Lawyers have been paid more than half a million pounds for deciding whether former looked-after children in Islington should receive payments for alleged abuse.

On average, the law firm charged Islington Council more than £1,500 to read and rule on each file, yet in some cases made decisions which were later overturned.  

The council revealed, in response to an Islington Gazette Freedom of Information request, that as of mid-July, DAC Beachcroft had been paid £565,668 to administer its Support Payment Scheme.

The scheme was launched in 2022 after the council admitted and apologised for decades of abuse in its children’s homes.

Allegations include that children were beaten; starved; given alcohol, cigarettes and drugs; sexually abused by staff; trafficked to other paedophiles; and forced to abort babies.

Successful applicants to the scheme receive £10,000, but the council insists the pay-outs are neither admissions of liability nor compensation.

The scheme was open for applications between May 2022 and May 2024, during which time DAC Beachcroft assessed 285 cases.

The firm is continuing to assess cases now that were filed during the latter part of that window of eligibility, meaning the eventual final bill will be even higher.

Dr Liz Davies, founder of the Islington Survivors Network (ISN), questioned whether the sum paid to the law firm represented value for money.

“A lot of the work is done by us and the council,” she said. “Between us, we interview the survivors, put together their statements, retrieve their care records and put together a file of evidence.

“The council then sends that file to the lawyers, who just have to read it and decide whether the evidence meets the threshold for payment.

“It’s questionable whether they’ve even been doing that very effectively. So far, every single survivor we’ve taken to the independent appeal panel after DAC Beachcroft turned them down has had that decision reversed and received the payment.”

But Islington Council defended the expense.

“We’re deeply sorry for the council’s past failure to protect vulnerable children in its children’s homes, which was the worst chapter in this council’s history,” a spokesperson said.

“The council set up the Support Payment Scheme in recognition of its responsibility to those affected by historic abuse in its care homes between 1966 and 1995.

“This is a legally complex scheme, but was resourced and operated responsibly to ensure that the maximum number of applicants were able to take up the offer within the time frame.”

DAC Beachcroft declined to comment, citing client confidentiality.