The Shaw Trust has confirmed it will end its Homes2Inspire contract in Somerset after an Ofsted inspection uncovered "serious and widespread failures" and prompted the closure of one home. The partnership, launched in 2022 as part of an £80m project, had opened eight small homes for children with significant trauma. The trust and council will manage an expected 18-month transition while seeking a new provider and addressing rural staffing shortages and safeguarding improvements.
Shaw Trust To End Somerset Children’s Homes Contract After Damning Ofsted Report; One Home Closed
A children's home has been closed after Ofsted inspectors found "serious and widespread failures" [BBC]
A charity operating children's homes in Somerset has confirmed it will end its contract following a critical Ofsted inspection that led to the closure of one home.
Background
Somerset Council launched a ten-year partnership with the Shaw Trust’s Homes2Inspire scheme in 2022 as part of an £80m project to keep more young people in local care. The contract was due to run until 2027, but the trust has now announced it will withdraw at the end of that term.
Ofsted Findings and Immediate Impact
Ofsted inspectors found "serious and widespread failures" that placed children at "significant risk of harm." The report included disturbing allegations such as a member of staff striking a child and other staff isolating themselves from a child in distress. One home was subsequently closed as a direct result of the inspection.
Response From Shaw Trust and the Council
Shaw Trust chief executive Chris Luck said the nature of the children’s needs and the level of care required had changed:
“The combination of the children and the demand for care has changed… they deserve better.”He added the trust "are not walking away" and that they will work to ensure children are appropriately cared for during the handover period.
Councillor Heather Shearer said Somerset's rural setting made it hard to find qualified staff [BBC]
Councillor Heather Shearer, Somerset’s lead member for children, said finding a new provider is of the "utmost importance" and that the council must choose carefully because "the children need that." She also highlighted recruitment challenges linked to the county’s rurality and limited transport links, which have restricted the pool of experienced social care professionals.
Scale Of The Programme And Next Steps
The 2022 partnership opened eight small homes, each designed for two to four children and offering round‑the‑clock care for young people with significant trauma. The Homes and Horizons programme aimed to reduce costly out‑of‑county placements that have previously run the council up to £15,000 per week.
Leaders from the trust and the council said they will work together over an expected 18‑month transition to identify and move children to a new provider where necessary, while implementing lessons from Ofsted’s findings.
What Remains Unresolved
Key questions for the council include finding a provider able to recruit and retain suitably skilled staff in a largely rural county, maintaining continuity of care for vulnerable children during the transition, and embedding any improvements identified by Ofsted.
Follow-up action will focus on safeguarding improvements, staffing solutions to address rural recruitment challenges, and securing a stable, high-quality provider to continue local care provision.
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