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 Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 37 children who have learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 November 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 26 February 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2019 Full Good 24/10/2017 Full Outstanding 16/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 3

p.2

Recommendations

 Many children placed in homes may undergo a difficult transition and what should be simple aspects of their care take on a substantial significance in this context. Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The home should work in partnership with relevant people as appropriate to ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and

p.3

Recommendations

understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. This may include the use of and support to use communication aids, equipment and/or any necessary language support. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and

p.3

Recommendations

restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16) Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most young people have made good progress. They develop physically, emotionally and socially. Staff support young people to broaden their life experiences by encouraging more varied diets, full participation in community activities, better engagement in education and more positive family time.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from the routines and structures of the home. Care staff work consistently with education staff to promote shared targets and agreed outcomes for young people. All young people are engaged in education. This represents significant progress for most young people.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have opportunities to share their views during house meetings. This could be further developed to ensure that young people’s individual communication programmes are fully accessible and promoted.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand young people’s needs. There are good relationships between staff and young people. These help young people to become more comfortable in social situations. Young people develop better social skills as a result of the support and reassurance that they are given by staff. A parent said that their son ‘is interacting more with others and is developing his independence’.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have worked hard to engage with mental health services. This has improved the way that mental health needs are monitored and reviewed. The work has contributed to a significant reduction in physical interventions for one young person. When young people have experienced trauma before moving to the home, staff promote access to specialist therapeutic services. However, previous life experiences are not always recorded in young people’s care plans to inform staff members’ understanding of current presenting behaviours.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A small number of young people have access to advocacy support. However, some young people, including children looked after living some distance from their family home, have not yet been considered for this service.

p.4

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

Staff have demonstrated considerable commitment and resilience when supporting young people with very complex needs. Staff have worked well together and have trust and confidence in managers to ensure that the right outcomes are achieved for all young people. When young people’s needs cannot be safely met, the manager has taken the decision to end placements only when all other options have been fully exhausted. However, the impact of such behaviours on other young people’s day-to-day experiences has not been fully considered.

p.4

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

The manager has developed good working relationships with safeguarding agencies. She Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 5 is careful to refer any potential safeguarding concerns promptly to the appropriate agencies. This transparent approach promotes the safety and welfare of young people.

p.4

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

The manager has reviewed staff practice in an effort to reduce the use of restraint. Additional training has been provided to staff. As a result, the use of restraint has reduced. However, for some more restrictive restraint techniques, a greater level of management scrutiny would provide more opportunities to identify potential improvements to practice.

p.5

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

In some areas, elements of institutionalised care still exist. This is particularly around arrangements for mealtimes and activity planning. On occasion, when carrying out care tasks, staff talk about children rather than talking to children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an excellent overview of the service. She is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and works hard with the team to address any shortfalls. The manager has a vast amount of management experience and has recently completed a higher level management qualification.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Alongside regular team meetings, staff have opportunities to reflect on their practice and to discuss what worked well and what did not work well. When children experience difficult periods, the staff team members try to learn lessons that will help them to improve the support that they provide.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have extensive training opportunities. They feel well supported by managers and feel that managers are accessible. Staff say that teamwork is good, and that staff work well together. They are able to report concerns to managers and are confident that managers will take any concerns seriously. Whistleblowing systems are well understood.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers advocate effectively for young people. There are several examples of managers challenging other agencies to ensure that young people have access to the services that they need. This has particularly improved health outcomes for young people.

p.5

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 6 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

p.5

Information about this inspection

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 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kisimul Group Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kisimul School, The Old Vicarage High Street, Swinderby, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 9LU

p.7

Inspectors

Bev Allison: social care inspector Joanne Vyas: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC044562 8 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.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8