One in four children in residential care in England is in a children’s home rated “adequate” or “inadequate”, according to a BBC Panorama investigation. Its investigation asked all 134 councils with children’s services in England about standards in the homes in which they placed children. Of the 87 councils that responded, the programme established that one in four children was in a home rated “adequate” or “inadequate” on 31 December 2012. There were cases of “good” care, with 16 councils saying all their children were in “good” or “outstanding” homes.

The Times reports that ministers are to announce plans to overhaul children’s homes in order to give girls greater protection from sexual predators. Under the plans no home will be allowed to open in an areas judged to be in unsafe because of nearby bail hostels. Homes will also be required to give their local authority details of who is living there and which boroughs have sent them. Local authorities will also be given six months to review how they deal with the intractable problem of children who run away from homes.

LGIU Daily News, 25/06.13