Nottinghamshire children in care failed for five decades, inquiry finds

Survivors of the regime at Beechwood have described an environment in which sexual abuse was rife

Children in care in Nottinghamshire were failed for decades, a major inquiry has found.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) scrutinised areas of public life where child protection failings had taken place, including in the care system in Nottinghamshire.

A report, released on Thursday, said two Nottinghamshire councils missed chances to learn from mistakes.

Victims and survivors say they hope the inquiry will make children safer.

Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council have already apologised for failings.

• Child sex abuse: Failing to report it should be made illegal - major inquiry

• The horrific, disturbing findings of a seven-year inquiry

Announced in 2014 by then home secretary Theresa May, IICSA began its examinations the following year.

The care system in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire was one of 15 investigations to be conducted by the panel, which IICSA said was due to the high level of allegations of sexual abuse of children in their care over many years.

Before the hearings took place in 2018, hundreds of people got in touch to describe abuse in children's homes and foster care from the 1960s to the 21st Century.

IICSA released a report in 2019, with Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County councils heavily criticised for repeated failures that exposed young people to serious abuse.

'Slow to apologise'

In its final report, IICSA made a number of key recommendations, including a mandatory reporting law for workers who suspect abuse, a registration and training system for children's home staff, and a national compensation scheme.

It said the city and county councils had taken action to improve checks on carers in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, but also called for further action.

The report said the city council and its child protection partners "should commission an independent, external evaluation of their practice concerning harmful sexual behaviour" and set up an action plan "to ensure that any recommendations are responded to in a timely manner".

Both councils were also recommended to "assess the potential risks posed by current and former foster carers" they provide, and ensure any provided by agencies are assessed.

"Any concerns which arise should be referred to the appropriate body or process, including the Disclosure and Barring Service, the local authority designated officer (LADO) or equivalent, the fostering panel and the police," it said.

The final report also noted how both authorities "took different approaches to apologising for non-recent abuse", saying the city council "was guarded and slow to apologise" and its eventual admission weeks before the hearings began "was viewed with cynicism by some complainants and was rejected by them".

Joni Cameron-Blair was at the notorious Beechwood Community Home

Abuse survivor Joni Cameron-Blair was at the notorious Beechwood Community Home at the age of 15, where children were subjected to a regime of sexual and physical abuse.

She said the inquiry had made children in care safer and "created a platform to speak about a taboo subject".

"Change is what it's brought - change for a lot of people," she said.

"They've been listened to, they've been heard... and now the support is getting through.

"Whilst there is a long way to go, out of that darkness the light is now beginning to shine and those victims have now been heard, listened to and a sense of trust has now been built."

Alison Walters says she believes the inquiry has achieved a lot

Alison Walters, another abuse survivor, said IICSA "has achieved a lot".

"I feel that we've been believed," she said.

"It's about getting justice and getting these people in prison where they belong."

Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen gave evidence to the inquiry when he was still the authority's portfolio holder for children's services

Both the city and county councils issued statements accepting IICSA's findings.

Catherine Underwood, director for people at Nottingham City Council - which was criticised by campaigners during the inquiry hearings - said the authority had "undertaken a great deal of work since IICSA took place".

"We have worked with other agencies to strengthen safeguarding children partnership arrangements, focused on listening to children and adult survivors and equipping people in a whole range of organisations with the skills to recognise and respond to them when they raise concerns of abuse," she said.

"We now have robust arrangements in place to identify and address harmful sexual behaviour."

Colin Pettigrew, Nottinghamshire County Council's corporate director for children and young people, reiterated the authority's apology to victims and survivors, and praised the inquiry "for its commitment to making sure their voices were heard and their experiences told".

"The publication of [its] report is a reminder of the courage of the victims and survivors who came forward during the seven years of this far-reaching national inquiry.

"The safety and protection of children in our care remains our highest priority at all times," he added.