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 children stay overnight for more than 295 days per year. The home provides care and education for up to 55 children who have severe learning difficulties and challenging behaviour. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2007.

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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 was completed, and a number of staff remain suspended.

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This monitoring visit

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

Two monitoring visits have taken place to monitor these additional conditions. At the last full inspection, in June 2019, the home was judged as inadequate in all areas. The overall progress and experience of children were weakened by ongoing Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 2 safeguarding shortfalls. These shortfalls related to the fact that a number of staff members did not have confidence in the home’s managers to respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns. A restriction notice preventing further admissions to the home was issued following the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

This visit is to further monitor compliance with the additional conditions and to monitor adherence to the restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

The additional conditions continue to be adhered to. Although there has been a marked improvement in the safeguarding culture of the home, the conditions will remain in place until Ofsted and local safeguarding agencies are confident that improvements have been fully embedded.

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This monitoring visit

The restriction notice has been adhered to. No children have been admitted to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The safeguarding culture has improved because:

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This monitoring visit

 A significant amount of work has gone into improving communication between staff and managers.  Staff reported improved visibility of senior managers.  Staff reported an increased confidence in managers. Twenty-five staff members were spoken to during the visit. They all stated that they feel confident to report concerns directly to managers.  Staff feel that they are working better as a team.  Direct observations and shift debriefs by managers have been supportive of staff.  Night staff are well supervised and supported by the newly appointed night manager.

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This monitoring visit

A staff member said, ‘There [have] been major changes here.’ A big factor in this is that there is now a clear acceptance of previous shortfalls. Leaders and managers are recognising that longer-term strategic planning is required to have an impact on change and to avoid repeated failings. The organisation has commissioned an independent investigator to complete the investigations. This is now being robustly managed. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/06/2019 Full Inadequate 07/08/2018 Full Good 15/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 4

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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

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered person seeks to increase trust between staff and managers so that staff have confidence in all safeguarding processes. 09/09/19

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Recommendations

 Staff skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. Staff should encourage children to express their views about whether they feel safe both within and outside the home. Staff should support children to understand how to ask for help to stay safe and that the home is an environment which supports this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14)

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Recommendations

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

Bev Allison, social care inspector Judith Longden, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 6 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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