4. Thomas Mann was the deputy officer in charge of Foxholes Children’s Home in Rochdale between 1979 and 1983, when he was dismissed for gross misconduct after an allegation was made against him by a girl of 14 that he had sexually abused her.^[1] 

5. Mann subsequently pleaded guilty to two offences of indecent assault against a girl under 16 committed between 4 October and 4 December 1983. The Court conditionally discharged him for two years but he was summarily dismissed from his position at Foxholes. He appealed against his dismissal but later withdrew the appeal.^[2] 

6. There is no evidence of any pattern of abuse at Foxholes, although Anthony Andrews was also on the staff there for a period of time (see further below), and the allegations against Mann were dealt with swiftly and decisively by the Council. This contrasts with the situation at Knowl View School as it shows that the Council was capable of prompt action in response to allegations of child sexual abuse, yet it simply failed to grasp the situation at Knowl View.