Vulnerable child rushed to hospital after incident at ‘inadequate’ children’s home

Health professionals had stated the child required “required increased and close supervision” but they were left on their own

A children’s home where a vulnerable child attempted to harm themselves has been rated inadequate. “Serious and widespread failures” were highlighted after an OFSTED inspection at Clare Lodge Secure Children’s Home in Peterborough.

OFSTED inspected the children’s home over February 10 and 11 and a report was published on Tuesday, March 18. The report said children often “do not feel valued or respected” by staff.

In one instance, a vulnerable child with a history of self-harm was left alone in a lounge area for an extended period of time, almost entirely out of view of CCTV. The child became unresponsive after tying a ligature around their neck, according to the OFSTED report.

After staff checked on the child, emergency services were called to the home and the child was taken to hospital. The centre manager was aware of the incident as he had walked past the room on two occasions but did not take any action. The child had a safety plan in place and health professionals had said she “required increased and close supervision”.

Not all the children have clear strategies to help them in their risk assessment reports to help guide staff in “effectively supporting and safeguarding” them, according to the report.

The report added: “Placing social workers said that they are not always informed about incidents or concerns about the children promptly. They say that incident reports that are sent to them are not always sufficiently detailed and leave them having to contact the home for further information and clarifications. Some family members also shared concerns about the lack of communication from staff.”

The home has had three different centre managers since February 2025. The report stated that the centre managers have failed to “develop a good-quality service” for its children and have “not established effective and collaborative working relationships” with the heads of departments.

Councillor Katy Cole, PCC Cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “We acknowledge receipt of the report and accept responsibility for the concerns raised regarding Clare Lodge. We are taking Ofsted’s feedback extremely seriously, and steps are already being taken to make the necessary improvements to the facility.

“As Cabinet Member, I want to emphasise that we are all corporate parents and I take that responsibility seriously. We remain dedicated to further developing Clare Lodge and delivering a high standard of care for the vulnerable young girls who reside there, ensuring they are supported, protected, and given a voice.

“I am committed to ensuring that every child in this city is treated with the respect and care that I would want for my own children.”