Care home reforms

The government has published plans to combat the sexual exploitation of children in care homes in England by gangs.

The move acts on recommendations made by the deputy children's commissioner in a report on sexual exploitation.

The conviction this year of nine men in a child sex ring sparked concerns about the safety of children's homes.

Children's Minister Tim Loughton said: "These are big changes to a system, which has been letting down too many."

In May nine men were jailed for being part of a child sex ring in Rochdale - one of the girls was in care at the time and all were said to have been known to social services at some point.

There is a high density of care homes in Rochdale.

The new measures announced include new regulations to make it far harder to place children in care homes outside their home boroughs, and plans to streamline data to get a clearer picture of who goes missing from care.

Ministers also pledged a wide-ranging review of all aspects of the quality and effectiveness of children's homes, including management, ownership and staffing.