Decision details

The children’s in-house residential service is made up of six homes, of which three, including May House and Seaside, are currently closed and awaiting refurbishment whilst feasibility studies and design work are undertaken.

A strategy for the residential service was approved by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People in October 2019 (decision reference CYP03(19/20)). It seeks to ensure that outcomes for vulnerable children are maximised and that long-term care costs are minimised. It is essential that the assets that enable support to children are redeveloped in order to support the delivery of this strategy as a part of the wider ‘children first’ improvement plan being driven forward by the Council.

To support the delivery of this strategy, the May House and Seaside sites will be remodelled to ensure the most efficient use of the existing space whilst maximising the potential service offering of each site. £225,000 of capital funding has already been approved to develop designs which will deliver the following services;

•    For May House, to provide emergency placements of up to 28 days to facilitate appropriate assessments, particularly for those young people with complex needs who require support to divert them away from secure care, and

•    For Seaside, to provide placements for children on the ‘edge of care’ who are at risk of entering the care system, to work with these children and young people to help them into a supported placement or prepare them for independent living

The Executive Director Children, Young People and Learning has approved commencement of a procurement process to appoint a contractor to undertake the remodelling of both Seaside and May House children’s homes.

None