Children's homes chaos exposed in shock report

KIDS GO MISSING AND 'NO RULES' AMID A LITANY OF FAILINGS

- JANE HAYNES People & Politics Editor

A VULNERABLE child in a Sandwell care home went missing all night and was 'drugged and sexually assaulted' in a hotel room, according to a shocking report.

Another child with a known interest in knives and gangs and deemed 'at risk' was taken by home staff to meet up with dubious 'friends' on numerous occasions, ending up involved in crime, Ofsted inspectors found. And in another incident, a child went missing in the night for several hours and staff did not realise until the child told them.

The company involved, Dimensions Care Ltd, operates five homes, including the one in the report, which was inspected in June.

Children shared harrowing stories of harm and exploitation with inspectors.

One of the worst incidents involved two children who left the home at night and travelled to Birmingham and then to Coventry to nightclubs, with one child disclosing they had been taken to a hotel by adult men and subject to a sexual assault and drugging.