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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 1 SC034241

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Kisimul Group Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service 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. The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2007. He is suitably qualified for his role.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted suspended this service on 31 October 2018 because a number of allegations of abusive practice were made to Lincolnshire police. A police investigation is continuing. On 8 January 2019, the suspension lapsed. Following consultation with Lincolnshire police, Ofsted placed the following additional conditions of registration on the service:

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This monitoring visit

 The provider is to inform Ofsted directly before lifting the suspension of any staff.  Each staff member is to be accompanied by at least one other staff member while working directly with children.  The provider will ensure a senior management presence (above team leader) on each shift. This will include some direct observation and evaluation of care practice.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was to monitor compliance with these conditions.

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This monitoring visit

The conditions are being adhered to. There are no staff lone working with the young people. In addition, a manager above team leader level is observing at least part of Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 2 each shift, including at night.

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This monitoring visit

However, given the serious nature of the allegations being investigated by Lincolnshire police, Ofsted is not fully reassured that the organisation and the registered manager are evaluating care practices robustly. This is because:

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This monitoring visit

 The visiting managers who come in to oversee each shift do not visit each young child to oversee staff care practices. Managers cannot be secure in their judgement that each child is safe or that staff are not lone working.  Records of management visits do not show the duration of the visit. This makes it difficult for the registered persons to check the quality and effectiveness of each visit.  The registered manager has not picked up the above shortfalls himself.  The registered manager has not been effective in scrutinising staff rotas to check that there is no lone working. The rota and other records viewed did not consistently identify which areas staff were deployed to in the home. Although the registered manager was able to clarify this during the monitoring visit, he had not identified this shortfall himself.  The registered manager was unaware of an incident that resulted in a young person being monitored for bruising.

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This monitoring visit

 The lack of scrutiny into staff’s practice comes at a time when there are only seven resident young people. Ofsted is not confident that current management arrangements would be sufficient to scrutinise young people’s care if occupancy levels were to increase significantly.

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This monitoring visit

When inspectors arrived, staff did not follow the policy of ensuring that all visitors sign in the visitor’s book. This is of concern because visitors need to be effectively monitored to ensure that no unsuitable people have access to the young people.

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This monitoring visit

Four recommendations remain from the last inspection. These were not checked at this visit and will be carried forward.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/08/2018 Full Good 15/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)(2)(f)(h) 28/01/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that 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 in particular 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 in particular 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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 4 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)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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, The Old Vicarage, 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 inspector Bev Allison, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 5 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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