Some alleged child sex abuse perpetrators were allowed to remain as foster carers, an independent inquiry into abuse of children in care in Nottinghamshire has found.

The damning report concludes the abuse of children in the care of Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council was widespread for decades and repeated failures to learn from mistakes exposed more young people to harm.

The inquiry heard from 350 people who allege they were abused while in residential or foster care from the 1960s to present day during 15 days of evidence at public hearings in October. 

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) panel presented its findings on Wednesday, and said it was the largest number of specific allegations of sexual abuse in a single investigation that the inquiry has considered to date.

The panel believes the true scale is likely to be higher.

The alleged abuse including repeated rapes, sexual assaults and voyeurism took place during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in many of Nottinghamshire County Council’s and Nottingham City Council’s homes as well as in foster care.

As well as this, “harmful sexual behaviour” also occurred between children in both settings, it said.

In its assessment of the councils’ failures, the report said: “For more than five decades, the councils failed in their statutory duty to protect children in their care from sexual abuse.

“These were children who were being looked after away from their family homes because of adverse childhood experiences and their own pre‑existing vulnerabilities.

“They needed to be nurtured, cared for and protected by adults they could trust. Instead, the councils exposed them to the risk, and reality, of sexual abuse perpetrated primarily by predatory residential staff and foster carers.”

Between the late 1970s and 2019, the report said 16 residential staff were convicted of sexual abuse of children in residential care and 10 foster carers were convicted of sexual abuse of their foster children.

The panel said it was also aware of 12 convictions relating to the harmful sexual behaviour of children against other children in care.

The extent of sexual abuse in foster care in the 1970s and 1980s was compounded by poor decision making in those cases where disclosure of abuse had been made, the report found.

Some known perpetrators were permitted to remain as foster carers and then went on to abuse again, it said.

The inquiry heard about the notorious Beechwood Care Home, of which both male and female former residents described being routinely sexually abused by members of staff and being too afraid to report it.

The report said abuse also took place in a number of other children’s residential units, including Hazelwood, Skegby Hall, Edwinstowe, Sandown Road, Wollaton House, Hillcrest, Risley Hall, Greencroft, Beckhampton Road, Woodnook, Amberdale and Three Roofs.

The panel also criticised a comment by a city council leader, who it quoted as saying last year “we will apologise when there is something to apologise for”, as being “crass” and having caused “avoidable upset”.

It said the provision and consistency of support and counselling for victims “remains an issue”.

Criticism was also levelled at Nottinghamshire Police, which the inquiry panel said had not properly resourced its initial investigation into allegations of non-recent abuse of children in care, nor treated the allegations with “sufficient seriousness”.

The report made a number of recommendations including that both councils should “assess the potential risks posed by current and former foster carers directly provided by the council in relation to the sexual abuse of children”.

Inquiry chairwoman Professor Alexis Jay said: “For decades, children who were in the care of the Nottinghamshire councils suffered appalling sexual and physical abuse, inflicted by those who should have nurtured and protected them.

“Those responsible for overseeing the care of children failed to question the extent of sexual abuse or what action was being taken. Despite decades of evidence and many reviews showing what needed to change, neither of the councils learnt from their mistakes, meaning that more children suffered unnecessarily.

“We hope this report and recommendations can help ensure it never happens again.”