Children's Home run by Sankofa Specialist Care Ltd in Oldham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 1 Registered provider: Sankofa Specialist Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to three children. The home’s statement of purpose says that the therapeutic model used in the home is aimed at enabling the staff to support children to identify their abilities, resilience and strength to progress positively in life and become self- sufficient in managing challenges.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in October 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager for this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 3

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inadequate

Care planning is inadequate. The acting manager and staff do not have a clear understanding of the children’s placement arrangements. A child said, ‘I am here but I don’t know for how long. I don’t know what is supposed to happen next.’ A staff member said, ‘We look after the children the best we can. I don’t know what the long-term plans are.’ The failure to ensure that plans are clearly understood, applied and reviewed means that goals and targets for children are far less likely to be identified or achieved, and children and staff alike are often left with uncertainty and the anxiety that this can induce.

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inadequate

The home has not established a consistent approach to the management of children who do not have an education placement. This failure to ensure that children’s plans include the arrangements for their education compromises the stability of their placement at the home.

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inadequate

Children say that they have formed positive relationships with staff. They can identify members of staff who they feel comfortable to talk to. One child said, ‘The staff are really nice here. We have a laugh, and they help me with my pet rabbit.’

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inadequate

Children are supported to keep in touch with their families and friends. Arrangements for contact are recorded and shared with the children.

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inadequate

Children are encouraged to take part in activities and are supported to join groups in the community, such as horse riding and dance class. A child said, ‘I love animals and I love going horse riding.’

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inadequate

The home is spacious and well maintained. As part of ongoing consultation with children, their bedrooms are decorated and styled in accordance with their wishes.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Children’s behaviours are not suitably assessed or understood. Therefore, behaviours that may place children at risk are not always identified and staff are not provided with guidance to manage these effectively to reduce risk. This has resulted in poor decision-making that has had a negative impact on the welfare and safety of children living in the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Children with a history of self-harming behaviours are not protected because the team is not skilled and experienced. As a result, one child was inappropriately provided with a razor she then used to significantly lacerate her skin. Although the home’s records state that the wounds were ‘quite severe’ and would leave a scar for life, no medical assistance was sought to manage the wounds or to assess the child’s emotional health. Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 4 Staff who have not received appropriate training have been involved in holding children to keep them safe. The failure to ensure that staff are provided with the necessary professional training to safely hold a child places both the child and staff at risk of harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Records are not always kept of incidents when children have been held. This is because the acting manager said that holds which they consider to be minor do not warrant a written record. As a result, the rationale for using holds is not fully explored and children are not provided with a formal debrief.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The protocol for reporting a child as missing is not fully understood by staff. This resulted in a delay in reporting a vulnerable child as missing to the police. Missing- from-home records are often incomplete and sometimes misleading, for example, recording that a child had returned from a period of being missing when in fact they remained missing. The failure to ensure that safeguarding protocols are immediately actioned and accurate records maintained compromises the safety of children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The care provided to children in the home is not as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. There is no evidence of specialist packages of care being provided to children. The acting manager and staff are unable to demonstrate their understanding of the therapeutic model used in the home, as detailed in the statement of purpose. The acting manager said, ‘This is something we are working towards.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The statement of purpose is not reviewed or updated in accordance with regulation. It does not include an up-to-date list of staff employed at the home or progress in appointing the non-executive specialist advisers. Furthermore, the home is not operating in accordance with the theoretical framework as described in the statement of purpose. As a result, the information in the statement of purpose is not an accurate representation of the care provided in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager’s internal monitoring, including the bi-annual report, is inadequate. This is because he has failed to identify the significant shortfalls in practice as identified at this inspection. Likewise, he is unable to demonstrate the action taken to address the shortfalls identified by the home’s independent visitor. The failure to recognise and address poor and unsafe practice serves to impede the necessary development required in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Case records are not suitably monitored. This has resulted in records such as missing-from-home reports being incomplete, and incidents such as holding a child to keep them safe not being recorded. The failure to ensure that records are completed and maintained to a suitable standard compromises the care and protection of children living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 5 Records of staff training are not updated and the acting manager is unclear about what training has been undertaken. The staff confirm they have had a full induction and extensive online training. However, the acting manager has failed to test out the staff team’s learning and understanding and how they will apply this to their roles. As a result, the manager is not able to assure himself that the children are receiving care from staff who have the right knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff are not provided with supervision of a consistent frequency or quality. Some staff have not had supervision for six months. Records of supervision do not indicate that there have been opportunities to reflect on matters such as safeguarding or record-keeping. As a result, staff are not provided with opportunities to reflect on their practice to aid their continued development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The majority of staff working in the home do not have experience working in children’s residential care. Their inexperience is compounded, and their further development hampered, because they are led by an inexperienced manager. As a result, poor practice is often left unchallenged. This limits the opportunities for staff to learn from their mistakes and, consequently, for children to experience consistent high-quality care that matches their needs, promotes their well-being and keeps them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 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, 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

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

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)(b)) 23 September

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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

promotes their welfare. 23 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 7 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’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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 23 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 23 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 8 keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)) 23 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report"). 23 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 9 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 23 September

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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— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ix)(x)) 23 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 10 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out— how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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;

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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

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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 23 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 11 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

Paragraph (3) does not apply in relation to restraint that is planned or provided for as a matter of routine in the child’s EHC plan or statement of special educational needs. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (4))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that only staff trained in physical intervention techniques approved by the home should be involved in physical interventions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.55)  The registered person should ensure that where there is a possibility that a child will run away or go missing from a children’s home placement, their placement plan should include a strategy to minimise this risk. If the child is looked after, their care plan (arranged by the placing authority) should include such a strategy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.24)  The registered person should ensure that all staff have been adequately trained in the principles of restraint and any restraint techniques appropriate to the needs of the children the home is set up to care for as defined in the home’s

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Recommendations

statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.57)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint must be kept and should enable them and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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: 2643338 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sankofa Specialist Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 449 Brook Lane, Birmingham B13 0BT

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2643338 13 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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