Planning application - childrens care home

[Figgygal]

a planning application to convert a home has been submitted in our village.

Its a tiny village with a tiny school, village hall and pub, no bus service, council seem determined to approve housing applications on every green space and have now bought a house 4 doors away from us for a privately run children's home. Only 3 residents aged up to 11, permanently staffed. It's next to the village hall so plenty of parking for all the comings and goings and that's why they've targeted it I expect.
Theyve also allegedly bought a 2nd property on the other side of the main road opposite the village hall for a 2nd home for up to 3 11-17 year olds though this is just rumour at the moment.

The village fb group is negative I just can't decide if there is actually a need to worry about houses being devalued and anti social behaviour etc
Anyone got any experience of this?
What would you think about this? Would it bother you or not?
Would you buy a house near a home of this nature?

Don't know what to think or what questions to ask if we get an opportunity to.

Thanks

Well I’m not so sure. I work in supported housing for youngsters they are older than those suggested here. I would absolutely hate to live next door. The language would make a docker blush. Constant comings and goings, care staff and care managers. We’ve had the police out several times. They run up and down stairs banging on each others doors. And don’t take any notice of staff telling them not to.
At end of the road yeah no problem, but a couple of doors down definitely not.
Again these are older than those being suggested here.

Agree

We've got a home for older children up the road from us. The police are called there several times a week. The fire engine has been there several times - not for fires but because kids have got onto roofs etc and refuse to come down. Once the whole (main) road was shut for most of the day because one had got onto a balcony at the front and was threatening to jump.

And yes there is noise and parking issues.

I think the op is getting a rough ride here (particularly as she hasn't actually objected). I wonder how many of you would change your mind if it was actually next to you? I don't think it's wrong to consider the impact it could have on you and your family.

I used to work in children’s homes. The neighbours found it awful. It was loud, lots of noise from the children, as you’d expect from traumatised children who would often become dysregulated. Including through the middle of the night

One of the kids managed to find a full pot of paint and throw it all over the neighbour’s garden. There were so many complaints. It wasn’t the children or the staff’s fault. These were all under 11s.

However I also don’t morally agree with saying that there shouldn’t be a children’s home in the village.

This is no different to one of your neighbours fostering kids.

Or having a family move in with a couple of challenging primary aged children.

FWIW not all kids in care are challenging.

It sounds like this area would be perfect for them to feel safe and become a part of the village.

I just hope the residents are kind to them.

It depends how well run its is. Some private children's homes are dreadfully run, some well run. There is a lot of money to be made running these homes which is why some people running them are simply trying to make as much money as possible.

In terms of a village setting, this is preferable for some children. If they have been sexually exploited or become involved in county lines, moving them to a small village where their exploiters can not easily reach them can help safeguard them. In such cases little or no bus service the children can use is a positive.

Oh you live in a NIMBY village lovely. these residential houses are rural because it is seen safer for the children. Why are people so obsessed with de valuing a house that they have no intention of selling?
Edited to remove misunderstanding of op.

In fairness it could be a nightmare.
My DH grew up in a village and there is a small well run children's home in the village. It is fine. But it could easily be a nightmare.

This happened a few years ago in a village near you. Similar concerns from residents and a lot of negativity. Yet it went ahead anyway and lo and behold we have heard absolutely nothing since because there have been zero problems. These children need homes in nice areas, with good staff and a supportive community. Don't be another problem in their lives

There’s one near me, never had any issues with the children who I’d estimate to be early secondary age and very rarely see them. The only way you can tell it’s a children’s home and not a regular family home is by the amount of cars that come and go and from the staff who go around the corner from the house to smoke on their breaks whilst still wearing their branded lanyards.

Anecdotally I can tell you of a rural children’s home near an equestrian property I used to work at. Ehdiess issues with police visiting and kids running away or hiding in fields etc. So I know if it was a PITA for the home owner and she used to call it the ‘naughty kids’ home.

It is so difficult - these disadvantaged young people need every bit of help and support that they can get.

But we cannot pretend that they will never cause problems. A holiday let on the edge of my village accepted a primary age child with 2 carers for 2 weeks - the home owner was not aware of this when they let the property - it was just another holiday let. The child was deeply disturbed and caused absolute havoc - breaking into homes, vandalising gardens, stealing garden toys etc. My only contact with him was when two police were chasing him across the common. In the end he was taken away. All very sad, as we all wanted to be able to support him and his carers, but it became impossible.

To be fair to the OP, going by most of the experiences here, she might not be over reacting.

OP if I was you I was research the company who will run the children's home and read inspection reports. As you can hear a well run home can be fine, a badly run home can be a nightmare. And how well run it is includes the mix of children they accept as well as the number of staff and how experienced they are.

Exactly this.

I've got kids myself I'm not unsympathetic or necessarily opposed to it as I said I want to understand the potential realities of it.

thanks for the more balanced views after the initial reactions and yes there probably are a lot of nimbus. As expected there's mixed real life experience being reported so thank you for that.

It's transpired since last night the parish council were aware and propose to discuss it at the monthly meeting tomorrow but hasn't thought to bring it to anyone's attention. It's also come out that the council have bought another property on the other side of the village hall with intention to appoint a provider for another 3 residents up to 17 years of age. Although detached its surrounded on 3 sides by 5 or 6 houses. No planning in for that one yet.

There was a similar application in the nearby town last year which eventually was withdrawn due to furious opposition and a big issue was accessibility and parking - not an issue when you either side of a village hall with generous parking. Oddly both houses are by a very busy road which is a link to local motorway junction. One of the houses sold part of their garden and has two detached houses basically at the end of their garden and is completely overlooked so lacking privacy for these kids.

For those taking offence to the question you honestly wouldn't have a single question or concern as to potential impact when you can see the house from your front door? Sorry I dont believe that.

The thing is, it could be totally fine and then a child moves in who is more challenging and change the whole situation. Or there could be shit staff who have no control. The place I worked was absolutely awful, not the kids fault at all. But so badly managed and management just in it for the money. Most staff didn’t care at all about the young people. Loads of sexual exploitation, no one cared. I still think about how those young people were completely let down. No wonder they acted up.

Also, it’s not the same as foster care because the children are generally more challenging in a care home.

So like someone else said, it’ll depend on how well the home is run, staff turnover etc.

For planning applications for a total of SIX young people, I would be embarrassed to live in a village with such I high level of NIMBYISM and if I came across this as a potential buyer I would give the whole village a massive swerve.

Can’t bear this small minded self interested parochialism in some small communities.

Hi OP, I don't understand why you're getting a hard time. I used to work in children's houses and I totally get why you'd have concerns.

As someone upthread said, sometimes children don't stay for long and it really depends on the mix of kids you have at any one time. We'd go through phases where it was really chaotic - police in and out, fire service in because they'd set off alarms etc...
however, I would say the impact to the neighbours was minimal as it was mostly in-house disruption.

Other times we had a really settled mix of kids and issues were few and far between.

Check out the company who have the tender to run it. Read reports for their existing houses. In my experience, there is a lot of measures in place to minimise disruption to communities. They will select kids who they think will thrive in that environment / will benefit from the safety of a smaller community.

I get your concerns, I'd have some if a children's house was to open in my street.

Op it's OK to feel a bit peed off about this. My niece was in a care home for a while and tbh I wouldn't want one four doors away from me based off what I've heard, but I wouldn't say that to anyone apart from DP and wouldn't object, I'd just be a bit quietly gutted. I'm sure they're not all like that that, especially if it's younger ones and in a nicer area already (where us/nice are it's a dodgy area anyway)

I'm disgusted at this post. You do know these are vulnerable children who need help? a FB group of suspicious unwelcoming cold people who worry about their house values. Please tell us what village this is cos I never would want to come there, not cos of the children but cos of your village's attitude.

You are a monster.

@Papricat have you actually read any of my posts? Do you have anything constructive to contribute to the questions being asked or your own experiences to share which some people on this thread have actually done?

@chichiwaaa thanks and to everyone else suggesting we look at the company proposed to run it, unfortunately they seem to be a new entity so not a lot out of information there at the moment.

We have one in our village.

On the whole it is no different to a normal (v.large) family home.
The children are generally ok although over the years there have been times they have clearly got out of control and scream & shout, run up the road with staff in hot pursuit, have a game of football in the middle of the main street and then shout at drivers as they try to get past, throw snowballs (hard) at people walking past etc etc.
These are exceptions however and 99% of the time they are fine.

Biggest problem for us is the parking of cars used by staff.
There is on-site parking for 3-4 cars but most staff (and contractors) prefer to park on the road and it causes chaos.