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 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This large children’s home is privately owned. It has a school attached. It is registered as a children’s home, rather than a residential special school, because young people stay overnight for more than 295 days per year. The home provides care and education for up to 55 young people who have severe learning difficulties and challenging behaviour. There is a registered manager who has been registered with Ofsted since 2007. He is suitably qualified for his role.

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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

Date of last inspection: 15 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure children can express themselves as individuals and are given an appropriate degree of freedom and choice in relation to day-to-day arrangements for their care, depending on their individual needs and the setting in which they are cared for. This is particularly in relation to children choosing to share a bedroom with other children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21)  Ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children. This is particularly in relation to staff responses to head injuries. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  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 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62,

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Recommendations

paragraph 14.4)  Ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and young people are excellent, and are built on trust. Young people who have alternative methods of communication are very well understood by the staff who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make tremendous progress in many areas of their lives. They become happier, more settled and safer as a result of living at this home. Their progress and development allow them to live a more fulfilling life. They learn about what they like and enjoy and participate in a wide range of activities that they would not normally be able to access. Their progress was recently very well celebrated by an end of year prom. Photographs show that all young people enjoyed this very positive day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make particularly good progress with their emotional well-being and mental health. Staff completely acknowledge that young people with autism spectrum disorder can have associated and additional mental health issues. They really do understand the complexity of the issue. They ensure that young people always have the help that they need. Overall, young people’s progress is accelerated because of this tenacious approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Personalised social stories are developed for young people. These social stories contain pictures and words which have been chosen so that the young person is likely to understand. They help young people to come to terms with change and transition. This work is highly individualised and creative. It supports young people who would otherwise struggle to make sense of what is happening to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

On the whole, the environment is extremely pleasant. The very well-appointed rooms have a homely feel. There is plenty of space and the home has excellent resources, such as a swimming pool, play areas and garden toys. Young people are able to relax and really enjoy their surroundings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are not enough bedrooms to ensure that each young person can have a room of their own, and many young people share. The organisation has a plan to address this over time. Not all young people are happy with these arrangements, and one young person has not been asked for their view on this. Currently, there is a need for a young person to have their own room as they share a room with a young person who has some personal care issues. There is no contingency planning should a child need to move to a single room. Young people can exercise choice in all other areas of care.

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

Young people are safe, and every member of staff, no matter what their role, makes this their priority. Risks to young people are identified and managed thoroughly. Staff use risk assessments effectively. They use proactive strategies to help young people to manage their anxiety. This means that incidents of difficult behaviour do not escalate Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 5 further. One young person commented that they felt that their best progress was in relation to their behaviour. They said: ‘I used to kick out and hit, and I don’t do it so much.’

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

Staff restrain young people as a last resort, and this is generally well documented. The recording of incidents of restraint is overseen by a manager, who monitors both staff practice and the appropriateness of the restraint.

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

Staff know the young people well. They know when to intervene in young people’s relationships with each other, to protect and support them. Staff are very familiar with what they must do if a child is unsafe. Appropriate action has been taken when issues have arisen.

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

Risks are responded to promptly. For example, when a young person recently went missing from the home there was a quick response and the young person was found safe and well. Reflective practice in the home enables lessons to be learned and any improvements that can be made to practice to be identified.

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

Good strategies are in place to monitor self-harm. However, during an incident where a young person had a head injury due to self-harming behaviour, the staff response was not robust. There have been times when medical attention should have been sought. The manager has made changes to practice, but this improvement is not yet embedded.

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

There are high levels of staff monitoring to make sure that children who share a bedrooms are safe. Risk assessments are used to determine that young people are safe from each other’s behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people make excellent progress, because leaders always prioritise their needs. Young people are highly valued for their own personality and differences. Other professionals have great confidence in the leadership of this home. A key feature of their feedback is how young people always remain at the centre of practice. Everyone has a very positive attitude towards young people, and they are cherished.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership in the home is good. The manager is supported by an effective deputy manager. Together, they know young people’s needs well and their focus is always centred on the young person. They ‘go the extra mile’ and are not afraid to speak out if young people are not receiving the services that they need. They do not stop trying until young people have what they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership is particularly strong in helping young people who are struggling to regulate their behaviour and anxiety. Managers ensure that young people are helped to develop coping strategies, so that they become more settled and happier.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are some good ideas for future developments. For example, there are plans to build a new conservatory and plans for new play areas, with new play equipment. Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 6 Resources are abundant where young people’s needs and enjoyment are concerned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management of staff is good, and managers monitor the performance of staff. Where this is not as good as it should be, managers address this well. Staff receive regular supervision. Staff have the chance to talk about their practice and their work with young people. Staff are well trained to look after young people’s particular needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recording is not consistently of good quality. Some records are inaccurate or undated, and there are unexplained crossings out and amendments. Young people’s daily records are variable in quality. Some do not capture their experiences effectively. There are some improvements in some areas of recording, particularly in relation to safeguarding matters, and the recommendation made at the last inspection in relation to this is met. Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 7

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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 difference 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

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 children’s home: SC034241 8

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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: Kisimul School, 61 High Street, Swinderby, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 9LU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Donna Varley-Turner

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Inspectors

Caroline Brailsford, social care regulatory inspector Denise Jolly, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034241 9 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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