Sanctuary Ltd Support Services

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Sanctuary Ltd Support Services Sanctuary Ltd Support Services Registered provider: Sanctuary Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This service is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers accommodation for up to 37 children and young people across 2 single-occupancy homes and 10 shared-living premises, which are limited to accommodating looked-after children and care leavers. At the time of this inspection, the service was providing support for 4 children and one young person aged 18.

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provider

The service manager, who is also the nominated individual, registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out due to Ofsted receiving notifications about serious incidents involving children. There are significant concerns about children’s safety and the leadership and management of the undertaking. The registered service manager’s and the nominated individual’s oversight of the service is inadequate. Poor safeguarding practice and regulatory shortfalls have not been identified. These failures place children at risk of harm, and children do not make progress.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not ensure that support plans, safety plans and assessments of children’s needs are comprehensive or have relevant information and guidance to enable staff to support children effectively and help keep them safe. Consequently, children have been at ongoing risk of significant harm.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager has admitted extremely vulnerable children to the service without carrying out effective assessments of their needs and vulnerabilities. Several children have had needs that the provider is unable to meet and that are beyond what is appropriate for supported accommodation. Leaders’ poor decision- making and disregard for known risks, such as criminal exploitation and children Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Sanctuary Ltd Support Services going missing for several days at a time, have placed children at unnecessary risk of harm. In addition, this has resulted in some children experiencing abrupt endings to their placements.

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This monitoring visit

Leadership and management arrangements are inadequate. These arrangements do not help managers to ensure that children receive the support from staff that they need. Staff are not sufficiently trained to enable them to understand and respond to children’s individual needs and risks.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s accommodation is not comfortable, clean or decorated to a good standard. Staff do not ensure that the environment is nurturing and homely. One child’s bedroom is unhygienic and in poor condition. For example, the wardrobe doors are broken, the carpet is heavily stained, and there is mouldy food, dirty dishes and cigarette ends on the floor and other surfaces. This adversely affects children’s health and hinders the development of the independence skills they need as they move towards adulthood.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager cannot provide evidence of important conversations with children about their plans. The registered service manager has also failed to challenge placing authorities effectively regarding children’s next steps when staff do not have the skills required to meet their needs. In addition, leaders do not advocate effectively on behalf of children with other professionals to help keep them safe. One child regularly goes missing and travels long distances to meet unknown individuals. Staff do not demonstrate professional curiosity in response to these incidents, which reduces opportunities to keep children safe and manage the risk of significant harm.

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This monitoring visit

The registered service manager has not reviewed the quality of the support provided to children. As a result, neither the registered service manager nor Ofsted can be assured of the quality of support and safety across all addresses operating under this registration. Furthermore, the registered service manager does not have a development plan for the service. As a result, learning and development in the service are not planned or assured.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the serious failures identified during this visit, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation at the service. This means that no children may be admitted to the service while the notice remains in force. Ofsted also issued 2 compliance notices under Regulations 4 and 6. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Sanctuary Ltd Support Services

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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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within 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 supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development.

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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 supported accommodation undertaking in a way that is consistent with the ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the undertaking’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills appropriate for the work that they are to perform;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each child is fully aware of their entitlements throughout the duration of their placement in supported accommodation, including—

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Requirement Due date

what they can expect from the provision of supported accommodation. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 21 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

*The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment. 21 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Sanctuary Ltd Support Services In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

provide stability and consistency of accommodation for children;

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Requirement Due date

are suitable for the purposes of supported accommodation and are accessible, safe, secure and well-maintained;

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Requirement Due date

offer a comfortable, positive and nurturing environment, while respecting children’s need for privacy;

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Requirement Due date

are adequately maintained so as to provide a welcoming and homely environment within both individual and shared living spaces;

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Requirement Due date

are designed, furnished and maintained to remove avoidable hazards which could pose a health and safety risk to children. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(i)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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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

are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;

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Requirement Due date

understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting children. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(f)(i)(ii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered service manager and staff must ensure that they understand and minimise potential risks and follow children’s risk assessments. 21 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Sanctuary Ltd Support Services The support standard is that children receive individual and tailored support that meets their needs.

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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

ensure that plans for support are based on initial referral information, are meaningful and are created in full consultation with the child, taking account of relevant plans for the child;

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Requirement Due date

keep the child’s support under review, taking into consideration the plans for support, and relevant plans, to ensure that the child’s needs continue to be met and that the child is kept safe. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s records are updated to reflect their individual needs, risks, behaviours and progress.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 21 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain a system for monitoring and improving the quality of support provided by the supported accommodation undertaking by completing a review (“a quality of support review”) at least once every six months, which must take into account—

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Requirement Due date

the views of children, including any feedback and complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from individual children on the impact the supported accommodation has had on the child’s life, especially regarding how well prepared the child felt for transition into supported accommodation and how well prepared the child feels for transition out of supported accommodation;

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Requirement Due date

feedback from each child’s accommodating authority, staff and any relevant persons. (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 21 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Sanctuary Ltd Support Services

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and/or to ensure that the supported accommodation provider was complying with regulation.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Sanctuary Ltd Support Services

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered provider address: 128 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

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Supported accommodation provider details

Nominated individual: Ndabezinhle Ndlovu

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Ndabezinhle Ndlovu

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Inspectors

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Amy Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider - monitoring visit: Sanctuary Ltd Support Services 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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