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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 1 Registered provider: Sankofa Specialist Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates the home. It provides care for one child who may experience emotional or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2023. A new manager has been appointed and will be applying to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 3

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improvement to be good

Two children have moved in and out of the home since the last inspection. However, these moves were not well planned. For example, when moving to the home, staff did not have all the necessary local authority documents and care plans. This meant that staff were not knowledgeable about each child’s experiences and were thereby unable to respond to their needs.

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improvement to be good

The staff were proactive in supporting each child to engage in education. This helped one child to access an alternative provision for part of their school week. The staff provided additional informal education opportunities to support this child and were active in finding them a school place.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensured that each child was registered with local health services, and staff encouraged their attendance at all appointments. One child, who prior to moving into the home had not been to the dentist, was encouraged to attend dental appointments while in the home.

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improvement to be good

Each child’s day-to-day experiences were positive, with activities planned in and out of the home. They had the opportunity to take part in activities that they enjoyed, and also partook in activities they had previously not experienced.

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improvement to be good

Individual plans for each child did not provide staff with clear strategies to keep the child safe. Plans were not regularly updated to reflect changes in known risks, and risk assessments did not reflect the severity of some risks posed to each child. Furthermore, the safeguarding strategies lacked necessary detail. For example, the risk assessment did not identify when room checks should be completed for one child who was vulnerable to self-harm.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been a number of incidents where restraint was used. Staff identify inconsistencies in their practice. However, records are not always completed in line with regulation. Records do not demonstrate any learning from incidents to improve staff safeguarding practices.

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improvement to be good

Each child had positive relationships with some of the staff who cared for them. Staff engaged them in constructive key-work sessions to discuss topics such as vaping, healthy relationships and online safety. The staff were willing to raise challenging issues with each child to support their learning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 4 Each child’s missing-from-home plans were updated regularly. When a child was missing from the home, staff acted in line with the child’s individualised missing-from-home procedures and ensured that all relevant agencies were kept up to date.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are consistently followed. Appropriate checks are carried out to ensure staff’s suitability before they start work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are not appropriately supported to improve their practice. Supervision is intermittently delivered and lacks quality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The quality of care review report was not submitted within necessary timescales. This is a missed opportunity to help the leaders and managers effectively to evaluate the quality of care provided to each child in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Behaviour support plans were in place that gave staff clear guidance about each child’s behaviours. Plans included strategies to de-escalate harmful behaviours. However, recordings do not sufficiently evidence the de-escalation strategies used and debriefs were not always completed. Furthermore, staff struggled to de-escalate confrontations. Staff responses to harmful behaviours were also inconsistent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The leadership team understands the home’s strengths and areas for development. A new manager has recently joined the home. Staff feel supported and are optimistic about the development of the home following the appointment of the new manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 5

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, risk assessments need to be up to date and should be clearer regarding specific actions for staff to carry out to keep the child safe. 20 September 2025

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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

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; 20 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 6 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

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

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that the regulations are actioned, and all plans must be up to date and completed within timescales to ensure continuity of care for the child.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and 20 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 7 plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the staff have a full understanding of the child’s needs before they move into the home, and are able to support the children to de-escalate their behaviours. Furthermore, ensure that staff have appropriate moving-out plans for children that promote a positive experience for them.

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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—

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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.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 20 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 8 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;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(ii)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must understand each child’s individual needs and be able to meet their emotional and behavioural needs. Specifically, staff should be familiar with the plans for each child and apply strategies for de-escalation that are recorded in them.

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Requirement Due date

Behaviour management policies and records

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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

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 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. (Regulation 35 (1)(b) (2) (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 20 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 9 In particular, the recording of restraint must be completed in full within the timescales. Specifically, staff must be spoken to within 48 hours and children within five days, and this should be recorded.

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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

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").

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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. (Regulation 45 (1) (3) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the quality of care review report is submitted within the required timescales. 20 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 10

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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: 2764124 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sankofa Specialist Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Debbie Dawson, Social Care Inspector Sarah Billett, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2764124 12 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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