Reforms to combat child sexual abuse at care homes

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Government has announced crucial reforms to protect children in residential homes from sexual exploitation after it has been disclosed that a disproportionate number of cared-for children in England are being groomed or abused.

A report by Deputy Children’s Commissioner, Sue Berelowitz uncovers that some residential homes are specifically targeted by abusers.

It says that the high turnover of young people in care means that “there is a constant flow of vulnerable children for perpetrators to exploit”.

The report was ordered after the sentencing in May of nine men who groomed and abused young girls in Rochdale. The conviction of a child sex ring sparked concerns about the safety of children’s homes.

Children’s Minister, Tim Loughton said the report lift the lid on “very serious weaknesses” in the system. “It is completely unacceptable that existing rules are simply being ignored and that frankly, some local authorities and homes are letting down children by failing to act as a proper ‘parent’. We want to get rid of an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ culture which sees residential care as a last resort, instead of protecting vulnerable young people and giving them the best possible start in life.”

Ministers have expressed alarm that there is no organized data base for the children that go missing from care, which hinders children at risk to get properly identified.

They have set up an expert group to develop an improved data system to resolve the huge discrepancies between the official local authority figures of children in care who go missing from care for more than 24 hours, and incidents recorded by the police.

According to the reports, a high density of care homes in Margate, Rochdale, Blackpool and Worthing – large properties in these areas tend to be cheaper.

An Ofsted spokesperson, which monitors standards in children’s homes, appreciated and welcomed the government’s commitment to reform, adding that its own inspections were constantly reviewed.

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