Great expectations: Care homes should just be looking after vulnerable kids
The Family Court heard illicit children’s homes are demanding up to £20,000 a week per child and are failing to keep vulnerable kids safe. It’s fair to say charities aren’t happy.
Over the past month cases involving two 14-year-old boys have sparked serious concerns that unlawful care homes are profiteering off at-risk children. Last week, one case was heard at the Liverpool Family Court, and it included a staff member who was asking for one of the boys to be moved to a home with better supervision as a result of his violent and disruptive behaviour.
The boy, who we’ll call Daniel (not his real name), has repeatedly run away from his current home, frequently smoked cannabis in the premises and attacked staff members. As a result, Daniel is having to be moved to a home that provides round-the-clock supervision, but, like the current one, it is not registered with Ofsted, meaning it is unlawful to place children under the age of 16 there.
Samantha Derbyshire, senior manager at Cheshire East Council, gave evidence at Daniel’s hearing – which was first reported on by the BBC. She is in charge of finding residential placements for children and claimed her local authority is being asked to pay as much as £20,000 a week per child for constant supervision.
‘This is public money,’ Samantha said. ‘This is your money, this is my money, and they are profiteering off our children without the experience, and without the Ofsted regulations to go with it.’
Even before Daniel has been moved to a different home, the court heard he is currently in a placement that is costing £16,000 per week, which is equivalent to £830,000 per year. What’s more, Samantha told the court that within the past three years, her council’s bill for children’s residential care has skyrocketed from £7.5million per year to an estimated £16.5million.
With these figures in mind, it’s no wonder care experts and charities have raised concerns. In April 2024 it was reported that councils placed 706 children in unregulated homes in 2022-23.
Katherine Sacks-Jones, CEO of Become, told Social Care Today: ‘It is unacceptable, not to mention unlawful, that vulnerable and traumatised children are being housed in unregistered accommodation that is often inappropriate, unsafe and without staff trained to give the right care.
‘The rise in use of these settings is a sign of a care system in crisis. With record numbers of children in care and a desperate shortage of homes, local authorities are left with no choice but to use this accommodation, often at a crippling cost.
‘The government must act urgently so that all children in care have a safe, suitable and stable home.’
Echoing a similar tone, Ofsted’s national director for social care, Yvette Stanley, said that ‘urgent action across the whole of national and local government’ is needed. She added that unlawful homes are a ‘huge concern’ for the regulator and some children who require restraint could be ‘at risk of actual harm’ from untrained staff.
In regard to Daniel’s hearing, Judge Steven Parker ruled that he needed to be moved to a specialist home to help protect him and other staff members. Although this is somewhat a positive outcome, it is expected to cost £12,000 per week, but the provider has agreed to apply for Ofsted registration.
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