EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES
In-house inquiry: Jason Perry has opted against calling in an external investigator
Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Mayor, has been forced to authorise a review into the procurement omnishambles that saw the council cancelling a £8.6million contract for the management of a children’s home within six months of the facility accepting its first residents.
But Mayor Perry is only allowing an in-house investigation into what went wrong – refusing calls for an independent, external inquiry. Any reasonable person might be prompted to ask: what has Perry got to hide?
As Inside Croydon was first to report, charity the St Christopher’s Fellowship is in dispute with Perry’s council over their contract cancellation, which happened a month before Ofsted inspectors gave the home a “Good” rating across all categories.
Councillor Stuart King, the leader of the Labour group at the Town Hall, called on the Tory Mayor to conduct an urgent investigation into the awarding and subsequent cancelling of the contract with St Christopher’s, as well as the “wider issues” surrounding the children’s home.
Inside Croydon revealed last month that the council had served notice on contractors the St Christopher’s Fellowship citing “concerns”, with children put “into situations that subsequently resulted in placement breakdowns and/or hospital admissions”.
The home, which cannot be named for safeguarding reasons, only opened in April this year. It had been prepared to operate as a children’s home with four rooms in 2025 as part of Mayor Jason Perry’s “Stabilisation Plan” to cut costs by avoiding the high charges made by private providers.
The contract to manage the home was supposed to be for a duration of seven years at a total cost of £8.57million – or £1.2million per year.
Croydon Council is undertaking another procurement process to find replacement managers for the home. St Christopher’s Fellowship, meanwhile, has rejected many of the council’s criticisms as unfounded and untrue.
“I am delighted that our pressure has forced the Mayor to concede an inquiry,” Councillor King said, “although I am disappointed that it will not be independently led.
Inquiry call: Cllr Stuart King
“Nevertheless, this is an important first step towards establishing what went wrong, why it happened, and what action the council will take to ensure such failings can never be repeated.”
King says that it is “essential” that the inquiry’s findings are made public. “Only through full transparency and accountability can we begin to rebuild the public confidence that has been so badly damaged.”
In the Ofsted report on the home, published on Monday, under the heading “How well children and young people are helped and protected”, the inspector noted: “Staff have a good understanding of children’s risks, vulnerabilities and early signs that concerns may be increasing.
“Staff and leaders work closely with other professionals through regular multi-agency meetings to develop and review safety plans. This helps to ensure that children receive coordinated support that reduces risks and promotes their safety and wellbeing.
“Children’s health needs are addressed well.”
The Ofsted report directly contradicts important elements of the council director’s report which recommended the abrupt ending of the contract with St Christopher’s.
Natalie Vesty, the Green Party councillor who sits on the scrutiny sub-committee, said that Ofsted’s report on the children’s home “is difficult to reconcile” with Croydon Council’s version of events.
The only public response from the council has been comments published by The Municipal Journal in which a spokesperson said that Croydon intends to be “clearer” with children’s services providers “about what we want services to achieve”. Which might be a start.
- Click here to read Ofsted’s full report on Croydon Council’s children’s home, September 2026
- Click here to see the council’s contract termination report
Read more: Council could face legal battle over £8.6m children’s home deal
Read more: Council cancels £8.6m children’s home contract after 6 months
Read more: Charity ‘strongly disputes’ council report on children’s home
Read more: Outsourcing children’s home has proved costly and high risk
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