So how do we find out what is provided in our £200,000 a year per pupil enforced residential schools ?
OFTED reports ? Kisimul was rated ‘outstanding’ by them, only months before one of their school homes, housing 47 pupils was closed on ‘safeguarding issues and 8 workers arrested.
https://finolamoss.wordpress.com/2019/01/10/kisimul-the-safe-haven-sold-to-roadchef-for-200-million-venture-capitals-bonanza-on-la-nhs-special-needs-education-and-care-money/
Where were the CQC regulators ‘?
It appears all that were inspected were rated good, worryingly 2 appear never to have been inspected despite the money paid for their services and the vulnerability of the customers.
https://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/1-101668127
Kingdom House, where Thomas Rawnsley died had not been inspected before he was ordered there in his best interests by the Court of Protection, services commissioned and paid for – over £6,000 a week by LA/NHS and his mother gagged from disclosing these services.
My daughters Robert Ogden school was rated outstanding by OFSTED, the year of her 48, bruise restraint, not even mentioned at her education review the afternoon after it happened, nor her emaciated body and her lack of hair from pulling it out.
https://finolamoss.wordpress.com/2015/08/10/2011-2012-issy-in-her-national-autistic-school-48-bruises-impaction/
My cries to the then Care Minister were ignored.
https://finolamoss.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/email-sent-to-norman-lamb-care-minster-in-february-2013-and-his-reply/
So what can a parent do even when their child is actually being physically and mentally abused let alone failing to be taught anything?
Complain to the LA Commissioners, who are liable for these services ?
We did and our complaints were stopped by the same LAs s48 MCA application and had Issy been under 18 by an application for an Interim Care Order which had already forced her into the school at 10, despite no assessment and her regression/behaviour being caused by a severe facial impaction, such is the LA’s push towards then £177,000 a year residential schools.
Paula Rawnsley did several times the last meeting two weeks before he died resulting in a court gag obtained by the LA commissioners
So parents have no rights nor pupils a voice and OFTSTED/CQC are clearly inadequate.
The only way we can glean a little of Kisimul’s three Eton cost services is from those that work for them on recruitment internet sites.
Maybe the LA/ OFSTED/CQG should do the same before they pay KISMUL millions to educate and care for our most vulnerable.
Great job… shame about the management style
Residential Support Worker (Former Employee) – Retford, Nottinghamshire – 20 January 2018
The job itself is brilliant and rewarding, working with residents in their daily life and promoting their independence- where possible… unfortunately you rarely have enough staff to run a shift to minimum ratios and it can quickly become dangerous for staff and residents there. The management style definitely seemed to be a case of “if your face fits” but if it doesn’t then they won’t help you develop or progress in your role
Pros
Free lunch, rewarding
Cons
Long hours, no breaks, lack of support
Horrendous
General dogs body (Current Employee) – Lincoln, Lincolnshire – 28 December 2018
What to say about The residential side at Ancaica Hall.
The young people are absolutely brilliant, can be very challenging but it is worth struggling through the bad days because the good days are amazing.
Unfortunately 70% off the staff on the residential side follow a bully/intimidation culture, this is aimed at the pupils as well as other staff members who actually care.
At least 80% of the pupils have been verbally abused or physically hurt by said 70% of bad staff members. (This occurs on a daily basis).
Staff have reported these incidents, staff have blown the whistle, pupils themselves have told management what’s happened to them YET the bad staff are still working with these vulnerable pupils and get away with it!!
Yet the staff who report what they see (the correct thing to do) get penalised, punished and some have even left as there working life has been made so bad. This is making other staff fear blowing the whistle as it is not confidential at all.
Management are horrendous, incompetent, clueless and are good at brushing the bad stuff under the carpet. Nothing is confidential in this place, team leaders & deputy team leaders have got management wrapped around there little fingers so if you have a complaint about any of them they will find out and you will be penalised.
Thankfully the 30% of staff that I myself am in do everything we can for the pupils, we go above and beyond for them and genuinely care for them!!
Fun if you’re up for a challenge.
RSW (Former Employee) – Acacia Hall – 30 November 2018
I worked at Acacia for almost 10 years and absolutely loved my job there. No, the working hours aren’t great and perhaps the company do only treat staff as a number but if you really care about the residents then all of that becomes slightly less relevant.
I found it to be a hugely rewarding job (not necessarily from a financial point of view) but in the respect that you are privileged enough to work with some truly incredible young people and are able to help them along their journey into adulthood.
From my personal experience the majority of staff support and help each other as much as possible and for the most part I found it a really pleasant environment to work in.
Being short staffed was often an issue but I believe it to be the same amongst a lot of similar establishments.
I see from reading other reviews that not everyone shares my positive opinion but i hope it doesn’t deter people from wanting to work there.
The residents at Kisimul need and fully deserve to have caring, dedicated & resilient staff members to look after them.
I’d recommend working here to anyone with a big heart and lots of patience!
Steer well clear from this company!!
Support Worker (Former Employee) – Lincolnshire – 2 November 2018
Kisimul care about one thing and one thing only, money.
They are a company driven by greed, their ethos is expand quick and sell for bigger despite not being able to provide staff.
They have a complete disregard for their employees, I have never felt so worthless in a job.
The environment is incredibly high risk, Kisimul take on some pupils which are so complex and challenging that they need intervention from mental health professionals, not minimum wage healthcare support workers.
Due to the complexity of some pupils their needs are not provided for at Kisimul, however they are worth more money to the company!
Staff injuries are very high and low staffing levels also contributes to this.
Kisimul has an incredibly high staff turn over – despite what they say on their front cover! Low staffing levels has led to poor quality of care being provided to the pupils.
Concerns that are raised are quickly brushed under the carpet by upper management.
The pay does not reflect the daily risk the staff undertake.
They offer ZERO staff incentives/benefits
Don’t let this company pull the wool over your eyes, their prospectus is full of lies.
Pros
Good training and NVQ
Cons
A list as long as your arm
Rewarding job
Support worker full time (Current Employee) – Lincolnshire – 22 October 2018
The job is extremely rewarding, it is fantastic to see the impact you can have on an individuals life and how you can improve their independence and skills. Within the company, they are plenty of opportunities to progress and develop, from RSW to manager. The hours can be long but that is to be expected in a job where you are supporting individuals with such varying needs and levels of support and each day can be different. The staff turn over is sometimes high but again, this job can be challenging and it can take people time to find their feet however once they do, the impact they can have on an individual is extremely positive.
Pros
Very rewarding
Cons
Long hours
Not a good place to work
Rsw (Former Employee) – Swinderby, Lincolnshire – 30 August 2018
When I first started at Kisimul I enjoyed my time there, then once I got to know the staff they were horrible.managers not bothered with your safety, HR are useless not concerned with your health and well being, considering they look after kids with mental heath there not concerned with the staffs.
Staff will gang up on you and make up stuff to get you in trouble, worst job I have ever had !!!
Pros
Salary not bad
Cons
Getting hit, bit, staff gossiping, managers don’t support you
Disgusting doscriminating managememt
Applicant for a support position (Former Employee) – Cruckton – 11 June 2018
I’ve awful experience with this company. Applied for a job, wemt on an interview, had a call after the interview that I got the job after a week I met the childten. An obnoxious deputy manager in scruffy appearance pretended he knew everything
He nevet introfuced me to the kids was chatting on his mobile all the time entirely disengaged with the job no communication 0 professionsllism. Two days later they called me I was unsuccessful without any reason or explanation. The manager lady of the branch seems uninterested in what she is doing annoyed she never smiles.
The question is whst the CQC is doing to imptove such places. For Gpd sake these companies are responsible for vulnerable individuals.
Kids are great but the company is awful.
Teaching Assistant (Former Employee) – Surrey – 24 May 2018
I worked for the kisimul group for 3 years. At the beginning I really enjoyed the challenge but It soon turns bad don’t work for them you will just end up levelling.
The person who wrote the good review must be a manager or HR for the company. Don’t believe
Pros
Can’t think of one
Cons
Do many
Worse Company I’ve ever worked for.
Residential Support Worker (Former Employee) – Gainsborough – 3 April 2018
The job itself can be challenging but also rewarding. The problem lies within the Management of the Company and the lack of thought for the Staffs well being. Staff levels are low and there is a high turnover in Staff which is completely understandable. Staff are often left in dangerous situations unsupported and are then made to work 13 hour shifts. There are many concerns about the way the Company is run but the bottom line is.. if you’re a Support Worker you don’t matter and you’re expected to do so much on a poor wage whilst the Company is profiting in the millions. Very unfortunate.
Pros
None
Cons
Long hours, poor management, run by greed.
13 hour days, training done on your days off and little support whilst at work
Support Worker (Former Employee) – Market Rasen, Lincolnshire – 15 February 2018
Little of what you learn on your training days was put into practice. Breaks only seemed to apply to staff who smoke. The ratio of the number of staff needed to care for individual residents were not stuck to at all. A truly awful place to work, which is terrible considering the residents need the best of professional care.
Pros
none
Cons
long hours, no breaks and badly staffed (quick turnover of staff says a lot about working for this company)) .
Awful Managment, not enough staff
Teaching Assistant (Former Employee) – Swinderby, Lincolnshire – 25 January 2018
Staffing is absolutely horrendous, staff getting hurt kids getting hurt by kids, bringing in new staff that have no idea, you voice your concerns and no one listens your just told to get on with it.
Loved working with the kids and miss them dearly but management is awful and they don’t care what’s best for the kids its all about their money
Poor upper management
Support Worker (Former Employee) – Lincolnshire – 24 January 2018
There has been lots of changes over the last year and the introduction of 3 area managers was by far the worst management decision yet. Out of the 3 one already walked and the other 2 are barely surviving and are slowly destroying the reputation of Kisimul most of the managers have left or are leaving and the only ones left are new and full of themselves. It’s a disaster and it is a shame as it used to be a good company to work for. Now it’s a horrible.
Pros
Residents are fun. Teams can be good.
Cons
Terrible management all over
Disorganised confused service @
Support Worker/Carer (Former Employee) – Yaxley, Cambridgeshire – 15 January 2018
The tenants are amazing however are sadly let down by poor management and bad staffing choices.
There seems to more of a focus on what’s the latest gossip on site rather than what’s best for the tenants.
If you can handle long days with no breaks, lack of respect and care and continuous phone calls when your on your days off then go for it.
I could go on…
This is not a company you feel proud to work for!
Pros
Zero
Cons
Long hours, no breaks, no staff support, poor staffing choices, i rule for one and one for another
Great job… shame about the management style
Residential Support Worker (Former Employee) – Retford, Nottinghamshire – 20 January 2018
The job itself is brilliant and rewarding, working with residents in their daily life and promoting their independence- where possible… unfortunately you rarely have enough staff to run a shift to minimum ratios and it can quickly become dangerous for staff and residents there. The management style definitely seemed to be a case of “if your face fits” but if it doesn’t then they won’t help you develop or progress in your role
Pros
Free lunch, rewarding
Cons
Long hours, no breaks, lack of support
Great residents, no staff support and lack of staffing.
Night Care Assistant (Former Employee) – Peterborough, Cambridgeshire – 14 January 2018
Loved working with the residents but they can be very dangerous at times and with lack of staff it’s very hard to keep control of the situation without getting hurt.
No manager as they had also left, area manager not very supportive with homelife.
Good job to work in if staff levels were higher and a little more support.
Great kids but dangerous workplace and terrible salary
Residential Support Worker (Former Employee) – Acacia Hall – 23 May 2017
The kids are great to work with but do not get the care and attention they need due to lack of staff. And there is a lack of staff due to the horrendous pay to work in such dangerous conditions and with such dangerous children.
https://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/Kisimul-Group-Limited/reviews
“Stay away from this company!!!!”
Current Employee – Support Worker in Lincoln, England
Doesn’t Recommend
Negative Outlook
I have been working at Kisimul Group full-time (More than 3 years)
Pros
Good training provided
Level 3 NVQ
Cons
Low staffing levels leading to poor quality care provided.
Staffing levels faked when there is an Ofsted inspection.
Concerns raised are brushed under the carpet by upper management.
Very high risk environment.
Some pupils are so challenging/complex that they need the intervention of mental health professionals… not healthcare support workers on a minimum wage.
Upper management has a total disregard for staff. You will be made to feel worthless.
Pay does not reflect the risk.
No staff incentives/benefits
Low staff moral
Greedy and purely money driven.
Kisimuls prospectus is filled with lies.
Advice to Management
You need to change something, otherwise you will lose everything. Take these reviews as a lesson instead of just having them deleted or making upper management leave fake ones!
Doesn’t Recommend
The Worse Company I’ve Ever Worked For January 2018
Negative Outlook
I worked at Kisimul Group full-time
Pros
Good staff training and NVQ
Cons
Long hours, poor management, staff shortages, high staff turnover, staffs well-being is neglected, poor pay for what is expected of Staff, poor service.
Advice to Management
Pay staff better and care about their well-being. Stop running by greed and start caring.
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/Employee-Review-Kisimul-Group-RVW18843279.htm
Elizabeth has been under two Cygnet Healthcares – one in Cygnet Stevenage and one that is supposed to be the flagship in Beckton. I have been to their conference at the Royal College of GPs and I went with someone I know who has a brother in this expensive private hospital who wishes to be transferred elsewhere. I was extremely interested in the conference which was very well organised and took part in a workshop called “least restrictive care” – well I had to say what I thought – Elizabeth thought it was like prison and I could not disagree with this description.
