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

Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 1 SC034241 Registered provider: Kisimul Group Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This residential special school is registered as a children’s home because children stay overnight for more than 295 days per year. The home provides care for up to 37 children and young people with severe learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been a change of acting manager since the last full inspection. The home is currently being led by an acting manager, who is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted.

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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:

A full inspection on 3 May 2023 found the home to be inadequate. Two compliance notices were subsequently issued. At a monitoring visit on 14 June 2023, Ofsted judged that the compliance notices were met. Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2023 Full Inadequate 17/11/2022 Full Good 24/08/2021 Full Good 10/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 3

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improvement to be good

This is the second full inspection in 2023. It follows an inspection in May 2023 when significant concerns were identified in relation to safeguarding children and leadership and management. This specifically related to one of the three separate houses on the site of the children’s home. Since the last inspection, the actions taken by managers and leaders have resulted in children becoming safer. Safeguarding concerns are no longer serious or widespread. However, there remain areas in need of improvement.

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improvement to be good

Children have good relationships with a core group of staff who are dedicated and know the children well. One social worker described staff as ‘loving and caring and going above and beyond for the children’. However, in one of the homes on the site, children have continued to experience a level of disruption because of ongoing staff turnover.

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improvement to be good

Staff meet children’s individual health needs well. Children have access to universal and specialist health services to meet their needs. However, during the inspection, staff failed to consider a child’s need to have sunscreen applied when playing outside on a hot sunny day. This could have resulted in sunburn and pain had inspectors not highlighted this.

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improvement to be good

Some children are non-verbal and express themselves by making high-pitched sounds. Managers have addressed the impact of this on staff by providing earplugs. However, leaders have not fully considered the impact of this on other children who have their own unique sensory needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff use a range of individualised communication systems with children to enable them to express their views about the care they receive. For example, children have recently chosen colour schemes and soft furnishings for their home and their own bedrooms. Children also routinely choose what activities they would like to do and what foods they would like to eat. Advocacy services available to all children further strengthen children’s opportunities to express themselves.

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improvement to be good

The home environment in one of the houses has significantly improved since the last inspection. Like the two other houses on the site, it is now a warm and welcoming environment for children to live in.

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improvement to be good

Feedback from external professionals is positive in respect of the progress children are making in many areas of their lives. This includes in education, developing communication skills and promoting social and independence skills. These are skills that will assist children as they move on to the next stage of their lives. Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 4

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improvement to be good

The required staffing ratios in relation to children’s care are not consistently adhered to in one of the houses. As a result, some children do not always receive the one-to- one support required by their risk assessments. This, coupled at times with a lack of communication between staff, limits the effectiveness of how staff supervise children. For example, on one occasion, due to a lack of adequate one-to-one supervision and support, a child was able to gain access to a pantry where restricted items are stored.

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improvement to be good

Children’s care plans and risk assessments are comprehensive and regularly updated. This helps staff to meet children’s needs. However, staff do not always follow these assessments and plans. For example, one child who required additional monitoring and supervision was able to leave the home without this being noticed because staff had left them unsupervised. Leaders and managers have ensured that lessons have been learned from this incident. Actions arising from this learning, including the use of daily team sheets to clarify which staff member is supporting which child, need to be fully embedded in practice to prevent further incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff across the site use a range of proactive behaviour support strategies to help children manage their emotions. These are largely effective, and there has been a reduction in the use of physical restraint. When staff do use physical restraint, this is proportionate and necessary to safeguard children and staff. The recording and management oversight of restraints have improved. Children also receive debriefs from staff following the use of restraint. However, at times, the staff involved in the restraints undertake these debriefs. This prevents objectivity and limits oversight and learning opportunities.

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improvement to be good

There have been a number of medication recording errors, however, these have not resulted in children being harmed. Leaders and managers have taken action to understand why the errors occurred and they have strengthened systems and processes to prevent further errors. This will improve children’s safety and reduce risks in this area.

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improvement to be good

When recruiting new members of staff, managers follow robust safer recruitment processes. This ensures that only those adults who are thoroughly vetted and assessed as being safe to work with vulnerable children are allowed to work in the home.

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good

There has not been a registered manager in this home for over 26 weeks. Since the last full inspection, there has been a change in acting manager. Despite the instability in management arrangements, the response from leaders to the judgement of inadequate in May 2023 has been strong and effective. Leaders and managers have been reflective and eager to address the shortfalls identified at that Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 5 inspection. An improvement plan is in progress. This now needs to be fully implemented and embedded before it can demonstrate the full impact this will have for children. Leaders are also aware of the time the home has been without a registered manager. Consequently, acting managers are applying to become registered. They understand this is a priority.

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good

A crucial focus for leaders has been retaining a skilled workforce. While there has been some success in recruiting new staff, retention remains a concern. This means that there are not always enough staff with sufficient experience and skills on each shift to meet the complex needs of children, in line with their care plan and risk assessments.

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good

Feedback provided by staff is variable. Some staff report feeling well supported and valued by managers. Conversely, other staff say they feel less valued and that their views are not listened to by managers. Some staff expressed concerns regarding the culture and leadership at the home. Staff prioritise the needs of children to the best of their ability, however, there is a lack of team working by staff in one of the houses, and this has negatively affected staff morale and, consequently, retention.

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good

Monitoring and recording systems have improved and are being embedded and developed. However, the recording and monitoring of any marks or injuries to children still need to be strengthened. The language used in some records could be more sensitive and caring.

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good

Despite managers and staff repeatedly asking local authority social workers for copies of important documents, such as local authority care plans, the documents for some children have not been received. This hinders the manager and staff in following the local authority’s plans and enabling them to measure children’s progress against these plans. Leaders have not yet escalated concerns in this area beyond the local authority social worker to find a resolution.

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good

Not all staff receive regular and individual supervision in line with the organisation’s policy. Despite this, staff have had increased opportunities to learn and develop their skills. Inductions for new staff have improved. Most staff are up to date with mandatory training. Bespoke training, delivered by in-house specialists, is helping staff to understand individual children’s complex needs. The introduction of regular reflective group discussions following incidents is helping staff respond more consistently and confidently to children’s needs. Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 6

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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, The 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 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—

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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 is specifically in relation to staff following children’s risk assessments and plans, in relation to levels of care and supervision. 6 October 2023

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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

manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 6 October 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 7 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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring the home is sufficiently staffed and ensuring that staff work consistently as a team. This also relates to fully implementing and embedding improvements in recording, monitoring and review systems.

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or other 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 children’s needs (see regulation 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent should. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express

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Recommendations

their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases, children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than five days after the incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)  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 is helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’,

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Recommendations

page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 8

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children's home: SC034241 9

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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

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Rachel Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC034241 10 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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