Failing Celebrity-Run Care Home for Girls Permanently Shut to Keep Children Safe
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A failing care home for vulnerable girls owned by reality TV personality Ampika Pickston and funded by billionaire West Ham United owner David Sullivan has been permanently shut by Ofsted to prevent more child residents coming to harm, following an 18-month Byline Times investigation.
The Real Housewives of Cheshire star and OnlyFans model, 43, opened AP Care Homes Ltd sole facility, Moss Farm, in July 2023. She had bought the 'luxury' property with a £1.2 million loan from her 76-year-old porn baron fiance Mr Sullivan, who with a £1.12 billion fortune is the UK's 143rd richest person.
But as this newspaper has previously reported, the home was shuttered twice in its first seven months by regulator Ofsted, whose inspectors uncovered a catalogue of serious safeguarding incidents, including one child who had not eaten for 48 hours, another who was hospitalised, and a third who had to be moved to a hotel after being bullied.
Rejecting an appeal by AP Care Homes against its latest closure by Ofsted, a Care Standards Tribunal found Pickston had threatened to stab one manager if she spoke out about the company, and that she had taken a girl to her own home without informing her social worker.
Judge Siobhan Goodrich noted in her judgement "serious and continuing regulatory failures", found large parts of Ms Pickston's witness evidence lacked credibility, and stated "little or no confidence" that she would ever be capable of safely carrying a children's care home.
EXCLUSIVE
The Porn Baron Football Boss, his Glamour Model Fiancée and a War With Ofsted Over their 'Failing' Children's Home
When a care home for vulnerable children funded by billionaire West Ham United Chairman David Sullivan, and run by his OnlyFans model reality TV star partner Ampika Pickston, had its registration suspended over safeguarding issues, it led to a strange chain of events and legal threats to this newspaper
Tom Latchem and Dan Evans
Despite Judge Goodrich saying Pickston's desire to "provide a home where children with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties [could be] well looked after, and be happy and safe" was "laudable", she wrote: "The risk of harm to the health, well-being and safety of children who may come to live at the home is significant and has been amply demonstrated by…the experiences of many of the children who have lived there.
"We are satisfied that cancellation of registration is necessary, justified and proportionate to the risks to the health, safety and well-being of children who might otherwise live there."
The judgment said a cancellation notice meant Pickston and anyone else who had a financial interest in the company would not be permitted to be involved in running a care home, or to foster or child-mind children, without Ofsted's permission.
Sullivan was not among the parties involved in proceedings, meaning he was not represented in court. There is no suggestion he had any involvement with the firm beyond the provision of financing.
The week-long hearing, which took place at Warrington Magistrates in March, heard eight managers had quit in just 13 months, raising concerns over their lack of autonomy, as well as Pickston's ability to run the home within the law while keeping children safe.
Celebrity-Run Children's Home 'Twice Misled' Ofsted Over Serious Safeguarding Incident Which Saw it Shut Down
Ampika Pickston's AP Care Homes Ltd has been barred for caring for children since late January and is now subject to a Care Standards Tribunal
Tom Latchem and Dan Evans
Judge Goodrich said: "We do not consider that Ms Pickston will be able to restrain herself from interfering with the exercise of professional judgement that needs to be under...
For digital and print editions, packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, features, and columns….
SUBSCRIBE
A failing care home for vulnerable girls owned by reality TV personality Ampika Pickston and funded by billionaire West Ham United owner David Sullivan has been permanently shut by Ofsted to prevent more child residents coming to harm, following an 18-month Byline Times investigation.
The Real Housewives of Cheshire star and OnlyFans model, 43, opened AP Care Homes Ltd sole facility, Moss Farm, in July 2023. She had bought the 'luxury' property with a £1.2 million loan from her 76-year-old porn baron fiance Mr Sullivan, who with a £1.12 billion fortune is the UK's 143rd richest person.
But as this newspaper has previously reported, the home was shuttered twice in its first seven months by regulator Ofsted, whose inspectors uncovered a catalogue of serious safeguarding incidents, including one child who had not eaten for 48 hours, another who was hospitalised, and a third who had to be moved to a hotel after being bullied.
Rejecting an appeal by AP Care Homes against its latest closure by Ofsted, a Care Standards Tribunal found Pickston had threatened to stab one manager if she spoke out about the company, and that she had taken a girl to her own home without informing her social worker.
Judge Siobhan Goodrich noted in her judgement "serious and continuing regulatory failures", found large parts of Ms Pickston's witness evidence lacked credibility, and stated "little or no confidence" that she would ever be capable of safely carrying a children's care home.
EXCLUSIVE
The Porn Baron Football Boss, his Glamour Model Fiancée and a War With Ofsted Over their 'Failing' Children's Home
When a care home for vulnerable children funded by billionaire West Ham United Chairman David Sullivan, and run by his OnlyFans model reality TV star partner Ampika Pickston, had its registration suspended over safeguarding issues, it led to a strange chain of events and legal threats to this newspaper
Tom Latchem and Dan Evans
Despite Judge Goodrich saying Pickston's desire to "provide a home where children with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties [could be] well looked after, and be happy and safe" was "laudable", she wrote: "The risk of harm to the health, well-being and safety of children who may come to live at the home is significant and has been amply demonstrated by…the experiences of many of the children who have lived there.
"We are satisfied that cancellation of registration is necessary, justified and proportionate to the risks to the health, safety and well-being of children who might otherwise live there."
The judgment said a cancellation notice meant Pickston and anyone else who had a financial interest in the company would not be permitted to be involved in running a care home, or to foster or child-mind children, without Ofsted's permission.
Sullivan was not among the parties involved in proceedings, meaning he was not represented in court. There is no suggestion he had any involvement with the firm beyond the provision of financing.
The week-long hearing, which took place at Warrington Magistrates in March, heard eight managers had quit in just 13 months, raising concerns over their lack of autonomy, as well as Pickston's ability to run the home within the law while keeping children safe.
Celebrity-Run Children's Home 'Twice Misled' Ofsted Over Serious Safeguarding Incident Which Saw it Shut Down
Ampika Pickston's AP Care Homes Ltd has been barred for caring for children since late January and is now subject to a Care Standards Tribunal
Tom Latchem and Dan Evans
Judge Goodrich said: "We do not consider that Ms Pickston will be able to restrain herself from interfering with the exercise of professional judgement that needs to be under...
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