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

Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 1 SC044562 Registered provider: Kisimul Group Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned service is registered as a children’s home but is also a residential special school. The setting cares for 39 children who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 February 2019

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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: 24 October 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/10/2017 Full Outstanding 16/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Good 01/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 2

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(d)) 04/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) This is with particular reference to up-to-date and clear care plans and risk assessments.  Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person

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Recommendations

should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8) This is with reference to pathway plans and timely transition planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a good overall experience at this home. A social worker said, ‘The young person has made progress here in a short space of time.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand young people well. Staff pick up on the non-verbal cues that young people give them. In doing so, staff support young people to reduce their anxieties and regulate their own behaviours. A social worker said, ‘I am impressed with how well staff understand the young people.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a strong understanding of young people’s communication methods. Because of this, staff understand the views and wishes of the young people well. Staff give young people opportunities to make decisions and choices that they were previously unable to make. Young people can make their own decisions about clothing, food, activities, communication methods and access to the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the clear routines and structures of the home. Staff work consistently across care, therapy and education to achieve shared targets. This helps to promote positive outcomes for young people. Collaboration between care staff and education staff is good. The care staff are heavily involved in supporting young people’s engagement in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a healthy diet and take regular exercise. The importance of sensory input for some young people is well understood. However, young people’s health needs Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 4 are not always fully understood and met. There is not a clear understanding of the use and purpose of some medication. There is also inaccurate information in healthcare plans. In addition, there is a long-standing difficulty in relation to young people’s access to child and adolescent mental health services. This is yet to be resolved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care plans are not always up to date. The care planning documentation and risk assessments are complex and not easy to read.

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

Safeguarding procedures have been updated and shared with staff. Staff understand safeguarding processes. There have been regular safeguarding management meetings, with action plans identified. A confidential whistle-blowing telephone line is in place for staff. The manager has ensured that updated whistle-blowing processes are available to staff. Staff have a good understanding of whistle-blowing procedures.

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

The staff are working towards the home’s objective of reducing restrictive practices. This will take time to be fully embedded but, for some young people, there has been a reduced number of physical interventions as a result of this focus. Staff are trained in the appropriate and safe use of physical interventions and know that these should only be used as a last resort. There are clear records of physical interventions. These complement good management oversight and effective debriefs for staff and young people after incidents.

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

Supervision is used well to discuss safeguarding matters with staff. In most cases, information is shared appropriately with safeguarding agencies. A social worker said, ‘I have regular and good-quality communication from staff. I am informed of any incidents and safeguarding matters have been appropriately referred to me.’ However, one incident that should have been referred to the designated officer was not referred. This did not have any impact on the young people.

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

The designated officer has also referred an issue to the provider that was not robustly responded to and not recorded sufficiently.

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

An employment reference for a staff member who has recently been appointed to the home is not available. Although other references were taken, this reference should have been obtained as per schedule two of the regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and has good oversight of the home. She understands the home’s strengths and areas of development. For example, the manager has been focusing on reducing restrictive practices. Training has been provided to staff so that they can reflect on and adapt their own practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Quality assurance systems are effective. Managers complete regular spot checks and observations of staff practice. The registered manager is taking a lead across the wider Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 5 organisation in improving the quality of debriefs after incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented a new system of welfare checks with staff. Productive team meetings and high-quality supervision ensure that staff can evaluate their own work practice and develop strategies to improve the quality of care provided to young people. The management team is committed to making continued improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has appropriately challenged agencies when there have been any delays or shortfalls in the services provided to young people. Staff are committed advocates for young people. However, there are a significant number of young people that should be in the process of pathway planning and transition planning. There has not been sufficient challenge to social workers and other agencies when timely and effective transition planning has not taken place.

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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

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: SC044562 6

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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

Bev Allison, social care inspector Joanne Vyas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 7 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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