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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 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 is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. Both children were spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 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

Date of last inspection: 24 February 2026

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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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

24/02/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/10/2024 Full Outstanding 07/06/2023 Full Good 03/05/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 3

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Summary of findings

Children’s experiences and progress in the home are good, overall. Staff work effectively with partner agencies to keep children as safe as they can. This includes helping children to develop resilience and better decision-making.

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Summary of findings

The registered manager has not been present at the home on a day-to-day basis for some time. The clinical lead and the head of care provide support to the assistant manager to manage the home. However, this does not provide the home with the leadership and management it needs, and management oversight is not consistent. There is no effective method of monitoring and reviewing information to inform practice development in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respect children’s identities and support them to maintain important relationships in their lives. Staff have good relationships with children’s families. Staff provide regular updates to family members, so they know what is happening in the children’s lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good physical health and attend all their routine appointments. Staff support children to engage with specialist professionals with regard to their emotional wellbeing. Children have established positive working relationships with the in-house therapist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prepare children for when it is time to move on from the home. Transition planning is child focused, and the pace is tailored to ensure that children experience a positive ending and can manage their move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to take part in activities they know and enjoy, and encourage new experiences. This helps children to expand their experiences in a safe and respectful environment. For one child, preparing for and bringing pets home has helped them to develop a sense of responsibility, support their emotional attachment and build their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The language used in records is not always positive or helpful to children. This has not been picked up through management oversight. On one occasion, the language used by staff to describe a child’s behaviour triggered an aggressive response from the child. This negatively affects the trusting relationships between staff and children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all children are engaged in appropriate education. Staff do not demonstrate that education is a priority or provide alternative methods of learning if children do not attend school. There is no consistent structure or routine to support children who are Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 4 out of education. This does not prepare them for a productive day and does not encourage them to be ready to learn.

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

Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with children and are committed to understanding the impact of children’s experiences. Staff are knowledgeable about the children and their needs, with risk assessments and care plans regularly updated. Children have familiar staff to turn to when they need support. Staff understand children’s risks well.

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

Staff work with each child to help them understand risk through various direct-work sessions. Staff share information with children and have discussions to help them to make safer decisions. Staff with stronger relationships with the children carry out this work, which increases their effectiveness.

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

Staff know what to do when a child goes missing from the home. They follow the relevant guidance and processes in place, collaborating effectively with other professionals. Staff are creative in helping to find children; they are determined and their quick thinking contributes to the children’s safe return.

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

A clinical lead undertakes fortnightly reflective consultations to support staff in establishing strategies of working with each child. As new information emerges about children’s needs, the clinical lead puts in place targeted training for staff to improve their ability to respond to the child. Staff consistently report this learning to be helpful.

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

When children’s behaviour negatively impacts on one other in the home, staff are skilled at supporting them towards resolution. Staff use positive activities and experiences to repair children’s relationships. Staff encourage children to reflect on how their choices make others feel and ensure that children feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is no longer managing the home on a day-to-day basis. There is currently an active recruitment campaign, and senior leaders have been present in the home to support staff. However, there is no one person who is in daily charge of the home. The recent change in management has created instability for the children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight does not consistently evaluate and analyse patterns and trends in the home. Monthly management audits are not used in a meaningful way, and some are unavailable to review. This hinders valuable opportunities to understand children’s behaviour and how staff can adapt practice to achieve better outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Allegations are taken seriously and are fully investigated. Partner agencies, including the designated officer from the local authority, are appropriately informed and Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 5 immediate action is taken to ensure children are safe. However, one investigation identified learning for staff that has not been implemented, and the outcome of the investigation has not been shared with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Individual supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly and include reflective discussion. In addition, staff can reflect as a group with the support of the clinical lead. Tasks set at each supervision session are not routinely monitored and reviewed by the manager to assure leaders of practice development, therefore objectives set are not tracked.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and staff build positive relationships with partner professionals. Staff provide regular updates in a timely way. All professionals identified communication as a particular strength. Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 6

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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

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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 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 14 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 14 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2) (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. 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 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 8

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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 9

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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

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1270297 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 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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