English Councils Place Children in Unregistered Homes Despite 2021 Ban

English councils have continued to place children in unregistered and therefore illegal children's homes despite a 2021 government ban on the practice for under-16s. BBC News reported that some unregistered placements now cost local authorities as much as £2 million per child per year. The homes are not inspected by Ofsted and operate without registration.

The Public Accounts Committee stated that councils have placed children in around 800 unregistered homes in England. Many of these children have complex needs that require restraint or Deprivation of Liberty orders. The number of registered children's homes has doubled from 2,209 to 4,455 over eight years, according to Ofsted data.

Spending by councils on children's residential care has doubled in the last four years.

News visited several unregistered homes and found properties with broken doors, frayed carpets, and no books or toys. One placement involved a caravan in Lancashire and another a flat above a shop in Portsmouth. A care leaver named Chereece described being moved between holiday homes in Wales multiple times per week.

She said the experience left her feeling like a prisoner. Councils have cited a shortage of registered specialist homes as the reason for using unregistered placements. The Local Government Association noted that rising placement costs reduce funding available for earlier support services.