Children’s home providers in England putting profit over need, says Ofsted

Watchdog says trend of care homes being registered in cheap areas, not where need is greatest, is national scandal'

The number of registered children's homes in England has risen to a record high, but providers are increasingly prioritising profit over care needs, Ofsted has warned.

The watchdog said new children's homes were proliferating in areas of the country where housing was cheapest, suggesting the rise was driven mostly by profit and this was bending the system out of shape".