Ofsted Threatens Fines and Downgrades Over Illegal Children's Homes as 3 Prosecutions Advance
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 8
Ofsted Threatens Fines and Downgrades Over Illegal Children's Homes as 3 Prosecutions Advance
2 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 8
Summary
Ofsted said councils that place children in unregistered homes could be downgraded to “urgent improvement,” while companies running illegal placements will face fines.
Three prosecutions are now under way, with one case awaiting sentencing, after the watchdog expanded its investigations team to crack down on a practice chief inspector Martyn Oliver called a “scandal.”
The move follows years of failed enforcement: Ofsted has not successfully prosecuted a provider since illegal placements emerged about a decade ago, despite a 2021 ban on unregistered children’s homes.
The problem has persisted even as children’s home supply doubled in eight years; in May, the BBC reported three English councils each spent more than £2 million on a single child’s illegal placement last year.
Providers say 18-month registration delays can push operators to open without approval, while the sector warns fines alone will fail unless Ofsted also speeds registrations and targets company directors.