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A councillor has voiced her fury at plans for a children’s home in a Derbyshire village which she says social services and police have heard nothing about. Councillors unanimously rejected the planned new children’s home in Ashby Road, Woodville at a South Derbyshire District Council meeting on March 7.
The surrounding area is currently entirely residential, with a string of homes surrounded by agricultural fields on the outskirts of the village on the A511 out of Woodville towards Ashby. Cllr Julie Patten, who is Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for children’s services and safeguarding, raised major concerns over the planned new facility, which she claimed neither she nor the authority had any involvement in.
The plans, from Rose View Care Group Ltd, would see a house turned into a children’s home for three children. It details that the maximum number of people on-site at any one time would be three children and three staff and that the facility would be registered with Ofsted.
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The firm says it has staff who are experienced in the social care sector and in running children’s homes. It also confirmed to the council: “Young people that will be placed in the home will be carefully matched.
“As a provider we will not be accepting children who have a history of criminal activity. We will register to provide care for children who have been through trauma, abuse and neglect.
“All staff will have a robust training induction and will have extensive experience in children’s homes. Prior to children being admitted into the home professional meetings will take place to ensure we can meet the child’s needs and the location of the home is suitable for the child.
“As a provider our ethos is building brighter futures and that is what we aim to do with our children, by ensuring our homes are family orientated and children feel supported and cared for thoroughly.” Cllr Steve Taylor told the meeting: “I asked councillors how they would feel if one of these facilities was planned opposite their own houses and I tend to think it would not be particularly well received.
“The applicant says they will work in close relationship with the police, the fire service and with youth centres, but there aren’t any youth centres. Do they have an understanding of the area they are putting this children’s home into? It is also not clear the level of difficulties these children have.”
He said the chosen site was not an appropriate location. Cllr Patten told the meeting that neither the county council nor police had not been contacted about the children’s homes and how it may help support children in the area, any impact it could have on the community and any effects on local services.
She said: “I am really concerned about this application. Where is the business case?
“The company has no experience with running care homes and no experience running children’s homes, which I find really concerning. We do need children’s homes, that is a fact, but we need quality children’s homes, not something that has been thrown together which looks like what has been done here.
“We also need a minimum of one to one staff to children ratio, along with supervision at night. I am really worried about it and I’m really worried about these children.
“The applicant has not consulted with Derbyshire (county council), we don’t know if these are Derbyshire children or being brought into Derbyshire.”
Cllr Melanie Bridgen said: “I am very concerned that questions that officers have asked have not been answered. There is no information about the child-to-staff ratio, there is no evidence of a business plan and no evidence of dialogue with the police.
“The children that will be placed in this type of facility are the most vulnerable with the most complex needs because they cannot be placed elsewhere or fostered, because their needs are so challenging.” Steffan Saunders, the council’s head of planning, summarised that the council’s objection would be based on the concern that, due to the absence of a “robust management plan”, the facility would “result in harmful impacts on the amenity of neighbours”.
A plan submitted by the applicants said there would be “no more” than five people in the property at any one time, conflicting with the statement given to officers, saying this would include one daytime care – not one-to-one provision – and one overnight carer. The applicant’s statement detailed: “The facility will look to address a shortage of children’s care homes in the South Derbyshire region.
“It will be a residential home for children requiring care across the region ensuring placements are, where possible, close to their birth homes and social networks to reduce disruption. Applicants also see this as a beneficial facility for South Derbyshire council, as it will meet the care commissioners’ requests to provide more suitable living for children in care.
“We would actively be working with the local NHS, council and other local agencies to ensure the needs of children are met to the highest standards. The objective is to ensure the children feel this is their home and they will have an active say in how the home is operated.”
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