Ministers are facing calls for urgent reform of the residential care system following shocking reports of abused and sexually assaulted vulnerable youth in homes run by a private company that is making huge profits.
A BBC investigation has uncovered a series of alleged protection incidents in which young people were at risk in homes, schools and maintained homes run by Calcot Services for Children, including assault, haircut and child sexual abuse.
The former staff accused Calcot of making a profit for the children, failing to meet agreed staffing levels and failing to report several serious incidents in the last three years to Ofsted, the welfare authority.
Calcot posted 36% last year – twice as much as equivalent large care providers – after 42% in 2020 and 32% in 2019, according to the BBC.
The allegations follow more general concerns about the quality, safety and sustainability of the largely privately run orphanage market in the UK, where weekly fees could reach £ 150,000.
Last month’s government-commissioned independent review of child welfare highlighted what he called a “broken” market that failed to meet the needs of too many foster children. He called for an unforeseen tax on the overprofits of the largest suppliers and called on the councils to unite to prevent profiteering.
The head of the review, Josh McAllister, told the Guardian that the BBC’s revelations about Calcutta highlighted several broader issues, including profitability, inadequate services and poor oversight of the system. “This is another example of the need to radically reset the child welfare system.
Children’s Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza told the BBC she was “horrified” by the findings, adding: “The whole system needs radical reform”.
The incidents reported by the BBC include:
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A 28-year-old employee of Calcot’s head office was jailed after abusing his position by caring for and having sex with a 17-year-old boy while he was reassigned as a support worker in a supported housing complex.
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A girl in a Calcott home with significant learning difficulties, who is known to be at risk of absconding, repeatedly runs away, once with a boy and twice tries to take her own life, and in one case is saved by a loved one. bridge over the river.
While some protective incidents have not been reported to Offsted, others have, but appear to have had little effect on the Calcot Home and School Inspection’s assessments, which have been assessed as exceptional or good.
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A spokesman for Ofsted said: “Our actions with regard to housing reported in the BBC investigation will become clear when the reports are published. We take the information from whistleblowers seriously. With regard to those who contacted Offsted on Calcot, we have taken action on a case-by-case basis. “
In a statement, Calcot Services for Children said: “The sector is properly regulated and the company gives priority to protecting all the children it cares for. She has more than 30 years of history caring for and educating vulnerable and challenging children. He is known for his positive results and is highly praised by Ofsted and the local authorities he works with. ” Calcott added that he was grateful to the BBC “for highlighting what it considered to be security issues”.
Kathy Evans, chief executive of Children England, an umbrella organization for charities in the sector, said the childcare market was spiraling out of control. “The need for decisive powers to intervene in the market and plan emergencies with public resources to provide safe and secure alternatives to such a dangerous provision really could not be more urgent.
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