Expert Report Reveals Abuse at Calderdale Council Children's Home
An expert report into abuse at a council children's home has concluded that any child placed there was "likely to suffer significant harm," according to a BBC investigation.
Research has identified that 135 individuals have made compensation claims alleging physical or sexual abuse at the home in Halifax, West Yorkshire, with 14 claims settled to date.
The report, previously unreleased in full, was commissioned into Calderdale Council-run Skircoat Lodge.
Earlier this year, a jury found the former home manager, now 93 and residing in Birmingham, guilty of sexually abusing six children over three decades. He had been convicted previously in 2001 for sexually abusing eight girls and sentenced to seven years in prison.
His former assistant was also found guilty of indecently assaulting a boy and facilitating abuse of another.
Warning: This report contains details some readers may find distressing.
1994 NSPCC Report Details Abuse and Neglect
The 1994 report was produced by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) after being commissioned by the local authority to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by the home manager.
The 190-page document's author uncovered a catalogue of abuse and neglect allegations. In addition to sexual abuse, the report included accounts of physical abuse, neglect, and other forms of mistreatment.
The report described Skircoat Lodge as "abusive" and "dangerous," noting that positive statements from some staff indicated "collective collusion with an abusive regime."
Former manager Malcolm Phillips, who led the home from its opening in 1976 until his suspension in 1994, was deemed unfit to stand trial after being charged in 2025.
Phillips, described in court as a "master manipulator," was given an absolute discharge, with the judge stating she had "no choice." He was also issued a sexual harm prevention order.
According to the Sentencing Council, an absolute discharge means "the court has decided not to impose a punishment because the experience of going to court has been punishment enough."
His former assistant, Linda Brunning, 67, was found guilty of indecently assaulting a boy and facilitating abuse of another and was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday.
The report contained claims that Brunning was "bouncing kids around inappropriately" and that she would "sit on children or drag them backwards by force by their collar."
It took another three decades before she was brought to justice.
Survivors Speak Out About Abuse
The BBC has previously interviewed women who were sexually abused by Phillips as teenagers at the home. They reported that abuse "happened in that place to multiple children daily."
Kelly Lees, who was sexually abused by Phillips while living at the home from age 11 in the 1990s, waived her right to anonymity and expressed anger that Phillips would not serve prison time.
"I was a child and vulnerable. He abused so many on a daily basis.
"I feel sad that I've had to fight for so many years, I feel sad that I was isolated and I'm angry because I haven't had a proper childhood, of course I'm angry."
Angela Radford, also abused by Phillips and who waived her anonymity, expressed frustration after attending court on Monday.
"I've waited 50 years for him to be given an absolute discharge. I've served the time, not him,"
said Radford.
Physical and Mental Abuse Experienced by Male Residents
Men who endured physical and mental abuse while in the care of the home have also shared their experiences.
Graham Hawkins was sent to Skircoat Lodge at age 14, shortly after it opened in 1976.
"You feared going home from school because you feared the physical assaults, the beatings,"
he said.
"Not only did Phillips hit you, he'd knee you and, when you went down, I found it easier to curl up, take what was coming and he wouldn't stop until you either cried or he got fed up."
Graham described an incident where he tried to avoid returning to the home by jumping out of a moving car while being collected by his social worker.
"My social worker screamed at me to get back in,"
he explained.
"When I got back, Phillips slammed me against the office door and started hitting me so I did my favourite thing; curled up, took it and waited until he finished."
Like many former residents, Graham has struggled with mental health issues since leaving the home.
"I haven't had a full night's sleep for years,"
he revealed.
"I'm 64 now and I still feel it, I still hear his shoes clicking down the corridors."
Graham joined a class action lawsuit against Calderdale Council and received compensation for the physical abuse he suffered.
"I had an offer of a settlement but I refused it because I didn't want the money, I wanted to take Calderdale Council to court,"
he said.
"The solicitor phoned me and said, 'the others in the class action have accepted but we can't proceed until you all agree' so I had to agree.
"I didn't get my day in court and I never got a letter of apology from Calderdale Council.
"That would have made quite a difference to be honest; somebody acknowledging what happened to the children who were placed in their care."
Calls for Public Inquiry and Apology
Former Skircoat resident Chris Wild described the "lack of accountability" as "repugnant."
"What I want to see now is a public inquiry because people need to know how and why,"
he said.
"I want a public apology because survivors deserve that and compensation for survivors who are still living with that trauma.
"Most importantly, we've got to learn from those past mistakes to make sure they never happen again and Calderdale must lead by example."
Chris was 11 years old when he was sent to the home following his father's death and has campaigned for answers about what occurred at Skircoat Lodge.
"That place is a house of horrors and we're only hearing a small percentage of what happened in there,"
he said.
"I think the positive of this court case is that it's given people more confidence to come forward and speak about their abuse so this is not the end, I think it will continue."
Council Response and Safeguarding Improvements
Calderdale Council issued a statement expressing deep regret for the harm caused by individuals involved and the impact on victims' lives.
It stated, "Since this time, our safeguarding practices have changed beyond recognition. There is a strong partnership, focus and commitment from all key organisations working together in Calderdale, to protect children and young people from harm."
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