Child asylum seekers staying in hotels with adults not checked by DBS, report says

Home Office criticised after inspectors discover workers without criminal record checks had access to master keys

Unaccompanied children seeking asylum have been living in hotels alongside adults whose backgrounds have not been checked, a damning report has revealed.

An independent inspection has severely criticised the Home Office after staff in two hotels were found not to have been checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), as is required by government rules. Staff had access to master keys while young refugees stayed in the building.

The Home Office's practices and procedures did not represent a child-centred approach.

A lack of consistent and effective oversight of contractors.

A lack of planning on how to end the use of hotels for unaccompanied child asylum seekers.