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

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 From their admission, children and young people make excellent progress in all aspects of their development.  Children and young people with severe learning difficulties and extremely complex and challenging behaviours are exceptionally well supported by staff. As a result, incidents of challenging behaviour significantly reduce.  Children and young people present as very happy and settled. They enjoy positive relationships with caring and committed staff who provide them with high levels of praise and encouragement, alongside high levels of structure, routine and clear and consistent boundaries.  Staff are creative and use a range of methods and tools to ensure that children and young people with communication difficulties are fully consulted about every aspect of their care.  A highly skilled staff team implements comprehensive risk management and behaviour support plans which provide children and young people

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

with a high level of safety.  The multidisciplinary approach to each child and young person’s care is highly effective. Working practices between care staff, school staff and in-house experts are extremely cohesive. Rigorous monitoring by the multi-disciplinary team ensures that children’s and young people’s care plans are frequently reviewed and updated. This helps to ensure that children and young people continue to be provided with optimum standards of individualised care.  The staff are driven by an enthusiastic and motivated manager. He is very child-focused and has the highest aspirations for children and young people, which staff share.  One recording shortfall is identified as a result of this inspection. This does not have an adverse impact on the safety or well-being of children and young people and does not detract from the outstanding experiences and progress they achieve while living in this home.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include all information and documentation listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child, with particular reference to the date and circumstances of any measure of control, discipline or restraint used in relation to the child. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 30/10/2015

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Information about this children's home

This residential special school, which is registered as a children’s home, is one of three owned by a private company. It provides placements of various lengths for children and young people with severe learning difficulties, autism and challenging behaviour.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17/02/2015 Interim Improved Effectiveness

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outstanding

Children and young people achieve exceptional outcomes. A parent said: ‘My son is doing fantastically on every level. He is now very happy to be amongst other people and his peers and he is now really comfortable out in the community. It is insane for his progress to escalate so rapidly.’ Children and young people are provided with an excellent opportunity to reach their full potential.

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outstanding

Transitions for children and young people moving into the home are extremely well managed. Thorough pre-admission multidisciplinary assessments involve visits to, and observations of, children and young people and discussions with parents and professionals. This ensures that at the point of a planned admission, staff already have a detailed insight into how to meet individual needs. A social worker said: ‘Pre-placement planning is very thorough. I am very impressed. The young person settled so well and is now a completely different boy.’ The careful planning and preparation for new placements ensure that children and young people have the best opportunity to settle successfully into the home.

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outstanding

As children and young people settle into the home, they develop positive and constructive relationships with caring, committed staff who are skilled and who know them well. Staff are also extremely consistent. A parent said: ‘My daughter is happy and relaxed and gets on well with the staff. They understand her so well. As they know her triggers, before she can have a melt-down, staff de-escalate situations and distract her.’ A social worker commented: ‘This young person has made such progress because of consistency. He is provided with clear boundaries and expectations and staff are very joined up from the start.’ Positive relationships, very consistent routines and boundaries alongside high levels of praise and encouragement provide children and young people with the stability and security that they need and deserve.

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outstanding

Education is provided on site and all children and young people engage in individualised full-time packages of education which reflect their strengths, interests, needs and learning styles. From their admission, children and young people make excellent progress. A parent commented: ‘My son’s educational progress has been brilliant. Before he would not hold a pen. Now he is trying to write his name and is learning to read.’ Another said: ‘My son is doing great in school and he loves doing animal husbandry at the upper school.’ A coordinated approach between school and care staff also ensures that all children and young people are consistently supported to achieve individual targets relating to their daily living skills. Progress is very good. A parent said: ‘My son has come on loads and loads and he has developed independence skills. He can now make a sandwich. This is significant progress for him.’ All children’s and young people’s

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outstanding

progress is celebrated. Children and young people are presented with certificates for achievements, no matter how small. Acquiring new skills and awards provides them with a sense of achievement. It also provides them with increased opportunities in adult life.

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outstanding

Children and young people have access to extensive activities and leisure pursuits. An independent reviewing officer commented: ’What young people have been doing is unbelievable. They are constantly out and about doing an endless list of activities. They have some amazing experiences.’ These are tailored around individual choices and preferences and comprise activities such as sailing, swimming, climbing, horse riding, photography, gardening, dining out, and trips to different places of interest both locally and further afield. Children and young people had fun at the annual prom night recently, an event they were fully involved in planning. They also enjoy weekly club nights at the local village hall. These often involve learning about and celebrating different cultures. Recent themes have included Russia and Norway. The participation in different leisure activities provides children and young people with excellent experiences. It enables

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outstanding

them to feel an integral part of their community. It also provides them with an opportunity to socialise, stay healthy, have fun and increase their awareness of different cultures.

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outstanding

Despite children and young people having communication difficulties, children’s and young people’s views remain central to all aspects of their care. A range of communication methods which reflect different communication styles and levels of understanding, such as photographs, pictures, social stories and observations are used to ascertain preferences and to help children and young people make choices. As a result, they develop confidence. A social worker said: ‘This young person used to be really anxious but he is now relaxed, engaged and able to express his wishes and feelings.’ Excellent levels of communication and consultation are empowering for children and young people. It helps them feel respected and valued and this helps raise their self-esteem.

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outstanding

Relationships between children and young people and their families are supported extremely well. Support to assist children’s and young people’s understanding of their identity is effective. A parent commented: ‘Staff have helped our son understand who he is. The first time he communicated verbally and physically, who we are and what our relationship is, was a magical moment for us all.’ The progress children and young people make in all areas of their development also has an extremely positive impact on family life. A parent said: ‘The progress my son has made has resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of life for the whole family.’ An improved sense of identity and improved family relationships enhance children’s and young people’s emotional development and help promote an improved quality of life in the longer term. Judgement grade

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outstanding

Staff are very well trained in respect of safeguarding practices and work in accordance with the home’s safeguarding policies. They demonstrate a good understanding of what to do should a safeguarding situation arise and a good understanding of the home’s whistleblowing procedures. Allegations or concerns which come to the attention of the manager are swiftly reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The staff and managers excellent understanding of safeguarding practices significantly reduces the risk of harm to children and young people.

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outstanding

Social workers and parents report that children and young people are safe living in this home. A young person confirmed this by saying: ’I am happy and safe.’ A parent said: ‘My daughter is very safe and very well looked after.’ There are high staffing ratios and very good levels of supervision. This, and the positive relationships children and young people have with staff, helps to create an emotionally safe and secure environment.

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outstanding

Extremely comprehensive risk management plans implemented by staff offer children and young people a high level of protection. Children and young people who have a history of posing a risk to either themselves or others are very closely monitored. This does not, however, prohibit children and young people from participating in a wide range of activities in the local community and further afield. Rather, robust risk assessments enable them to enjoy new experiences and take reasonable risks as part of their growth and development without either their own or other’s safety being compromised. A parent said: ‘My son is living life to the full regardless of his severe disability.’

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outstanding

Children and young people benefit greatly from the comprehensive multi-agency packages of support that they receive. The extremely strong and positive working relationships between care staff, education staff, the in-house psychology team and in-house speech and language therapists and occupational therapists ensure that approaches to help and support are consistently delivered to a high standard. As a result, levels of challenging and risky behaviours, such as physical aggression and self-harm, significantly reduce. A parent said: ‘Our son’s aggressive outbursts and self-harming have gone from several times a day to one now and again.’

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outstanding

Although some children and young people have a history of running away from home, there has never been an incident of any child or young person going missing. High staffing ratios, close monitoring and staff’s understanding of the home’s missing from care policy have provided children and young people with a high level of protection in this area.

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outstanding

Children’s and young people’s behaviour is extremely well managed. Positive relationships, high levels of praise and consistent multidisciplinary approaches, reinforced through regular behaviour management training and therapy forums have had a positive effect on children’s and young people’s behaviours. One parent said: ‘I have seen a tremendous improvement in our son’s behaviour. The staff are really good at redirecting behaviours.’ Another said: ‘My son’s behaviour had spiralled out of control before he came here but the staff have worked on all areas, tapping into his sensory needs and occupational therapy needs which makes him respond in a totally different way.’

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outstanding

The approach by staff, under the guidance of the psychology team to reduce the level and frequency of physical interventions in the home, has been extremely effective. Incidents have reduced significantly, with the majority of children and young people not requiring any physical interventions. A parent commented: ‘Our son was being restrained multiple times a day in his previous placement. I am delighted to report that since moving to this home a year ago, he has not been restrained once.’ This is testament to the skill of the staff in de-escalating challenging behaviours. On the few occasions when physical interventions have been necessary as a very last resort, debriefs for staff and children and young people consistently occur. The manager also robustly monitors patterns and trends to ensure that practice remains of a high standard in this area.

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outstanding

One shortfall in relation to the recording of physical intervention has been identified. This is in relation to the date and circumstances of all incidents being recorded in children’s and young people’s individual case records. Rather, this information is recorded centrally. This is a regulatory shortfall which results in children’s and young people’s case records being incomplete. This does not have an impact on the safety and well-being of children and young people and it does not detract from the outstanding quality of care that is being provided.

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outstanding

The registered manager is very experienced, having been the manager of this home for the last 12 years. He is currently completing the required manager’s qualification and is due to complete this within the timescales set out within the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015. The home is extremely well managed by a committed, enthusiastic and child- centred manager. He has high aspirations for children and young people and he is passionate about improving their life experiences and life chances. Staff share his vision. In addition, as a result of staff vacancies recently being filled, morale in the home has significantly improved. Consequently, there is now a full staff team who work cohesively to ensure that children’s and young people’s needs are met to a consistently high standard.

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outstanding

Staff are very well trained. Induction programmes are comprehensive. All staff continue to engage in a rolling programme of training based on the needs of the children and young people living in the home. Additionally, staff have access to the in-house psychology team, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists to discuss children’s and young people’s specific sensory, physical, communication, behavioural and emotional needs. As a consequence of excellent training and support, children and young people benefit greatly from care being provided to them by skilled staff who are equipped to meet their specific complex needs.

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outstanding

Regular supervision, productive care team meetings and good monitoring of staff practice, including unannounced night-time visits, ensures monitoring of staff practice is robust. This provide scope for staff development and further improvements in the delivery of care.

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outstanding

The home’s statement of purpose is comprehensive and provides parents and placing authorities with clear and accurate information about how children and young people will be helped and supported while living in the home. Children and young people are also provided with excellent information about the home via the young person’s guide. This is put together available in different formats, taking into account their level of understanding and style of communication.

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outstanding

The home has excellent systems to monitor all aspects of children’s and young people’s care and the progress they make. Regular multidisciplinary meetings in respect of each child or young person and data collected in respect of all significant incidents which arise in the home enable managers to analyse patterns and trends in behaviours. This ensures that care plans and risk management plans remain effective and that changes are instigated to improve the quality and effectiveness of these plans. Children’s and young people’s experiences and progress are also monitored through the collection of photographs of their experiences and achievements. Robust monitoring systems demonstrate to placing authorities and parents what impact living in the home is having on children and young people. In addition, the photographs provide children and young people and their families with a record of their progress and experiences, something they can treasure and

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outstanding

Quality assurance monitoring of the home, both internally and externally, is effective. Minor shortfalls identified are swiftly addressed. This, as well as new developments proposed by the management team, is indicative of a service that strives to improve what is already an outstanding service.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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