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Secure children’s home shortage letting children down, Ofsted warns

1 min read Youth Justice Social Care
An acute shortage of secure children’s homes (SCHs) in England is leaving the most vulnerable children at risk of harm, Ofsted has warned.
Yvette Stanley: Too many vulnerable children are being let down. Picture: Ofsted
Yvette Stanley: Too many vulnerable children are being let down. Picture: Ofsted

New data from the inspectorate highlights a scarce supply of secure home placements, with only 13 SCHs operating across the country. 

There are no SCHs in London or the West Midlands, yet Yorkshire and Humber region has four, the report states.

Across England there are just 234 places at SCHs and these have been further reduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic as staff have become ill or had to self-isolate.

Since 2002, 16 SCHs have closed, data shows, despite around 25 children a day currently waiting for a placement. 

“Given the limited number of SCHs, even when children get a place, they are likely to end up living far away from home,” the report adds, noting that some local authorities are resorting to placing children in Scottish secure units because of the lack of places in England. 

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