Revealed: scandal of England’s ‘inadequate’ private children’s homes

Private equity links and the pursuit of profit come with risks for children in the care sector, say experts

More than 100 privately run children's homes in England with serious failings have been branded inadequate by inspectors, with several found to have links to private equity firms, an Observer investigation has found.

Poorly trained staff, chaotic management and a series of incidents that left children's safety in danger were cited in official reports by Ofsted, which inspects children's homes, as it concluded they were providing inadequate care. Several have closed since inspectors raised concerns.