Children's care firm remains suspended after death

A care provider for children will remain suspended after a tribunal concluded there had been "instances of harm".

The Manchester-based firm Safe Hands Care and Support Services (SHCSS), which runs 11 premises, was given a suspension notice in January after concerns following the death of a child in its care.

A tribunal judgement reported a staff member was also alleged to have sexually assaulted a child.

It also said four other workers were dismissed after reports they financially exploited children and smoked cannabis with them. SCHSS declined to comment but previously said it would be "inappropriate" to say anything as investigations were ongoing.

SHCSS, which was registered in December 2024, appealed against a 12-week suspension notice issued in January.

However, their appeal was dismissed by a judge who said "it was appropriate and proportionate for the suspension to continue" while investigations by local authorities continued.

The SHCSS director declined to comment when contacted by the BBC.

He told a local paper "it would be inappropriate and potentially prejudicial" to comment on the child's death due to a "forthcoming inquest".

A separate staff member, who was alleged to have sexually assaulted a child, was subject to a police investigation, which was later closed when the child was unwilling to take part.

In December, the worker was described by the then manager as having been suspended, however the worker was found in the firm's office a month later during a monitoring visit.

Both the manager, who was later suspended, and the worker remain under investigations by the local authorities and an internal independent investigator, according to the tribunal.

They said they "shared Ofsted's concern that the provider did not appreciate the seriousness of concerns raised and had not dealt appropriately with the suspension of members of staff".

"The inspectors also observed staff could not demonstrate adequate knowledge of the children's vulnerabilities or how to keep them safe," the tribunal judgement added.

Other allegations made against the firm included a girl in care claiming a worker made inappropriate glances at her figure and unpacked her underwear.

The worker has been suspended and remains under investigations by local authorities and an internal independent investigator.

When deciding whether to suspend a registered provider's registration, the tribunal judgement said: "It is not necessary for the tribunal to be satisfied that there has been actual harm or even a likelihood of harm, but merely that a person may be exposed to a risk of harm."

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