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

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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 large children’s s home is privately owned. It has a school attached. It is registered as a children’s s home, because young people stay overnight for more than 295 days per year. The home provides care for up to 43 children and young people who have severe learning difficulties and behaviours that challenge. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2007. An acting manager is currently overseeing the service in the absence of the registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 September 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the last full inspection, Ofsted served a restriction notice on the home. The Inspection report children‟s home: SC034241 2 notice prevented the home from admitting any new children. This notice has been adhered to.

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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 children‟s home: 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iii)(iv)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to care practice that can be perceived as institutional. 17/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. 17/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC034241 4 The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited. (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to gaining children’s views, wishes and feelings in relation to their day-to-day care arrangements and promoting their individual communication plans. 17/12/2019

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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 24/09/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC034241 5 person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to a particular incident of a child being left inadequately supervised. The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to an administrative error in relation to the Disclosure and Barring Service check for one agency staff member. 24/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). 17/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC034241 6 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5)) The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

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Requirement Due date

any change in the identity of the responsible individual. (Regulation 49(e)(iii)) 24/09/2019

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Recommendations

 Those commissioning training in restraint for children’s homes staff should be satisfied that the training fits with their approach to restraint or existing restraint system, and is appropriate to the needs of the children the home is set up to care for. They should see evidence that any restraint techniques the training advocates for have been medically assessed to demonstrate their safety for use in a context of caring for children who are still developing, physically and emotionally. The registered person should routinely review the effectiveness of any restraint system commissioned. In particular, they should check the medical assessment of the system remains up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.48)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should

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Recommendations

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)

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Inspection judgements

Inspection report children‟s home: SC034241 7

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improvement to be good

Better safeguarding arrangements have improved the overall progress and experience of children. A new leadership team, which includes a new acting manager, is working constructively with safeguarding agencies to address previously identified shortfalls at the home.

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improvement to be good

The previous allegations of abuse, which led to the temporary suspension of the service and ongoing investigations into a large number of staff, have had a significant impact on the operation of the home. The staff who are subject to investigation remain suspended while an independent agency completes investigations. However, there are sufficient numbers of staff to ensure the safe operation of the home.

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improvement to be good

Interactions between staff and children are generally positive. However, there are some institutionalised care practices. For example, children’s s mealtime routines are not personalised. The acting manager is aware of this issue and is addressing it as part of an ongoing action plan.

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improvement to be good

Children’s communication needs are identified in their care plans. However, there is a lack of evidence that children’s progress against these plans is monitored or evaluated. Children’s feedback forms have been tokenistic. Communication plans are not clearly devised around children’s individual communication methods or programmes.

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improvement to be good

Most children have been supported to make progress since the last full inspection. Staff know children well and understand their need for structured routines. Staff offer children a number of activities to enrich their lives and teach them life skills. For one child, daily access to community activities has helped him to move smoothly to his next placement. Two children have been supported with extensive transition planning, including visits by staff to new services and multidisciplinary planning.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to increase their social interactions and spend more time in the community. Children who have previously been isolated are better able to cope in community settings. Children experience less anxiety, have more positive experiences and learn to regulate their own behaviours.

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improvement to be good

A social worker gave positive feedback on the support provided for one particular child during a particularly challenging period in his life. The social worker said, ‘The determination that I have seen from staff in fighting to get the right outcomes for him has been remarkable. Thank you for your commitment, resilience and positivity.’

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improvement to be good

Inspection report children‟s home: SC034241 8 The management’s response to safeguarding has improved. These improvements mean that staff are now more confident about reporting any concerns that they might have. Conduct and performance issues have been reported properly by staff and addressed robustly by managers. This demonstrates that whistle-blowing systems are more effective. Managers have a clear plan for ensuring that these improvements continue and become firmly embedded. For example, a series of workshops have been introduced for staff covering several safeguarding topics.

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improvement to be good

Staff said that the new acting manager is more visible and more responsive. They said that there is better communication between managers and staff. As a result, they feel that they are better supported. Staff noted that the more engaging management style is ‘a breath of fresh air’. Staff also noted that the newly appointed night manager is equally supportive and accessible. Better communication between staff and managers improves the safeguarding culture of the home. Staff reflected on the difficult summer that has been experienced by one child who has complex and challenging behaviours. The needs of this child have put some strain on the staff who care for him. However, staff said that managers have supported them well to implement the agreed care strategies.

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improvement to be good

Despite clear improvements in the management’s s approach to safeguarding, the response to one particular incident, which related to the lack of supervision of a child, was not strong enough. In addition, children’s communication plans do not always enable them to share their views on their own safety and well-being. The home needs to be confident that children are able to report concerns or make a complaint.

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improvement to be good

An administrative error was identified in relation to the Disclosure and Barring Service check for an agency staff member. This did not impact on the safety of children. However, the shortfall does indicate that there are some weaknesses in the recruitment processes. The acting manager took immediate action to rectify this.

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improvement to be good

Although, on the whole, staff understand and respond appropriately to children’s presenting risks, risk assessments and risk management plans could be made easier for staff to understand and follow.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The acting manager has clear and realistic plans for improving the home so that it consistently delivers good-quality care. Meaningful steps have already been taken to address the most urgent issues, particularly those that relate to the home’s safeguarding ethos. Managers communicate with staff in an open and transparent manner. Staff have more confidence in their managers and morale has improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The acting manager recognises that there is a need for modernisation. This is demonstrated by the decision to ensure that each child has their own bedroom that they do not have to share with another child. The manager has also thought about the language used in care plans and other documents, so that a greater emphasis is placed on children’s wider progress and experience. For example, care records no longer refer to children as ‘pupils’. Inspection report children‟s home: SC034241 9 Managers and staff continue to adhere fully to additional safeguarding measures that were previously imposed by Ofsted. This has promoted the safety and welfare of children. Evaluation and oversight of safeguarding matters are effective, and direct observation of practice and regular testing of staff competence take place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home’s improvement plan operates alongside existing monitoring and quality assurance systems. The acting manager and director of the organisation have acknowledged that improvement would be better supported by one clear action plan. External monitoring visits have improved. This provides for a more objective evaluation of the service.

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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: SC034241 10

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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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Inspectors

Bev Allison: social care inspector Tracy Murty: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC034241 11 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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