Inquiry into children's home sedative use ruled out

Ten girls who were residents of a Church of England children's home in Gravesend, Kent in the 1970s and 1980s were given large doses of tranquilisers and other drugs while being restrained as teenagers, and later had children with birth defects.

The British Pharmacological Society said such cocktails of drugs could cause genetic abnormalities, which could lead to birth defects such as brain tumours, learning difficulties and cleft palate.

But a Department for Children, Schools and Families spokeswoman said the department could not "see the merits" of commissioning an inquiry into the use of sedation at the Kendall House care home in Gravesend.

She added: "The government has previously commissioned two major reviews into historical abuse - Sir William Utting's report People Like Us and Sir Ronald Waterhouse's report Lost in Care into historical abuse in children's homes in North Wales.

"Following these reports the government changed the regulatory framework - all children's homes must now be regulated and inspected by Ofsted and comply with minimum standards to ensure the safeguarding of children, including standards on the control and issuing of medicines."

The Children's Homes Regulations 2001 forbids the "use or withholding of medication" as a way of disciplining children in children's homes.

Mike Lindsay, national co-ordinator of the Children's Rights Alliance for England, said such regulations meant it was unlikely that children in care homes today would be sedated as a means of controlling their behaviour.

"It would be preposterous to say it wouldn't happen, but there are now a set of national minimum standards that care homes have to comply with, and Ofsted regulates this - care homes are better regulated and it would be less likely to happen," he said.