Politics · 1 hour ago

Councils spend over £125m yearly putting children in illegal care homes

English councils are paying more than £125m each year to place vulnerable children in care homes not registered with Ofsted. An investigation found 1,800 unlawful placements over two years, costing £250m to more than 480 private companies. Ofsted, the care watchdog, has now started a crackdown after identifying 710 illegal homes this year.

By BriefTea Editorial · 8 September 2026 at 12:28

Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs