Birmingham Supported Living Service Rated Inadequate After Safety Failures

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded Baobab Care UK in Birmingham from good to inadequate and placed the service in special measures following an inspection in July 2026.

Baobab Care UK Limited provides supported living and personal care to people in their own homes. The service supports 30 people with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, sensory impairments and physical disabilities across 12 locations. At the time of the inspection, 16 people were receiving personal care.

CQC identified six breaches of regulations covering safe care and treatment, safeguarding, staffing, recruitment, person-centred care and good governance. Ratings for safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care all fell from good to inadequate.

Inspectors found that leaders lacked effective systems to monitor care quality and safety, allowing serious problems to go unnoticed. Care plans did not always reflect people’s current needs, and staffing arrangements were insufficient in some cases for people requiring one-to-one or two-to-one support.

More than 20 staff had started work without the necessary criminal record checks, with some undertaking unsupervised visits for months. Inspectors also identified unsafe medicines management, incomplete records of prescribed medication and delays in addressing fire safety risks. The service was referred to the local fire service after urgent work identified in fire risk assessments remained outstanding.

CQC also found that several safeguarding concerns had not been recognised or reported to the local authority, while follow-up was inadequate when people went missing for extended periods. Fewer than a third of staff had completed training on mental capacity and consent, although most staff interviewed understood the principles in practice.

People and relatives reported mixed experiences. While some people felt safe and valued the consistency of staff, others described care that focused on tasks rather than individual needs. Some people and families felt their complaints were not heard, with some giving up on raising concerns.

Despite these failings, inspectors found that staff generally knew the people they supported well and had developed trusting relationships with them over time.

CQC’s deputy director of adult social care in the West Midlands, Amanda Lyndon, said the inspection had exposed significant weaknesses in leadership, risk management and the delivery of safe, personalised care. Although the provider engaged with inspectors and had begun making changes, further improvements were needed.Baobab Care UK has been placed in special measures, which involves close monitoring while the provider works to address the concerns. CQC has also begun the process of taking further regulatory action, which Baobab Care UK Limited has the right to appeal.

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