Care Home Closures // The Observer

A story about recent care home closures shot for The Observer. I photographed Callum Mcdonald, 18, who is autistic and given weeks to leave the children’s home, where he’d lived for five years. The home was run by Outcomes First Group, the largest for-profit care chain in the UK.

Callum, who was taken into care when he was 8, says “outcome first were completely indifferent, I was basically left to fend for myself.” He was forced to move in with his Dad more than 100 miles away. A move he describes as “difficult.” A leaving plan, put in place by his social worker, to allow him to stay in the home to complete a teaching assistant training course, was ignored he claimed.

Callum’s home was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted and follows a series of closures by Outcomes First. They blame “market challenges” as the reason for the closures. Out of the 28 homes closed, at least 7 were rated good or outstanding by Ofsted – none were rated inadequete. A senior manager from the firm, who asked to be anonymous, claimed the closures were not necessary, ” This did not need to happen. Some of the these were successful, well-run and happy homes. We have inflicted more pain and damage on these children.”

The full article can be found here https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/may/14/autistic-teenager-care-home-eviction-callum-mcdonald