Residential semi could be used as a children's home
A HOUSE on a suburban street could be taken over as a children’s care home under plans submitted to Rotherham Council - with an assurance that it would function similarly to a normal residence.
Doncaster-based Great Care Support Ltd wants to use a house in St Leonard’s Road, Eastwood, as a children’s residential care home.
At present it is semi-detached private dwelling, which sits in a residential district and the applicants state such an area “is ideal for a young person with a poor start in life to overcome past trauma and integrate into the local community.”
The application needs change of use permission and would entail providing long-term accommodation for two children, in the seven to 17 age bracket, with a promise that the company would work alongside the local authority to asses potential residents’ “needs and risk factors” before placing them at the address.
It would be aimed at providing accommodation for children already in the care system, with the objective of providing a stable home.
The home would be overseen by a manager, with “a professional and highly skilled team” in place to provide the correct support to address children’s needs.
The application provides an assurance that “the running of this care home would be undertaken close as possible to that of a normal dwelling house.
“Any staff training or meetings would generally take place off-site and he children would also visit healthcare professionals off-site as per normal family operation.”
It is anticipated that children living at the property would be educated in local schools.
Ofsted would be involved in assessing the property, to ensure the facilities matched the needs of any children being accommodated there.
Externally, the house would remain unchanged, with one bedroom inside taken over as a staff office and rest area, with the other two used for residents.
The application acknowledges that children’s care homes “are often opposed by neighbours on the assumption that children placed in the home will be behaving in an anti-social manner.
“This is an inaccurate negative stereotype that has no statistical basis and certainly not the reason children end up in the care system.
“Children in care are predominantly there due to circumstances beyond their control, including being victims of abuse and neglect.”
A decision on the application will be made later.