In November 1991, a former Royal Marine named Frank Beck was found guilty on seventeen counts involving sexual and physical assault on children at three Leicestershire Council children's homes where he was superintendent between 1973 and 1986. He was given five life sentences. It was revealed that following an anonymous complaint in 1975 about the treatment of children at Beck's establishment, then located at Ratcliffe Road, Leicester, he had been called before a meeting of the council but managed to persuade them to endorse his approach. Despite a number of complaints subsequently being made, including several to the police, none resulted in any proceedings against Beck or his colleagues until 1989 when the investigation began that was to lead to his conviction.
In 1992, following the Beck trial, two inquiries were launched. The first, led by Andrew Kirkwood QC, examined the circumstances surrounding the events at the council's homes. Its report found that Beck — a charismatic and physically powerful character — had instituted a regime where children were encouraged to regress temporarily to an early stage in their development. This involved a considerable degree of personal physical contact with staff, including hugging and firm holding. Kirkwood's report also noted that the 1970s had seen 'a deliberate move away from the traditional arrangement whereby children's homes were in the hands of a husband and wife team as superintendent and matron, or officer in charge and deputy.' Kirkwood suggested several reasons for this trend. Such joint appointments were increasingly regarded as 'collusive' because if problems occurred, a husband and wife would always back each other up. Furthermore, the appointment of a husband and wife to the two senior posts in a home led to rostering problems since both would want the same time off duty, with the home then being left in the charge of a junior employee. The increase in numbers of difficult adolescents then coming into the homes was viewed as needing a change from the 'Uncle and Auntie' style of leadership to one that was controlling but lively and imaginative.
The second inquiry, chaired by Sir Norman Warner, looked at the recruitment, selection, appointment and supervision of staff in children's homes nationally. His report found that inadequate attention was being given to these matters by senior staff, and that workers were frequently being appointed who lacked adequate qualifications or experience.