken by managers when concerns are raised. Children understand what has happened as a result of their complaint. Their complaints are treated seriously and are responded to clearly.

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improvement to be good

Staff hold important conversations with children about risks they may be exposed to. Staff discuss topics such as substance misuse, online safety and their emotional wellbeing. This helps children to develop their understanding and awareness of risks while also enjoying their independence.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are in place. All necessary checks are carried out to ensure that only safe adults are employed to work at the home.

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good

The home is managed by an experienced registered manager. She is supported by a deputy manager. They also manage another home in close proximity to this home.

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good

Staff, including the manager, receive regular reflective supervision. This enables them to reflect on the children’s care needs and risks and how they support these. Staff say that they feel supported by the managers.

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good

Professionals are complimentary about the care the children receive. Staff have developed professional relationships with external agencies, and there is good communication and partnership working to ensure the children’s needs are understood.

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good

Team meetings are held on a regular basis, and staff have access to regular therapeutic consultations with the home’s internal therapist. This provides the opportunity for staff to reflect on the children’s care needs and risks. However, the minutes are not specific to this home and include information about children living in the provider’s other home.

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good

The manager’s oversight of incidents has lacked professional curiosity. This limits the manager’s ability to review and evaluate the quality of care provided to children effectively. Serious incidents have been delayed or have not been notified to Ofsted Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 5 as required by regulation. This limits oversight of practice. Despite this, leaders and managers are able to identify opportunities to further develop the home.

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good

Staff have completed mandatory training, but not all training has been undertaken or refreshed to meet the needs of the children, including by the manager. This means staff do not have up-to-date knowledge and skills. The home’s workforce development plan is not clear and does not reflect the home’s aims and objectives.

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good

The home is visited monthly by an independent person to assess whether children are safeguarded effectively and whether the conduct of the home promotes their wellbeing. However, the reports from the visits are not submitted to Ofsted within the required timescales, as set out in the regulation.

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good

The manager has completed the quality of care review. However, the reports do not include feedback from staff. This limits opportunities for the manager to monitor and fully evaluate the care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 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, 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risks are clearly assessed. They must ensure that staff are 8 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 7 provided with guidance and strategies to support them to reduce risks.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that systems are in place to identify shortfalls in practice and any lessons learned.

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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

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that there is robust oversight of the care provided and ensure that action is taken to address any shortfalls.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, leaders and managers must ensure that recording systems are effective and that they review and evaluate all 8 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 8 incidents to identify any learning and support to develop practice in the home.

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that there is ongoing training to meet the needs of the children, and this also includes the manager. 8 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are able to access communal areas of their home. 8 May 2026

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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

There is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 8 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. 8 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 9 (Regulation 44 (7)(a))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review considers the opinions of staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 1270297 10

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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: 146 Bolton Road, Atherton, Manchester M46 9LF

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Inspectors

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Joy Viles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 11 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 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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