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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 1 SC044562

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home. At the time of this inspection, the home was providing care for 23 disabled children.

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Information about this children's home

There has been no registered manager since November 2025. A new manager has been appointed to lead the home, however, they not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children's home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that a serious incident that occurred at the setting since the last inspection. This is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incidents were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken following safeguarding concerns being notified to Ofsted. This included an incident where information provided to NHS 111 was not accurate, resulting in medical professionals responding to a child’s health needs without all the required information.

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This monitoring visit

Two statutory compliance notices issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard are in place. There is also a restriction of accommodation notice issued by Ofsted and means that the provider cannot admit any other children to the setting while this remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

The senior leaders and managers do not have the appropriate system in place for monitoring the effective delivery of care to children. Additionally, there is a lack of management oversight regarding incidents that have taken place and this is further compounded by senior leaders being were unaware that efficient and effective oversight was not occurring tasking place as would be expected. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 2 There have been several concerning incidents since the last inspection. The incident records do not contain enough detail to provide a clear account of events. Referrals have been made to external professional agencies and information is shared with social care and parents. Debriefs with the children are not purposeful and are not linked to the actual incident. Staff debriefs have not routinely taken place following incidents, and those completed lack reflection and do not capture any lessons learnt.

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This monitoring visit

The staff are not proactive in their care roles and fail to work collaboratively as a team. For example, two children were able to hurt each other after being left unsupervised. A staff member who had just arrived on shift only became aware of the incident when one of the children approached them to show their injuries. It was later established that the children had been left alone because the staff member responsible for them had left the shift and staffing allocations were not handed over at the shift hand over. Another child was left unsupervised in their bedroom for an extended period. When staff checked on him, he had several marks on his body and staff were uncertain how they had been acquired. The manager failed to ensure an incident report and associated documents were completed for this.

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This monitoring visit

Staff appear to be detached from their roles and choose to supervise children rather than actively engaging with them. Some children are keen to sing and dance but this was ignored by staff. Interactions lacked warmth and nurture, and opportunities to build positive relationships were missed. This lack of response could leave children feeling lonely and isolated.

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This monitoring visit

There have been two occasions since the last inspection where staff have used unapproved holds on children. Despite this, the manager has not taken effective action to ensure that the staff involved complete refresher training to strengthen their skills or have their competency reassessed. Instead, the staff have been deployed to other homes, and a risk assessment has been completed. However, the risk assessment only outlines that the staff cannot lone work. The insufficient actions of the manager could result in other children being harmed.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have requested that some staff within the organisation temporarily move to work in the home to ensure that children have the right level of staff, in accordance with their needs. However, shift rotas and staff feedback highlights that on occasion, there are insufficient staff to meet the needs of the children. For the children this can also mean that they are not having consistent staff on a day-to-day basis who know their behaviours and routines and can provide them with the care and nurture they require.

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This monitoring visit

Children are not having opportunities to participate in meaningful activities both on and offsite. Staff advised that this is not occurring due to their being limited staff available on shift and that staff do not have the confidence to take children into the community. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 3 Risk assessments have been completed to outline the needs of the children and how staff should respond to them, although some plans lack specific detail. It was also identified that not all staff have read the assessments for the children they are supporting. As a result, staff are not confident in their knowledge of the children and their associated risks. For example, a child accessing the laundry room to develop independence was able to access cleaning fluids and pour it over themselves. Staff had not been proactive in ensuring the area was safe for the child. In another

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This monitoring visit

instance, a staff member gave a child garlic bread without knowing the child had a high choking risk and required food to be cut into small pieces. This demonstrates that the child’s eating plan was not known or understood by staff, placing them at avoidable risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

There have been additional requirements set during this inspection and two requirements remain subject to compliance notices.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/06/2025 Full Good 13/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/06/2023 Full Good 23/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 with 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

lead and 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

In particular, leaders and managers need to ensure that they have the necessary systems in place to support their 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 5 oversight of the home and take the necessary actions required to meet the children needs. Furthermore, leaders and managers also need to ensure that there is a record of every shift. Senior leaders and manager need to ensure that there is always sufficient staff on duty and that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to provide quality care to children.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health; and 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 6 that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly. 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to senior leaders and managers ensuring that they are aware of all incidents in the home and that all necessary actions have been taken by staff so children remain safeguarded. In addition, risk assessments must capture all known risks and be specific in detail. Leaders and managers must ensure that staff know of the children's specific risk and how they needed to be supported so they remain safe.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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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

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff are proactive in their support of children so that positive relationships between staff and children develop. 26 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 26 June 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 7 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(v)(viii) (b)(c)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular this relates to senior leaders and managers ensuring that children and staff receive appropriate medical treatment after an intervention and that purposeful debriefs are undertaken with both children and staff.

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child's interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child's interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child's interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, senior leaders and managers need to ensure that children are provided with opportunities to participate in meaningful activities both onsite and in the community. 26 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 8

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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. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 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: Kisimul Group Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Linda Mason, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC044562 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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