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

Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 1 SC034241 Registered provider: Kisimul Group Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for 55 young people, who have learning disabilities. There is also a school on site, and resident young people attend the school.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to receive good-quality care. They are happy and safe. One parent was particularly complimentary about how the home has helped her daughter to deal with anxiety and stress, which in turn has had a positive impact on other aspects of family life.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have great opportunities to participate in activities in the community. They regularly go out in the evenings and in the school holidays. They eat out, go shopping and practise their independence skills in the community.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

All staff report that the staffing levels in the home are safe, but due to recent staff shortages, young people’s activities are more difficult to arrange. Staff are good at Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 2 finding alternative ways to manage activities to ensure that young people are not adversely affected by staff shortages. Good teamwork is evident. Staff work well together to provide consistency for young people and to keep them safe. Managers continue to work on staff recruitment, to ensure that there is consistency and stability in the staff team.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are encouraged to have their say. They voice their opinions about what they enjoy and about the quality of their lives. New vocabulary and symbols are made available to young people so that they can participate in making choices, such as the colour of their bedroom.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Detailed and effective transition planning takes place for young people moving into or leaving the home. Work to prepare young people has been effective. Young people, some of whom find transitions very difficult, are very well supported. Their anxiety is reduced. Managers seek feedback from staff to ascertain the success of transitions. Lessons are learned to improve the service for young people in the future.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When young people need support with their behaviour, plans clearly set out the care required. Plans are creative and detail proactive strategies as well as reactive strategies. They clearly set out when young people should be restrained to protect their welfare. Managers ensure that they monitor the use of restraint closely, particularly if restraint is used regularly. They make sure that each restraint is necessary and proportionate, given the circumstances.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Restraint records continue to improve. More recent records are clearer about exactly why each restraint was necessary. This makes it easier for the reader to establish that very vulnerable young people are safe. It also enables the manager and the organisation to monitor restraint practice. Managers look for alternative solutions and think ‘outside the box’. They work very hard with other professionals to make a positive impact on young people’s behaviour, wherever they can. The deputy manager has recently spoken to other professionals about one young person who is drifting, and who needs extra support with their complex behaviour. This demonstrates a determination to put young people first.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and managers acknowledge young people’s vulnerability. This is particularly important when young people do not have verbal speech, have physical disabilities and/or require personal care. When there have been safeguarding issues, the manager ensures that he quickly refers all information to the appropriate authorities. He has a very good working relationship with safeguarding professionals in the local area. When he is asked to investigate safeguarding matters, these investigations are thorough.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The recording of investigations requires improvement, as records are not clear. Some are illegible and difficult to read. The pages are not numbered and could easily be misplaced or open to misinterpretation. While the manager is clear about decision- making processes within an investigation into a safeguarding matter, this aspect of recording could also be improved. During one investigation, it was difficult to ascertain what had happened and when, because there had been amendments and crossings out Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 3 in an important record. The reason from the amendments was not clear. The clarity of such records is essential in any investigation, now or in the future, to ensure the safety and well-being of young people. This is an issue with recording, and has not yet had an impact on young people. However, it has the potential to do so if this is not put right.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leadership has been effective since the last inspection. The manager is supported by a strong deputy. Together, they have a good working knowledge of the operation of the home. They work hard to make sure that young people’s experiences are good. They are making very good progress in scrutinising staff practice. They have introduced additional management tools since the last inspection. As well as doing regular site checks on all aspects of care, they now receive weekly reports from each area of the building. This helps to make sure that, in a very large setting, no important information is missed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirement from the last inspection, about risk assessments for young people who share bedrooms, has been met. The process for room sharing has been improved. Risk assessments are tailored to individual young people. This helps to ensure that any risk of young people harming each other is reduced.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home does not fully meet the current guidance on room sharing, which is that each young person should have their own bedroom. However, the affected young people’s privacy and dignity is protected as far as possible. The organisation is working on a solution to resolve this situation. It is planning alterations to the building to make sure that, in the future, each young person can have their own bedroom.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The previous requirement about the staff roster is met. The new roster provides absolute clarity. Should there be an investigation, it would be easy to establish which members of staff were on shift.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/08/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/11/2016 Full Good 23/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 4 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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’.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Vicarge, 61 High Street, Swinderby, Lincoln LN6 9LU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Donna Varley-Turner

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Inspectors

Caroline Brailsford, social care inspector Judith Longden, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 5 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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