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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2643338 1 Registered provider: Sankofa Specialist Care Limited

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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 company. The home provides care for up to three children. The statement of purpose states that the home uses a therapeutic model that enables the children to realise their abilities, resilience and strength.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in October 2021. The manager’s post is currently vacant. The responsible individual is currently overseeing the management.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 23 and 24 August 2022. As a result of this inspection, two compliance notices were issued, in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. This monitoring visit was carried out to assess the progress in meeting the steps of each compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently no children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Team meetings have taken place to address the deficits in the staff team’s knowledge and understanding. The responsible individual has actively encouraged honesty within the team and has provided a safe forum for reflective practice. This has enabled the staff to identify the shortfalls in their practice and how this negatively impacted the desired outcomes for children.

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This monitoring visit

Additional internal and external training has taken place, including in safeguarding children and self-injurious behaviours. Furthermore, in response to staff training needs, managers and staff have explored the concept of enabling children to take measured risks, as opposed to those risks which would require an escalated Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2643338 2 response. As a result, staff’s awareness and understanding of managing risks are improved.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has taken steps to ensure that managers and staff understand the online recording system. Staff have received one-to-one support and guidance to ensure that records are appropriately uploaded and updated.

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This monitoring visit

Guidance on creating, developing and managing risk assessments has been further developed. A new risk matrix provides the staff with a simple guide in measuring risk and the level of response required in managing a risk. This has assisted the staff in updating risk assessments, including the specific action to take should a child be at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

A new manager has been appointed. The manager has the necessary experience required to manage the children’s home and to support the continued development of the team. However, they are not due to start work at the home until 2 January 2023.

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This monitoring visit

Children are cared for by staff with a variety of childcare experiences. Two additional staff are set to join the team, and this will strengthen the knowledge base of the team. The majority of the staff team are now enrolled on the diploma in health and social care at level 4. This continued professional training is aimed at assisting the staff in providing a good-quality care experience for children.

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This monitoring visit

Placement planning has improved. The placement plan has been revised to include a review of the child’s individual needs and the actions to be taken to address them. Direct-work sessions are now developed in accordance with the targets of the child’s individual plan. Therefore, managers and staff can quickly track each child’s individual progress towards their plan.

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This monitoring visit

The format for supervision is improved. Supervision records now include a section for reflective practice. The responsible individual explained that this is to help staff to reflect on incidents that have taken place in the home, and how they have influenced the outcome of incidents. This process allows the staff to think about the rationale for decisions they have made and if a situation could have been managed differently.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has developed a system to enhance the internal monitoring of the home. This system identifies how the quality of work is to be assessed and the steps managers must take to address poor quality. The system works together with the introduction of the children’s monthly case books. Each case book provides a clear analysis of the work undertaken with children and the progress children make.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose has been updated to include the skills and experience of the current staff team. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2643338 3 Due to the delay in the new manager starting employment, the responsible individual has made the decision not to place any children in the home until the new manager has started work, in January 2023.

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This monitoring visit

It is Ofsted’s view that the provider has taken the necessary steps to address the steps of the compliance notices. Other requirements made at the last inspection were not considered at this visit and are carried forward to the next inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2022 Full Inadequate 09/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2643338 4

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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, the 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 - monitoring visit: 2643338 5 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 - monitoring visit: 2643338 6 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 - monitoring visit: 2643338 7 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 23 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2643338 8 the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

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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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

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; 23 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2643338 9 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.

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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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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 Homes 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 the 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 are kept that enable the registered person 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) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2643338 10

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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: 2643338 11

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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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Inspectors

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Kimberley Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2643338 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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