London councils develop plan for capital's first secure children’s home
Amrit Virdi
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
A coalition of London councils has published proposals to develop the capital's first secure children’s home in a bid to alleviate national capacity issues for such settings.
The project is set to be put forward for consultation with the local community and stakeholders before an application for planning permission is submitted.
It is being led by The Association of London Directors of Children's Services (ALDCS) via its sector-led improvement partnership, the London Innovation and Improvement Alliance. The project would be backed with Department for Education funding.
If plans progress, borough councils will oversee the provision through a jointly owned not-for-profit company. Barnet is currently leading the design and construction phase on behalf of the London boroughs.
The councils are at the forefront of designing, building and opening the planned home, which would provide 24 welfare placements for highly vulnerable children with complex needs as well as accommodation for up to four children who need support transitioning from a secure environment into society.
There has never been a secure children's home in the capital before, and concerns have been raised across the sector around dwindling numbers of such settings across the country.
Latest DfE statistics show that there are only 14 secure children's homes in England and Wales.
Just 139 children were placed in these settings in 2023 - 165 less than during the previous year.
Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the High Court Division of the Family Court, called the lack of secure placements for children “longstanding and chronic”.
After an assessment of multiple sites in London, part of an existing Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road in the London Borough of Waltham Forest was identified as the most suitable location for the development.
Children are placed in secure homes for their welfare when no other type of care placement can keep them safe. Specialist care, education and support is offered to the most vulnerable children through these settings.
Chris Munday, ALDCS regional chair for commissioning and resources, said: “A new secure welfare provision, in London, will help boroughs provide the right support, at the right time, to improve outcomes for London’s most vulnerable children.
“This important project, which I am proud to lead on behalf of ALDCS, is part of a wider programme of work that London boroughs are delivering together to tackle the shortage of suitable local placements for the extremely vulnerable children we are working with.”
Consultation with the local community and stakeholders will now take place before an application for planning permission is submitted to the local planning authority.
This comes as a recent Ofsted report stated that more than nine in 10 local authorities struggle to find homes for children with complex needs.
