Author | Lightnews

Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · 5d

2025: a child in care is sleeping on a mattress on the floor in an ‘annex’. Ofsted visit prompted by a serious incident alert. Private company operating the annex illegally. Child’s place paid for by their LA / corporate parent. They will have a social worker and an independent reviewing officer.

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · 9d

When giving oral evidence to Covid-19 Inquiry, I said whenever I encounter govt plans to remove or weaken safeguards for children in care I think about past inquiries & scandals. The death of Dennis O’Neill & the cruelty also inflicted on his brother, together with both boys’ bravery, often in mind.

Bylines Network @bylinesnetwork.co.uk · 9d

The forgotten Shropshire tragedy that inspired The Mousetrap

The death of 12-year-old Dennis O’Neill in 1945 shocked Britain and led Agatha Christie to write her famous play The Mousetrap | Jonathan Calder
@centralbylines.co.uk @lordbonkers.bsky.social

The forgotten Shropshire tragedy that inspired The Mousetrap

The death of 12-year-old Dennis O’Neill in 1945 shocked Britain and led Agatha Christie to write her famous play The Mousetrap

centralbylines.co.uk

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · 10d

Look forward to reading this ✨

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · 22d

article39.org.uk/2025/10/13/c...

Children's social care and education ministers to be questioned at UK Covid-19 Inquiry | Article 39

article39.org.uk

Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · 23d

Been reminded (through anniversary of a family wedding I missed 😬) that it’s 29 years since the residential weekend laying the ground for the formation of A National Voice organisation run by and for care experienced people.

Anyone on here who attended, I still have group photos!

Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · 25d

Spoke at national conference this week about supported accommodation for children in care aged 16 and 17. Asked for a show of hands from those who sent (or plan to send) their teenage children off to a flat, bedsit (‘self contained unit’) or hostel to learn to become independent. Not a single hand.

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Reposted by Carolyne Willow

Deborah Coles @debcoles13.bsky.social · 27d

Vital work of museum of homelessness @ourmoh.bsky.social
bringing to light the shocking reality of deaths of people experiencing homelessness. museumofhomelessness.org/news/new-res...

Our investigation finds that 1611 people experiencing homelessness died in 2024 - a 9% increase on the previous year. — Museum of Homelessness

We are devastated to share our latest research into the deaths of those who die. It has revealed the continued impact at the sharpest edge of the homelessness crisis, as the Labour Government has fail...

museumofhomelessness.org

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Sep 30

Ofsted inspecting only a ‘sample’ of properties *every three years* is one of the many ways this form of accommodation was moved from being unregulated to regulated in 2023 without longstanding legal protections for children in care.

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Reposted by Carolyne Willow

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Sep 30

article39.org.uk/2025/09/30/p...

Plight of children in prison laid bare in today's UK Covid-19 Inquiry hearing | Article 39

article39.org.uk

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Reposted by Carolyne Willow

Article 39 children's rights charity @article39.bsky.social · Sep 29

UK Covid-19 Inquiry, day 1 hearing: strong and consistent calls for making the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child fully part of UK law
article39.org.uk/uk-covid-19-...

UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 8 hearings - day 1 (29 September 2025) | Article 39

article39.org.uk

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Sep 27

Very grateful to Chambers for supporting me to concentrate on assisting @article39.bsky.social over the next month, during the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's module on children and young people. Hearings start Monday 29 September, going through to 23 October. More here:
article39.org.uk/2025/09/26/i...

Impact on children of government decision-making during the pandemic to be focus of UK Covid-19 Inquiry hearings across next four weeks | Article 39

article39.org.uk

Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Aug 30

You will recall that one of the stated goals of the new regulatory framework for supported accommodation for looked after children and care leavers aged 16 and 17 was not to disrupt the existing market.

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Aug 29

The irony is that the adult supported accommodation sector is able, legally, to provide care. What a shameful mess.

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Reposted by Carolyne Willow

martinbarrow.bsky.social @martinbarrow.bsky.social · Aug 29

It is, frankly, devastating to see councils campaigning for MORE supported accommodation, which is increasingly used to house children in care as young as 16, often sharing premises with vulnerable adults. By law, no ‘care’ can be provided.

www.cypnow.co.uk/content/news...

Councils call for government investment in supported housing - CYP Now

The supply of supported accommodation including for care leavers could fail to meet demand without appropriate government investment, the Local Government Association (LGA) is warning.

www.cypnow.co.uk

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Aug 14

Oasis Trust (charity) chosen by former government to run this secure 16-19 Academy. By law, it’s a secure children’s home. Peers voted to allow local authorities to be able to run this new type of secure children’s home, since this is where expertise lies. Reversed when Bill returned to Commons.

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Aug 13

Why was Prison Officers Association speaking about its members working in Oasis Restore secure school on @channel4news.bsky.social when this is legally meant to be a secure children’s home, not a child prison?

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Aug 8

Due to one child’s needs, waking night staff in place for 8 months. Yet this is meant to be accommodation for children able to live with high degree of independence (a fiction in itself).

This was always policy development full of risks for children, designed by last government for LAs in crisis.

martinbarrow.bsky.social @martinbarrow.bsky.social · Aug 8

Ofsted’s new inspection regime for so-called supported accommodation for children in care is revealing just how bad this provision is.

This summary relates to a provider called Rubi Living Ltd:

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Reposted by Carolyne Willow

Rebekah Pierre @bekahpierre.bsky.social · Jul 18

A reflection on my care files, three years after sharing “An open letter to the social worker who wrote my case notes”, which ended up going viral at the time.

Here’s how my perspective has shifted:

(Original letter available at basw.co.uk/articles/ope...)

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Reposted by Carolyne Willow

martinbarrow.bsky.social @martinbarrow.bsky.social · Jul 13

About half of the 100+ Ofsted inspections published so far have identified concerns, some very serious.

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Jul 13

You will recall Ofsted never publicly opposed the last govt’s radical policy change of care-less accommodation for 16 and 17 year-olds in care (less costly private provision than children’s homes). Its constant refrain was - at least we will get to see what is happening to children. Then what?

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Jul 12

Excellent that Education Committee has urged Department for Education to amend legislation to ensure all children in care receive care where they live. (Report published this week.)

❗Several thousand 16 and 17 year-olds in care are currently housed in accommodation where they *receive no care*.

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Reposted by Carolyne Willow

martinbarrow.bsky.social @martinbarrow.bsky.social · Jul 8

These children are too vulnerable to live in supported accommodation and staff are not able to keep them safe.

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Jul 8

Got mine from the wonderful @fiveleavesbooks.bsky.social, read last week on holiday and, wow, is it a powerful, moving, energising read.

Stephen Unwin @stephenunwin.bsky.social · Jun 13

Available wherever you get your books!

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · Jun 15

Sorting out my study, stopped in tracks to marvel once more at this beautiful book written by the exceptional human being Micheline Mason. A primer in human rights, this wonderful book powerfully communicates the social model of disability for parents primarily, though is a gift to all.

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Carolyne Willow @carolynewillow.bsky.social · May 24

Inquest concluded yesterday into the preventable death of a very young and vulnerable care leaver. Litany of failings.

PLEASE NOTE: @article39.bsky.social & @inquest-org.bsky.social joint statement contains lots of distressing information, including about suicide.

article39.org.uk/2025/05/23/n...

Nonita Grabovskyte: Inquest into death of young care leaver finds catalogue of serious failings by corporate parent and other agencies contributed to her death | Article 39

article39.org.uk

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