Councils in England placed hundreds of vulnerable school-age children in unregulated homes last year due to the shortage of secure places, an investigation has revealed.
In 2022-23, over 700 looked after children were placed in homes that were not registered with Ofsted, the children’s social care watchdog, according to the Observer.
The investigation found that the providers operating these homes received nearly £105m from English councils last year.
It is an offence under the Care Standards Act 2000 to operate a children’s home without an Ofsted registration. However, Ofsted did not prosecute a single provider in 2022-23.
The number of children placed in illegal homes rose by 277% between 2020 and 2023.
