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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Information about this children’s home

This residential special school is also registered as a children’s home because children have overnight stays for more than 295 days a year. The home provides care for up to 22 children with severe learning difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 14 children were living at the homes.

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Information about this children’s home

Care is provided to children in 2 homes on the same site as the school.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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This monitoring visit

On 6 May 2026 to 8 May 2026, social care regulatory inspectors undertook a full inspection of Kisimul School children’s home. The inspectors found numerous shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. A compliance notice was issued for regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. The purpose of this visit was to ascertain if the actions within the compliance notice have been met.

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This monitoring visit

Following the last inspection, the senior leadership team and manager developed a comprehensive action plan detailing how they would meet the requirements of the compliance notice. The manager has implemented a series of targeted improvements to strengthen practice within the home and enhance the effectiveness of monitoring systems and management oversight of the care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

At the previous inspection, the 2 homes under the same registration functioned as 2 separate services. Since then, the manager has introduced weekly meetings ensuring consistent communication and promoting a joint approach to the overall management of the homes. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 2 The manager has developed a system to improve their monitoring and oversight. He has introduced the sampling of records and medication processes to assure himself that records are completed to a good standard, contain the necessary information and accurately reflect children’s experiences and care. In addition, senior leaders have started to complete quality assurance checks to strengthen the overall management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

A leader within the organisation has been focusing on the analysis of incidents within the home. This is to identify pattern, themes and learning opportunities. This has supported the service to reflect on practice and, where necessary, adapt approaches to better meet children’s individual needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received additional training and support to develop their knowledge and skills, particularly in relation to the recording of information. They have also completed additional training to meet the specific needs of a child, and had their knowledge and competency assessed. In addition, the manager has recently introduced additional safeguards to ensure the needs of one of the children are met.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has shared the staff job descriptions with the team. This was completed to enabled staff to re familiarise themselves with their role and ensure that they were clear about the expectation of the manager regarding their day-to- day work in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that all staff have received supervision that is in line with the organisation’s statement of purpose. The next bimonthly supervisions have also been scheduled with staff. In addition, the staff have benefited from a group supervision meeting, which enabled them to reflect on their practice, enhance their understanding of the children and learn from one another’s experience.

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This monitoring visit

The staff spoke positively of the recent changes within the home. They were able to talk about the training they had received and how supportive the manager is. Staff were able to highlight that through some organisational changes being made, the home feels more structured and well managed.

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This monitoring visit

The staff were able to provide examples of how they work together as a team to meet the children’s individual needs and ensure they remain safe.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notice has been met. However, the restriction of accommodation remains in place to provide additional time to fully embed and sustain the improvements made. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/05/2026 Full Inadequate 06/05/2025 Full Good 16/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be 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 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 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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that staff always work as a team and are aware of their responsibilities. The 10 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 5 manager must assure themself that staff have the knowledge and skills to confidently care for 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that staff are equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet the needs of all the children living in the home. 10 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

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 10 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 6 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)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that when a child or member of staff is involved in a physical intervention, they receive a purposeful debrief within the set timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that staff are provided with supervision in line with the organisation’s policy and that in supervision staff have the opportunity to reflect on their practice. 10 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 10 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 7 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

In particular, the manager must ensure that all necessary checks are completed. If a risk assessment is needed regarding a newly recruited member of staff, then it must specifically outline the risks and what will be put in place to mitigate those risks.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to the manager updating the location risk assessment, ensuring they consult relevant professionals and capture all known risks and how these are going to be mitigated. 10 August 2026

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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: SC034241 8

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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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Inspector

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034241 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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