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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 1 Registered provider: Next Stage 4Life Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in 2020 and is run by a private company. It offers care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022. He also manages another setting.

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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: 2600759 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2025 Full Good 02/07/2024 Full Good 20/07/2023 Full Good 04/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 3

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Summary of findings

There are no children currently living at the home. Two children have left the home in the past month. One child left in a planned move to return to their family. Staff take this child to school for part of the week and provide practical help to parents. Staff offer support and remain in contact with carers when children have left the home.

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Summary of findings

Staff are skilled in forming trusting relationships with children and the important people in children’s lives. These relationships often endure after children have moved on to alternative homes.

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Summary of findings

The registered manager is considering referrals for children moving into the home. He is assessing whether staff can meet individual children’s needs. Staff are consulted in decision-making about children moving into the home. This means that staff are confident that they can support children and keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is undergoing some repairs and renovations while it is unoccupied. There are new doors and flooring throughout the building. The bedrooms have been redecorated, ready for children to move into. The home is spacious and welcoming.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have had trusting relationships with children. Staff are skilled in working with children who find it hard to trust adults and who have had multiple carers in the past. Children’s views are recorded in all the documents written about them. Children are open about their experiences and feel safe to disclose any worries they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A therapist offers counselling sessions for children when they move into the home. Alternatively, staff make referrals to specialist mental health services when they are needed. One child who has left the home continues to receive counselling support from the therapist. Staff contact the therapy team for individual consultations and attendance at team meetings to discuss ways of working with children. As a result, children benefit from staff who are empathetic and trauma informed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers plan a range of positive activities for children and encourage individual interests. Staff encourage children to spend less time unoccupied in the community or playing video games in their bedrooms. Staff recognise the importance of diverting children’s attention away from negative influences from peers and preventing social isolation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points during their time at the home. For example, one child consistently attended school, and another began voluntary work. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 4 Staff understand that children often have negative experiences of education that prevent their school attendance. Staff talk to children about tolerance and compromise. This has helped children to get along with fellow students and make friends. Staff advocate for children in meetings about their education attainment and attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff care about what happens to children. Staff keep in touch with children and their carers when children have left the home. Children are given photo albums as mementos of their time. One child had a leaving party and wrote a thank-you speech to individual staff. The child’s mother said that staff made a real difference to the child’s life. The child was helped to return to their family home.

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

Staff manage children’s behaviour appropriately. They give children the time and space to become calm. Following incidents, staff talk to children about their feelings and how they could act differently in the future. Leaders and managers offer staff opportunities to reflect on their practice. Leaders and managers call the police on rare occasions when there is a risk of harm to anyone in the home. Police have visited to inform children of the possible consequences of their actions. This helps to prevent children from being criminalised unnecessarily.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that staff complete regular safeguarding training. Staff access additional resources on any emerging risks to children. Staff are skilled in managing children’s complex needs and vulnerabilities in the community.

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

Leaders and managers accept children into the home who may be at high risk of exploitation. Staff recognise the signs of criminal exploitation in children. Staff develop trusting relationships so that children are open about any worries they may have when they go out.

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

Leaders and managers have excellent communication with social workers and the police. This helps to keep children safe.

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

Children rarely make complaints. Leaders and managers listen to children and take their concerns very seriously. When an allegation was made about a member of staff, the correct procedures were followed. During the investigation, the child and the staff member were kept informed of the process. Leaders and managers prioritise children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by an experienced and skilled manager who cares about children. He is child-centred and a role model for staff. Staff say he is approachable and supportive. The manager is involved in children’s lives, listening to their views and having important conversations with them about their plans. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 5 Staff have regular supervision from leaders and managers. Staff share good practice and reflect on how they meet children’s needs. Monthly team meetings and management discussions provide further opportunities for reflection and oversight. Leaders and managers promote a culture where respectful challenge is accepted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager meets with staff to identify any learning needs when a child leaves the home. This identifies good practice and any improvements that are required. At one meeting, staff reflected on the plan for a child who recently entered the care system. There was little information available about the child’s risks when they moved in. The manager accepts the need to more fully explore children’s history when there is limited information available. This review of referrals is not yet demonstrated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager completes a monthly check of records, including children’s plans, staff files and health and safety in the home. This contributes to a 6-monthly report that describes the service. The manager does not include any feedback from children, staff, or partner agencies. This is a missed opportunity to evaluate the quality of the care provided and use the views of others to improve the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 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 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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5)) 31 May 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they have an understanding of children’s histories to assess the impact on children currently living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 38, paragraph 8.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 7

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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 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Next Stage 4Life Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 146 Bolton Road, Atherton, Manchester M46 9LF

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Inspector

Sue Garner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2600759 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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