Coventry home for troubled youngsters shut down after child 'sexually abused'

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One child living at the city home told Ofsted they had been 'drugged and sexually assaulted'


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A privately run city kids' home where a child reported being 'drugged and sexually assaulted' is no longer operating, Coventry City Council has confirmed. Ofsted visited earlier this year and ruled that its registration be immediately suspended.

One of the concerning incidents highlighted by Ofsted happened after two children had gone clubbing in Coventry and Birmingham. One disclosed the following morning that they had been 'subject to a sexual assault and possible ingestion of drugs unknowingly.'

Support for the two young people involved was described as 'poor.' Staff did not act to reduce the risk for the children, and their 'lack of professional curiosity' and inadequate protocols failed to safeguard them going forward.

The home is run by Dimensions Care Ltd, which prides itself on working closely with Coventry City Council to provide placements for vulnerable children in the West Midlands. Bosses said they have been providing 'safe and nurturing' homes for young people since 2019.

But the reality was very different, with major failings identified by Ofsted. When they visited the Coventry home in May, they found 'broken door frames, graffiti, stained walls and torn flooring.'

Addressing the issues surrounding the Coventry home, Coventry City Council said: “It was inspected as 'Good' in all areas by Ofsted in December 2024. Following this, there was a deterioration in the care provided for the children, and this resulted in a multi-agency safeguarding response, which precipitated Ofsted returning to the home and the children being moved.”

Children were regularly going missing from the city-based care facility and had been at risk of exploitation, Ofsted found. One child said: 'We have no rules and boundaries. We run rings around them and do what we want. Even when I went missing last night, returned intoxicated and fell asleep on the stairs, no one has addressed this with me, and they never will.'

Inspectors found that there had also been incidents of children harming themselves, but said the items used to cause injury were not removed. Staff failed to respond appropriately, which led to one child taking their pillow and blanket, stating they would rather sleep in a field.

Only two out of 12 staff members held relevant qualifications, with the majority said to be 'relatively new and inexperienced.' Failure to take effective action to improve the quality of care compromised the safety, experiences, and progress of young people, Ofsted ruled.

Dimensions Care runs five kids' homes across the West Midlands, including in Shropshire, Telford, and Worcester.