Caution before employing Amanda Sankey
Prospective employers should exercise serious caution and carry out thorough due diligence before considering Mandy Sankey for any role.
This is to hopefully help others avoid experiencing the same distress I and other social care service users and staff endured at her hands during her time at Leonard Cheshire
As a resident in a care home she managed, I experienced behaviour that was, frankly, astonishingly unpleasant and undermining. Her conduct was formally criticised by Leeds Social Services following a safeguarding investigation under Section 42 of the Care Act. She was instructed to apologise for her actions — an apology that she never offered.
My Complaint
“It is profoundly uncomfortable living in a service run by Mandy and Sonja, given their unprofessional and derogatory characterisation of me revealed in several emails disclosed via my recent Subject Access Request. These communications are psychologically abusive and quite astounding.”
Findings from Leeds Social Services
“We consulted our Area Safeguarding & Risk Manager, who advised that your concerns be recorded as safeguarding under Section 42 and investigated through our safeguarding complaints process.”
“The tone and content of the emails you referred to are clearly unprofessional. I offer you my sincere apologies for the offence and distress they have caused. LCD has also acknowledged the emails were inappropriate.”
“LCD has noted the matter on both workers’ files and confirmed this will be taken into account if issues recur.”
A Persistent Pattern
Unfortunately, I have no evidence that this intervention altered Ms Sankey’s approach.
Across multiple Subject Access Requests spanning several years, I’ve substantial evidence of her being superficially pleasant to me, while expressing profoundly demeaning, undermining and unprofessional views in frank internal emails between managers.
These emails show that the pattern of behaviour extended beyond me – to other residents and staff as well.
What troubles me most is not just the offensive tone, but the deep mischaracterisation:
assumptions of bad faith, dismissal of legitimate complaints, and a consistent willingness to present a facade of cheerfulness while engaging in internal disparagement.
Others have described her demeanour as a “plastic smile” – a brittle mask of superficial jollity concealing contradictory motives and values.
Sudden Departure
Ms Sankey recently left her post as Leonard Cheshire’s Director for England and Wales, after over six years in senior management. She left with no notice, and did not have another job to go to.
Mandy Sankey’s LinkedIn profile