On Wednesday 13th December, ITV aired a controversial documentary investigating Britain’s privately run children’s homes.
The programme, presented by child psychologist Professor Tanya Byron, looks at the vast amounts of money exchanging hands in these homes and tries to ascertain whether these sums are effectively used to provide children with the love and attention they should be receiving. The undercover investigation ran for a year.
An article in the Guardian offers a good summary of the programme. The piece explains that undercover reporters found serious failings, including evidence of understaffing, inadequate training, and closure of homes before Ofsted inspections were due, to avoid failing the checks.
The documentary also highlights dangerous social work practices and routine emotional and physical abuse of children inside the homes. The Guardian piece also tells us:
“Residential care does not come cheap. The filmmakers confirmed with Cambian Group that one home that employed their undercover reporter charges £4,800 a week. A Keys home that features in the film charged a council £5,100 a week. Meanwhile, care staff are told to keep to tight budgets: one worker quoted £5 a day per child for food. At a Cambian home, the budget per child was said to be £45 for activities, with £50 for meals. The two reporters employed by Keys and Cambian were paid £7.20 per hour and £16,500 a year respectively.”
Whilst this is happening, private equity firms are making large fortunes from failing care homes. It’s not a coincidence that children in these homes are being short changed, both emotionally and financially.
Child rights campaigner, Jane Doe watched the documentary when it aired:
“I’m just shocked and saddened at how much these homes are paid per child, compared to what the child actually gets. It’s £5,000 a week per child – but each child gets only £119 for basic food, not even therapy or support of any kind. It made me cry.”
At what point is the government going to intervene to stop these practices? It really is time.
You can catch the programme over on ITV’s Hub.
Very many thanks to Jane for alerting us to this documentary.
Ian Josephs said:
I have the solution ! Send these kids to stay in London at the Dorchester,the Ritz, and the Savoy hotels;! It would be cheaper and they would be much more comfortable !
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Roger Crawford said:
Maggie Tuttle and I went for an ‘interview’ with a director of an outfit which recruited potential foster carers and he admitted that it was, far above all else, a lucrative business for all involved. We left feeling nauseated. We secretly recorded the interview, I think Maggie still has it.
Surely, now, we should consider coming back to the principle that looking after children is a vocation rather than an opportunity for certain individuals to indulge in a money-making racket. I’m very pleased that this is now emerging into the public domain, and am sure there are many more waiting in the wings. It’s much the same with many Care Homes for the elderly. It’s not time for ‘rebranding’, it’s time to change the whole ethos of the way we look after our youngest and our oldest.
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Natasha said:
Thank you roger. I’d be interested to hear the recording if you’re both happy to share.
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Roger Crawford said:
I’d be very happy to share, Natasha, but Maggie has the recording (I think she still has it) and she’s living in Spain now. If she has it, and can get it to you, I’d love you to hear it. We posed as potential foster carers!
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Maggie tuttle said:
Roger, the guy we saw also registered social workers who were setting up a business for an agency for adoptions and fostering and he said lots of money in in the agency business , so is it any wonder that kids are taken from families on hear say, only to be abused sold trafficked, and he did say that a social worker with their own agency does not have to pay a S/W to do the reports a big saving, if the Nation knew of the BILLIONS made from kids they may do some thing also remember many Judges and people in politics also have shares in agencys, perhaps this is why the judges send the kids to care and the social workers in a closed court on here say only, but then the out come of most cases is all done and dusted before the hearing,
And who made the law that Grandparents have no rights, no one knows, its controle of the family, and now we have abuse from the CRADLE TO THE GRAVE and children are still screaming to be heard.
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daveyone1 said:
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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Mike Howard said:
How many of the thousands of children stolen by the state from loving families on the pretext of “In the best interest of the child” would be better off with their families if they were given £500 per week to care for them? Never mind £5000.
It is just “Kids for cash” children have no real voice, their interests and feelings are ignored and to quote Maggie Tuttle they will remain “Children screaming to be heard”
until this evil system is abandoned.
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Dr. Manhattan. said:
You are absolutely right Mike.
i wonder if the Exposure film makers would be interested in doing an Expose on lies, deception, collusion and perjury being committed by Local authorities and Judges all over the country which has caused untold amounts of Psychological damage to the thousands of parents and children and sadly caused many Suicides.its time to really go after these Criminals and bring them to Justice.
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Mike Howard said:
I hope I live long enough to see it happen.
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Ian Josephs said:
Be careful Dr Manhattan if you carry on talking about social workers like that they will have you diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder !
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Dr. Manhattan. said:
Ha Ha Ha i like that one Ian.
but yes you are quite right as thats what they do to normal sane people to discredit them. These people are the Scourge of the Earth. Fabricating lying Scum.
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maureenjenner said:
Reblogged this on Musings of a Penpusher and commented:
The picture is grim and the story can be repeated for the elderly. One family are happily paying over £100 per day, per carer living in their parents’ luxury home on an alternating weekly basis with double time for bank holidays. The family think it represents good value for money as they can enjoy their own lives while not caring too much about Dad, other than that the bills are paid and some sort of food gets put on the table. Who cares if the house degenerates into a tip? After all , the bricks and mortar can be sold off one day and the junk that represented their parents’ home can be binned or put in a skip – just as their mother said it would before her untimely and unexpected death. Money and lusting after wealth can too often be the source of great evil and the cause of infinite misery for victims involved – whether young or old.
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Roger Crawford said:
Absolutely correct – the whole ethos of so-called ‘care’ must shift away from this inhumanity and lust for money. Vera Brittan (Shirley William’s mother) wrote a book called ‘Testament of Youth’ which detailed her experiences of nursing during the First World War. She wasn’t told how much she’d be earning, and if she had asked she wouldn’t have got the job because it would have been deemed she would only be doing it for the money. This seems laughable now (especially as nurses received a mere pittance) and I’m not suggesting we go back to that, but to me we seem to have gone to the other extreme – which is just as laughable (or not).
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Didn’t stand a chance. said:
My sons got removed from my care in April, unfortunately the children’s welfare is Minimal,
is barbaric and disgusting, the blatant corruption and greed that is going on in the uk regarding
child snatching, something needs to be done ✅
It’s a silent government corruption at the cost of our innocent children!
Return our stolen children!
Uk Government can you Stop making money from fraudulent child abduction.
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Natasha said:
I’m so sorry x
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Ian Josephs said:
Fight back in court representing yourselves.Junk these bent solicitors and fight ! Judges are biased and prejudiced,but mostly not corrupt so you can still win if you have a good enough case and I can always advise you and any similar mothers free of charge ;;;;;;
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Dr. Manhattan. said:
biased and prejudiced is still bad enough and most parents would not stand a chance even as LIPs. Justice Pauffley stated that collusion between Judges and Social workers is widespread across the country.if this is true it doesnt leave much hope.
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