Decision details

Relinquishment of the Beechfield Secure Unit CYP01 (19/20)

Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Children and Young People (Cllr Jacquie Russell)

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

Beechfield Secure Unit is a West Sussex County Council owned and run unit in Copthorne, near Crawley, that has provided secure accommodation welfare placements for young people that meet the criteria set out in Section 25 of the 1989 Children’s Act.

 

In 2016 an Ofsted inspection judged the unit to be inadequate; as a result Beechfield was closed on 10 October 2016 and has remained closed since this time.

 

Following an analysis of the need in West Sussex for this type of accommodation, benchmarking against provision by other local authorities, and set against the wider review that is taking place of the in-house residential estate, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People will be asked to agree that operation of a secure unit at the Beechfield site permanently ceases.

Decision:

The CabinetMember forChildren andYoung People has agreed:

(1) The permanent cessation of the operation of the Beechfield Secure Unit and

(2)Declares the Beechfield secure unit sitesurplus to service requirements.

Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:

None.

Publication date: 22/05/2019

Date of decision: 22/05/2019

Effective from: 04/06/2019

Accompanying Documents: