I was contacted by a whistleblower, Christina Crosby, former Virtual School Progress Coordinator at Lincolnshire County Council (LCC). I’ve attached a summary of her testimony.
Therefore, I am writing to raise safeguarding concerns about the ePEP online system currently used to record and manage information for looked-after children. The system, developed and supplied by eGov Solutions Ltd (Gary Paul Daniels was previously the sole director of Ecare Solutions), presents several potential risks to children’s safety, privacy, and data security.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11651414
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07174884
1. Insecure Management of Children’s Information
Reports suggest that the platform may not use adequate encryption or modern data protection controls. In some cases, staff logins and passwords have reportedly been shared, which would breach both UK GDPR and safeguarding best practice. This could allow unauthorised individuals to access highly sensitive information about vulnerable pupils.
2. Unmonitored Communication Features
The system reportedly includes a chat or messaging feature (“Squiddle Chat”) that allows children to communicate within the platform. Concerns have been raised that this tool is not properly monitored or filtered, leaving potential for inappropriate or unrecorded communication. This is contrary to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE, 2024) expectations for safe online environments.
3. Lack of Independent Safeguarding Oversight
There is no evidence of the system having undergone any independent safeguarding or security audit, nor any clear certification to confirm compliance with data protection and child safety standards. This is concerning for a platform holding such sensitive data.
4. Historical Corporate Context
The ePEP system was initially piloted in 2010 under Ecare Solutions Limited, introduced by Debbie Barnes (now CEO of Lincolnshire County Council). In 2011, Ecare Solutions Limited appeared in contracts with Gloucestershire and Stoke-on-Trent Councils, despite being registered as dormant and having no filed accounts. Gary Paul Daniels, who was the sole director of Ecare Solutions, now operates eGov Solutions Ltd, which holds contracts with numerous councils.
While this is primarily a corporate observation, it highlights the importance of due diligence and oversight when sensitive children’s data is handled by private providers.
Class 94: Obtaining/disclosing personal data without consent
- Class 79: Fraud by false representation (dormant company used to trade)
5. Why This Matters
Looked-after children are among the most vulnerable groups in our care. If systems used to store or communicate about their education are not fully secure, there is a risk of data breaches, identity exposure, or unsafe contact online.
Attached Evidence
1. Evidence_01_Company_Status.pdf
– Companies House printout showing the company is dormant (no accounts filed 2010 - 2015 yet actively trading in data below.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07174884
Contract period shown: 01/09/2013 – 31/08/2014 (with wording that suggests extensions to 31/08/2016).
“Vulnerable Children and Corporate Parenting — Supply of electronic PEP to Virtual Schools SOTCC CYPS2013/184 — to supply software solution via a hosted secure site. Migration of current PEP data onto new system. Support and Maintenance of the product. Training to 01/09/2013 31/08/2014 31/08/2016 — £25,100.00 — eCare Solutions Ltd, 37 Brunswick Square, Hove, Brighton — Jon Lowndes.”.
Here’s the confirmed Gloucestershire County Council payment entry showing a transaction to eCare Solutions Ltd in August 2011:
Therefore, I am writing to raise safeguarding concerns about the ePEP online system currently used to record and manage information for looked-after children. The system, developed and supplied by eGov Solutions Ltd (Gary Paul Daniels was previously the sole director of Ecare Solutions), presents several potential risks to children’s safety, privacy, and data security.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11651414
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07174884
1. Insecure Management of Children’s Information
Reports suggest that the platform may not use adequate encryption or modern data protection controls. In some cases, staff logins and passwords have reportedly been shared, which would breach both UK GDPR and safeguarding best practice. This could allow unauthorised individuals to access highly sensitive information about vulnerable pupils.
2. Unmonitored Communication Features
The system reportedly includes a chat or messaging feature (“Squiddle Chat”) that allows children to communicate within the platform. Concerns have been raised that this tool is not properly monitored or filtered, leaving potential for inappropriate or unrecorded communication. This is contrary to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE, 2024) expectations for safe online environments.
3. Lack of Independent Safeguarding Oversight
There is no evidence of the system having undergone any independent safeguarding or security audit, nor any clear certification to confirm compliance with data protection and child safety standards. This is concerning for a platform holding such sensitive data.
4. Historical Corporate Context
The ePEP system was initially piloted in 2010 under Ecare Solutions Limited, introduced by Debbie Barnes (now CEO of Lincolnshire County Council). In 2011, Ecare Solutions Limited appeared in contracts with Gloucestershire and Stoke-on-Trent Councils, despite being registered as dormant and having no filed accounts. Gary Paul Daniels, who was the sole director of Ecare Solutions, now operates eGov Solutions Ltd, which holds contracts with numerous councils.
While this is primarily a corporate observation, it highlights the importance of due diligence and oversight when sensitive children’s data is handled by private providers.
Class 94: Obtaining/disclosing personal data without consent
- Class 79: Fraud by false representation (dormant company used to trade)
5. Why This Matters
Looked-after children are among the most vulnerable groups in our care. If systems used to store or communicate about their education are not fully secure, there is a risk of data breaches, identity exposure, or unsafe contact online.
Attached Evidence
1. Evidence_01_Company_Status.pdf
– Companies House printout showing the company is dormant (no accounts filed 2010 - 2015 yet actively trading in data below.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07174884
Contract period shown: 01/09/2013 – 31/08/2014 (with wording that suggests extensions to 31/08/2016).
“Vulnerable Children and Corporate Parenting — Supply of electronic PEP to Virtual Schools SOTCC CYPS2013/184 — to supply software solution via a hosted secure site. Migration of current PEP data onto new system. Support and Maintenance of the product. Training to 01/09/2013 31/08/2014 31/08/2016 — £25,100.00 — eCare Solutions Ltd, 37 Brunswick Square, Hove, Brighton — Jon Lowndes.”.
Here’s the confirmed Gloucestershire County Council payment entry showing a transaction to eCare Solutions Ltd in August 2011:
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
EGOV SOLUTIONS LTD overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK
EGOV SOLUTIONS LTD - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity
Service area: CYPD – Children & Education Services
Service division: LAC Personal Learning Virtual School
Expense type: Computer Related Costs
Payment date: 01 Aug 2011
Transaction No: 5100167790
Amount: £12 850.00 (Revenue)
Supplier: eCare Solutions Ltd
What eCare Solutions Ltd did in that period
Companies House / archived sites show that eCare Solutions Ltd (company no 07174884, dissolved 2015) described its business as “Information technology consultancy and development of software solutions for education and social-care services.”
Archived 2011-2013 pages of ecaresolutions.co.uk describe their product “ePEP – Electronic Personal Education Plan”, a secure web-based database used by Virtual Schools to record and monitor the progress of looked-after children.
The same product was adopted in 2011 by Stoke-on-Trent City Council under contract SOTCC CYPS2013/184 — explicitly titled “Supply of electronic PEP to Virtual Schools … via a hosted secure site.”
Thus, at that time eCare Solutions Ltd’s only known product line for education authorities was the ePEP online database.
Service division: LAC Personal Learning Virtual School
Expense type: Computer Related Costs
Payment date: 01 Aug 2011
Transaction No: 5100167790
Amount: £12 850.00 (Revenue)
Supplier: eCare Solutions Ltd
What eCare Solutions Ltd did in that period
Companies House / archived sites show that eCare Solutions Ltd (company no 07174884, dissolved 2015) described its business as “Information technology consultancy and development of software solutions for education and social-care services.”
Archived 2011-2013 pages of ecaresolutions.co.uk describe their product “ePEP – Electronic Personal Education Plan”, a secure web-based database used by Virtual Schools to record and monitor the progress of looked-after children.
The same product was adopted in 2011 by Stoke-on-Trent City Council under contract SOTCC CYPS2013/184 — explicitly titled “Supply of electronic PEP to Virtual Schools … via a hosted secure site.”
Thus, at that time eCare Solutions Ltd’s only known product line for education authorities was the ePEP online database.
Briefing Note: Horizon-Style Data Failure Emerging Inside UK Children’s Services – thestealingofemily.co.uk
https://thestealingofemily.co.uk/2025/11/15/briefing-note-horizon-style-data-failure-emerging-inside-uk-childrens-services/?fbclid=IwdGRzaAOFNqJjbGNrA4U2oGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAhjYWxsc2l0ZQIyNQABHhDea8OLM9V70br4dEyinSl74hHNmIi0ePHkmonYomfgYlXTM8CRByqPn36O_aem_35LWFhnTlS3l0HcTRTHlJA&sfnsn=scwspwa
https://thestealingofemily.co.uk/2025/11/15/briefing-note-horizon-style-data-failure-emerging-inside-uk-childrens-services/?fbclid=IwdGRzaAOFNqJjbGNrA4U2oGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAhjYWxsc2l0ZQIyNQABHhDea8OLM9V70br4dEyinSl74hHNmIi0ePHkmonYomfgYlXTM8CRByqPn36O_aem_35LWFhnTlS3l0HcTRTHlJA&sfnsn=scwspwa
thestealingofemily.co.uk
Briefing Note: Horizon-Style Data Failure Emerging Inside UK Children’s Services
A whistle-blower has revealed serious issues within UK children’s services, paralleling the Post Office Horizon scandal. Local councils may have lost or corrupted records, impacting vulnerabl…
Children in care put at risk by insecure council platform and dormant company contracts,
whistleblower warns.
whistleblower warns.