New children's home

Background

We're committed to supporting children and young people in care by providing a safe, nurturing environment within the local community. In response to growing demand, we are proposing a new children’s home for up to four children and young people in our borough.

Each local authority has a duty to ensure there is sufficient accommodation for children in care and we are focused on meeting these needs close to home. The new home will enable children in care to stay within the community, maintaining their ties to friends, family, and schools, which is essential for their stability and well-being.

The need for local residential provision has grown significantly in recent years and in the Royal Borough alone, there has been a 67% increase in demand for children’s residential placements over the past four years. This increase reflects a broader shortfall across Berkshire, meaning that many children in care are sometimes placed outside of their local area, which can disrupt schooling, friendships, and established support networks. Staying within their community can provide vital continuity for children in care, helping them build a sense of belonging and stability as they work toward rebuilding their lives.

Our role as Corporate Parents

As the 'Corporate Parent,' the council holds both a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that children in care receive the same level of support, encouragement, and guidance that any caring parent would provide.

We aim to provide an environment where these young people can thrive, where they are safe, supported in their education, and are encouraged to foster positive relationships. We want every child in our care to grow up with the skills and confidence to lead happy, independent lives.

The new children’s home

Our proposed children’s home will provide a supportive, small-group residential setting designed to meet the unique needs of children in care. We hope to open the home in Summer 2025. The home will be a safe and welcoming space with en-suite bedrooms for three to four children and additional rooms for staff, ensuring around-the-clock care.

The new home will serve as part of a collaborative network, operated by Achieving for Children (AfC), which already oversees similar successful initiative in Richmond. This partnership allows us to deliver high-quality care with experienced staff and shared resources across the RBWM, Kingston, and Richmond areas, creating a coordinated care pathway. Additionally, this network includes reciprocal arrangements, which mean that when one area requires additional placements, it can access available spaces across the AfC pathway, supporting both quality of care and cost-efficiency.

Supporting children close to home

Keeping children in care within the Royal Borough not only strengthens community ties but also enables them to access familiar schools, maintain friendships, and benefit from existing local support services. As national regulations are set to require that all children in care under 18 be placed in Ofsted-registered homes, the addition of a new children’s home in RBWM will meet future requirements and ensures we can provide high-quality, safe local placements.

Management of the home

The home will be operated by Achieving for Children, that has extensive expertise in managing residential services for children in care. With their experience, AfC has successfully operated Hope House in Richmond since 2020, with a strong reputation and a Good Ofsted rating. AfC’s staff are highly trained, and some team members will be specifically prepared to support and run the new home in RBWM.

Moving forward

We are dedicated to ensuring our children in care experience safe, fulfilling lives within the community they know. This new children’s home will provide essential, high-quality care while supporting family connections, friendships, and educational continuity. This proposal has also received support from the Department for Education, which is providing funding to bring this much-needed project to life.

We are excited about this opportunity to enhance the lives of children in care withinthe borough and to offer them a strong foundation for the future.

Contact us

If you have any questions or queries, please contact Alice Lovell, Transformation Lead for Achieving for Children