Daisy Wrigley represented Ofsted in a prosecution concerning an unregistered children’s home: Ofsted’s first concluded prosecution of its kind

Daisy Wrigley, instructed by Zara Bhatti, represented Ofsted in a prosecution against a company and its directors for offences of failing to register three children’s home in Kent.

Catalyst Care Limited, and its directors, Miriam Ekhator and Davidson Lynch-Shyllon, pleaded guilty to a total of 30 offences under Section 11(1) of the Care Standards Act 2000. Multiple warnings issued by Ofsted to Catalyst Care Limited and the directors were ignored, as they continued to operate the three establishments, and provide care for 9 vulnerable children between October 2022 and April 2025. Catalyst Care Limited received in excess of £1.7 million from local authorities whilst operating the children’s homes.

On 04 August 2026, Catalyst Care Limited and the Directors were sentenced at Croydon Magistrates’ Court to a cumulative fine of £92,400, costs of £17,250, and victim surcharges. Miriam Ekhator and Davidson Lynch-Shyllon are disqualified from fostering a child privately, and, by virtue of that disqualification, they are prohibited from carrying on, or being concerned in the management of, having a financial interest in or being employed in a children’s home in England, without Ofsted’s written consent.

Care company fined for running illegal children’s homes in legal first – BBC News

Ofsted wins first successful prosecution of illegal children’s home provider – Ofsted press release

Pair to pay £100,000 for illegal children’s home in Ofsted crackdown – The Sunday Times

Authors

Daisy Wrigley

Call 2019

Related areas

Regulatory

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