The changes, which are being overseen by Nottingham's corporate directorof children's services Edwina Grant, follow criticism from theCommission for Social Care Inspection last year. Inspectors labelled thecouncil's care for looked-after children as "inadequate", with a thirdof children telling inspectors they did not feel safe in care.
A key concern was life for children in Nottingham's six children'shomes, including one with capacity for up to eight children that wasdeemed too large by inspectors. The homes have also seen a number ofreports of assault and a police officer has had to be assigned tosupport staff.
The council has already closed a home in Woodborough Road and another inBeechdale Road is due to close in March once places have been found forthe remaining three occupants.
Other plans include refurbishing the city's four remaining homes,ensuring their capacity remains low, boosting foster care services byspending an extra 280,000 during 2007/08, and the creation of atargeted support team.
The support team will be made up of residential staff affected by thereorganisation and is set to offer specialist support for looked-afterchildren.
While welcoming the decision to focus on fostering and smaller carehomes, public sector union Unison has criticised the council's handlingof the closure of the Woodborough Road home, saying that staff weregiven just one week's notice before the closure and were not formallyconsulted.
Julie Lewis, the council's head of service for looked-after children'said: "We admit we didn't do things as correctly as we should regardingWoodborough Road and have made every effort to put that right andconsult staff regarding our future plans. I also want to stress that noredundancies are planned."
Jenny Robson, development director at The Who Cares? Trust, said: "Thereis evidence that a family environment is better for many children, butfor some that is not the case. We would hope that whatever decision isbeing taken about these homes the best interests of the child are takeninto account.
"I would also like to see some evidence that children are beingconsulted on where they would like to go," she added.
Lewis offered assurances that no child would be placed in an unsuitablesetting, saying that all of the six children who had been relocated fromthe Woodborough Road home were due to be moved to alternativeaccommodation irrespective of the decision to close the home.
She added that none of the three remaining children at Beechdale Roadwill be moved until "their cases have been properly assessed".
