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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Registered provider: Kisimul Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and cares for up to 22 children with severe learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Care is provided to children in 2 homes that are located on the same site.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 14 children were living at the homes. Their views were considered during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since November 2025.

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This monitoring visit

At the previous full inspection, 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’, along with a restriction of accommodation notice. The purpose of this visit was to ascertain if the restriction of accommodation could be lifted or needed to remain in place, and if the compliance notice had been met. At this visit, the compliance notice was deemed to have been met.

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This monitoring visit

The managers have continued to focus on the requirements set at the full inspection in May 2026 and there are noticeable improvements in the work undertaken in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The staff complete training on an ongoing basis linked to the mandatory requirements for their role. In addition to this, the organisation has provided staff Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC034241 2 with specific key-work training. The purpose of this was to enhance their understanding of the purpose of key-work sessions and for staff to reflect on their approach and if changes could be made for the benefit of the children. Managers use supervision and team meetings to promote discussions with staff regarding their practice and the support of children. This enables them to explore the skills and knowledge that staff possess and if any further training is needed. Managers have recently introduced formal observations of staff. These are recorded and provide managers with another means to assess staff practice and if staff require additional support in their role.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that they retain an up-to-date record of when staff have had supervision or completed training. This enables the manager to have continuous oversight of the staff activities and can be used to decide if any further support is required for a specific member of staff.

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This monitoring visit

When there have been medication errors, staff have alerted managers. The errors have been scrutinised and lessons learned shared with the team. Furthermore, the staff have had their medication administration knowledge tested through a quiz. When a member of staff responded incorrectly to an answer, a manager explored their understanding, reinforced good practice and clarified the correct procedure.

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This monitoring visit

There have been occasions when staff have had to physically intervene to keep children and themselves safe. When children are spoken with after the incident, staff are not taking any further action when children are clearly saying that they do not know why staff had to physically intervene. Managers advised that they had identified this through their oversight and plan to address it at the next team meeting. In addition, there have been 2 occasions when the manager has failed to review the physical interventions within timescales.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that they have completed risk assessments for some of the staff in the team. This is due to a member of staff having a specific need and the manager needing to be aware of how their role could impact on them. The risk assessments have the necessary level of information to ensure staff remain safe when they are at work.

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This monitoring visit

The location risk assessment has been recently updated. It captures the potential risks on site and around the locality of the home. The assessment clearly outlines how risks can be mitigated and what action staff must take to ensure risks are managed proactively.

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This monitoring visit

No children have moved in since the restriction of accommodation notice was issued. The provider has adhered to the restriction. The members of the leadership team have worked hard to implement enhanced ways of working in the home. As a result, the restriction of accommodation was lifted following this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC034241 3 At the last inspection, 6 requirements were made. The manager has met one requirement and is making progress towards meeting the remaining 5 requirements. However, time is needed for systems and processes to be fully embedded and sustained progress to be achieved. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC034241 4

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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 5

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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, The 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 28 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC034241 6 manager must assure himself 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. 28 September 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 28 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC034241 7 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. 28 September 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— 28 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC034241 8 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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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 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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Inspector

Lizette Watts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC034241 10 regulates and inspects 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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