Catalyst Care Limited and its directors, Davidson Lynch-Shyllon and Miriam Ekathor, have been fined a total of £92,400 for operating three unregistered children's homes in Kent. The company and its directors pleaded guilty to all charges at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on 9 March 2026.
The homes provided accommodation for nine children between October 2022 and April 2025. In addition to the fines, they were ordered to pay victim surcharges totalling £2,960 and costs of £17,250. Lynch-Shyllon and Ekathor have also been disqualified from managing or having a financial interest in a children’s home.
Ofsted, which brought the criminal prosecution, stated that the directors received repeated warnings that they were breaking the law. During the period of operation, the homes received over £1.7 million from local authorities. This case marks Ofsted's first successful prosecution of an unregistered children's home provider.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, described the outcome as an important milestone in efforts to tackle illegal children’s homes. Children and Families Minister, Josh MacAlister, welcomed the prosecution as a start to a wider crackdown, noting that Ofsted has new powers to issue fines under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act.