Children's Home, Residential special school run by Kisimul Group Limited in Lincolnshire

Unique reference number SC034241 Inspection date 28/11/2012 Inspector Elizabeth Tanner Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Residential special school (>295 days/year)

p.1

Date of last inspection 19/01/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Brief description of the service

The school is one of three owned by the company and is registered as a children's home. The school provides placements of various lengths for children and young people with severe learning disabilities, autism and challenging behaviour. The senior school is situated a few miles away.

p.3

Brief description of the service

The school provides residential accommodation for 45 young people. Education is provided in a separate building situated on site.

p.3

The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

This home provides an exceptionally high standard of personalised care for young people. Meticulous and detailed planning underpins a comprehensive quality of care. This in turn promotes positive outcomes. Young people make significant progress and their behaviour, health, education and safeguarding needs are fully supported in this home.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people's needs and their views are central to all aspects of the home's operation and their views are sought using a varied range of non-verbal communication tools. Young people demonstrate that they feel safe in this home through their behaviour and responses to staff. Staff have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The service is effectively managed by an experienced Registered Manager and management team. Systems are in place for ensuring rigorous monitoring of the quality of care and outcomes for young people and are used to drive improvement. The home's development plan is detailed and is an effective tool for shaping further developments in the care offered.

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make excellent progress in achieving positive outcomes in all areas of their lives. Young people gain in confidence and maturity through consistent and focused care. They are encouraged to engage in decision making about their care, for example, by choosing clothing and activities. This helps young people to develop independence skills. One parent said, 'my son has improved hugely in the short time he has been there.'

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from an approach to education that is integrated and promotes stability. Young people are enthusiastic about education and have exceptionally good attendance at the on-site school. This is an achievement, considering the disjointed education experiences of some of the young people prior to their placement in this home. Young people achieve outstanding outcomes in education and this is complemented by the learning opportunities within the home, providing a holistic approach.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people achieve greatly improved health outcomes through effective and consistent care. For example, young people significantly improve their language or other communication skills to enable greater participation in the life of the home. Young people are able to reduce some challenging and difficult behaviours, which helps to ensure an improvement in their emotional well-being.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy positive contact with family and friends, through visits, e-mails and telephone contact, where appropriate. Young people may have photographs of family members in the home, ensuring a sense of continuity and security.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from participation in personalised independence skills programmes. This helps them develop greater independence skills; for example, they may work to agreed and regularly reviewed targets, such as choosing clothing or laying the table.

p.4

Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

p.4

Quality of care

Young people are cared for by a dedicated, motivated and well trained staff team. Care is highly personalised and well planned. Care, education, risk and behaviour management plans are comprehensive and excellently detailed. These plans are meaningful because staff understand and respect young people’s individual needs and differences. Plans give clarity about how staff are to support young people, thus ensuring that individual needs are met. Young people progress because their set targets and challenges are achievable.

p.4

Quality of care

Young people are provided with a healthy environment where they have access to the services and support they require to meet their physical and emotional needs. Young people's often complex health needs and care strategies are thoroughly recorded in their care plans. Procedures are in place to access emergency health services. Communication between staff is good and this ensures that staff are confident about the information they have to inform their practice. Staff are knowledgeable and aware of individual needs and can draw on specialist professional help as required. In-house psychologists work closely with both school and care staff to plan and deliver effective programmes to promote health and welfare.

p.4

Quality of care

Young people’s education is supported with individual plans. The routines in the house, including bedtimes, getting up and mealtimes, are arranged in order to promote education and attendance.

p.5

Quality of care

There are many opportunities for young people to engage in a range of purposeful and enjoyable activities. Individual timetables are developed for young people that encourage new challenges and social experiences. Young people are consulted about activities they may wish to try and these are facilitated if possible. Young people can enrol on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, attend youth club, go swimming, try rock climbing and bowling and enjoy social activities such as meals out or the theatre.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people experience activities and foods from a range of different countries and cultures, so enriching their experiences of diversity and difference. As a result, young people develop in identity, confidence and a sense of achievement.

p.5

Quality of care

The accommodation consists of a large house with further residential blocks in the grounds. There is a separate school building on the site. All areas are well decorated, resourced and maintained to a very high standard. Signs and symbols are placed throughout the home to encourage the communication skills of young people and ensure their wishes and feelings are actively sought. Young people's bedrooms are well maintained and highly personalised.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Robust and individualised strategies are in place to keep young people safe. Young people have appropriate and effective risk assessments in place. These are reviewed at regular intervals. Imaginative ways are identified to enable young people to identify or disclose potential issues of bullying or other forms of harm. Bullying boards are placed throughout the home with easily accessible pictures and symbols to allow a young person to indicate a concern in a flexible manner and not just in a one-to-one situation. This helps to protect young people from harm and allows them choice as to whom they wish to confide.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Positive behaviour is encouraged and young people respond to praise and expressions of approval. If necessary, distraction, re-direction or time-out methods are used to stop a specific action or behaviour. Physical intervention is used as a last resort. All staff receive training to enable them to undertake physical intervention safely. Young people are offered appropriate support following a restraint, to encourage them to express their views and feelings using a range of symbols and signs.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have a sound knowledge of safeguarding and confirm that they receive extensive training in this area. Consequently, young people are cared for by staff who are knowledgeable and confident in the practices necessary to safeguard vulnerable young people. Allegations and suspicions of harm are appropriately managed through liaison with local safeguarding teams.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are carefully selected and vetted and personnel records are maintained to a high standard. Young people live in a safe environment. Regular checks on equipment and installations ensure the home continues to be safe. Regular fire drills ensure that staff and young people know what to do in the event of a fire.

p.6

Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

p.6

Leadership and management

The home is efficiently and effectively managed by an experienced Registered Manager. The service excels at providing young people with structured and effective individualised care that promotes their health, welfare and education. Management systems are established and robust and there are clear indicators to demonstrate young people's individual progress during their placements. For example, young people may learn to share with their peers or join in with group activities.

p.6

Leadership and management

The staff team are experienced, qualified and well trained to support young people. There are clear policies and procedures are in place to assist them in their work. Staff receive regular supervision and training and say they feel fully supported in their work. Staff know to whom they are accountable and what levels of responsibility are delegated to them.

p.6

Leadership and management

The home runs in accordance with its Statement of Purpose. Young people are provided with good information about the home in an easy-to-read welcome guide and in various formats appropriate to their communication needs. Rigorous monitoring of the service identifies shortfalls, emerging trends and opportunities for development. This means that the quality of care received by young people is both monitored and improved. An ambitious development plan is in place, with realistic and achievable targets to further develop this service.

p.6

About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

p.7

About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

p.7