residential children's home to open in our street

[steppemum]

Got home last night and there is a letter through our door from a neighbour.
Apparently there is a planning application in to change the use of a house to a residential childrens' home. The letter was asking for people to put in ojections to the planning application.

I walked past the house today.
We are a quiet road, dead end, the house in question is large with big garden and another house built at the end of the garden (they built it and sold it off) It is close to neighbours but detached. Has its own large drive for parking. The application is for both the main house and the house in the garden to together become a childrens home.

I can't see what the problem is! I am tempted to put in a comment to the planners to say this is a nice quiet, safe road for a kids home.
I am glad that there will be more facilities as our council has a great deal of trouble finding enough foster homes.
We are detached but very close to neighbours, and we never hear a thing.

Am I being naive?
Is there any reason why this house might cause problems?
Honestly I just think this is NIMBY ism. But is that me being naive?

Oh, I forgot to mention the home on our street was specifically for teens as a transitional house between a children's home and living independently. I'd say the residents were mostly 14-16. So that may well differ in your case!

I actually have 2 homes in my street. Next door but one is a home for young adults with learning disabilities that is helping them learn to live independently. Then a bit further down is a home for kids who need emergency placements. They are usually teenagers. Not going to lie, the parking can be an issue but it's a silly road with large family homes and no drives! I was completely unaware that the emergency home was even there for several years. I have never seen or heard any trouble. The home for young adults with learning disabilities are lovely neighbours. I often have to pop around to collect my cat who likes to spend the day there when we are at work. Also one of the lovely residents always knocks on my door every week to remind me which bin I have to put out.

I am not sure you are actually reading my posts. I never said I objected, let alone said those were MY reasons for objecting.

Obviously no one deserves to have their lives disrupted by ambulances and police turning up 24/7 (for any reason). That is is a given, I am sure we both agree.

A children's home should be located in an area where it is a conducive environment for the children.

I stated I my first post that there was abject nimbyism in the case local to me. So not sure what you are trying to achieve other than trying to paint me as a nimby as well?

Private children's home charge a fortune to councils for placements.

Therefore they are a placement of last resort usually for the most troubled children.

Quiet locations are ideal but there may be rather a lot of associated traffic - shift changes, visitors, police, ambulance.

If you are not worried about that, great because there is a desperate need and they have to go somewhere but don't think it's all Tracey Beaker.

I work with looked after children.

Thankyou for being so compassionate.

All these children need and mostly want is a secure housing, to feel safe and loved and welcomed into a community.

We had one of these homes a few doors down from us in our old home.
Almost every neighbour put in an objection letter but the planning was put through anyway.

It was totally fine. Their garden backed onto ours and the kids were lovely. Yes they had their difficulties but they were never anything other than helpful and polite to us and our children. They were well supervised and actually brought the community together by organising regular events such as street bingo.

There were often police cars there but I never knew why and never heard or saw any trouble outside.

The staff parking never caused an issue as it would only be (I think) two or three staff members at any time and there was space for two cars on the driveway.

No insurance went up and when we sold our house it sold within a matter of weeks.

It was honestly never an issue.

Why is a residential house too small for a couple of kids to live there?

The one near our old house had three kids as a maximum which is what you would expect in a family home.

So what sort of area would be suitable? An industrial estate?

Why shouldn’t these children have the opportunity to live in a family style home - it’s not their fault circumstances brought them into the state system.
With regards to children needing multiple carers, how do you want them looked after?

I do apologise, your posts read as though you do not think these children should be homed in your area.

Is it a 1 child house? That's the latest money maker for them and increased council tax for everyone else.

In a children’s home you need an office (1 bedroom) and a bedroom for a staff member (another bedroom) and the remaining bedrooms are for children.

But don’t blame the council.

Blame the ‘parents’ who beat and abused their children leading to so much trauma they require life-long care. Or chose drugs over their children. Or we’re just plain neglectful.

There are boarding schools for children with severe emotional difficulties but they're understandably hugely expensive to run.

Renting a house for two children is probably cheaper.

So you think children in care should be denied all parenting, be dumped at boarding school and in the school holidays - what? Labour camp? Put out on the streets? Or maybe a travel lodge?

A children's home is exactly that. A home for children who,for some reason, can't live with family.
It is not the child's fault. Let me repeat that. It is not the child's fault.

There might be
No family following the death of a parent
Unwell parent who can't take care of them
Substance abusing parent
Parent in prison
See? Parent. Parent. Parent.

So the children need... a home.

Depends on the ages of the kids. Older teens might be problematic- my old colleague lived next to a children’s home and frequently had his car vandalised!

I wonder if this is the one near where I live? @steppemum is it in a naice village on top of a hill?
If it is it doesn’t surprise me that the locals are kicking off. Shame on them.

Sorry what do you think should happen to this child with special needs? Don't give them the care they need so we can pay less taxes? Lock them away together in a big orphanage like in a developing country 30 years ago?

This.

I really couldn't agree more with this post

Another national scandal which in a few years people will wring their hands about and then promptly forget.

I will keep quoting this I think!

I’ll rephrase that for you. They are likely to be the kids that are so badly traumatised that they express this through their behaviour at times which can be very challenging.

Check your privilege.

It depends what kind of children’s home it is. A residential home for children with disabilities isn’t going to cause any problems.

We lived on a street where a residential home for children with behaviour problems was placed. It changed the street completely. It went from being a quiet street to constant problems. Teenagers being a nuisance to other residents on the street, setting fire to bins, police cars on the street a lot and litter everywhere, and lots of swearing. There were always a group of teenagers outside heckling the residents. Luckily we were renting so we moved. It was the perfect location for the home as it was a large house and spacious, but it did have a big impact on the people already living on the street.
But perhaps it was just badly managed, I don’t know what the norm is for homes like that.

One opened on the corner of our street about 10 years ago now and everyone was up in arms. I couldn't have cared less. There's been absolutely no issues since it was opened. Nothing has changed. The poor kids need to stay somewhere. There's also another one three streets down on my cousins road, that's two large terraced houses that have been merged to one. Absolutely no issues from there either.

I think lots of people knee jerk react to ‘childrens home’ and imagine huge homes full of kids. In reality it may just be 2 children and a room for carer. Children need to be safely looked after and if foster care isn’t available due to additional needs etc then a small home setting may be best solution.

The economics of all this are mind-boggling though.

A residential home is opening in the next village to me; a house has been bought by the council for £1.5 million, and is being gutted and refurbished. The committee report from the council refers to a DfE (I think) funding package for 50% match funding for the purchase, but it will require £850,000 revenue funding from the council every year for running costs. It is a six bedroom house and will house four kids with ASD needs, and two resident staff. That’s more than £200k per annum per child.

I don’t have any answer to this; the council specifically note the move into more family-sized homes in residential areas, as mentioned above and it’s a lovely house in an area with lots of amenities. Hopefully it will really benefit the children who get to live there. But what an eye-watering cost - it really brings home the dire straits our local authorities are getting into. And that is apparently a saving on previous private or out-of-county residential care, so god knows how much that was costing!