Lewisham Council has approved plans to open its first local authority-run children's care home in decades, a move officials say will help reduce the nearly £30 million a year spent on private residential placements. The facility, set to open in Sydenham, will care for up to six children with complex needs that cannot be met in family-based care.
Council seeks to reduce reliance on private providers
The plans received Mayoral and Cabinet approval during a meeting on September 9. According to the council, there are currently 51 Lewisham children in residential care, but only around a quarter of them are placed within the borough. The new home aims to keep children closer to their families, education, health services, and community support networks.
Cllr Rotimi Skyers, Lewisham Council's Cabinet Member for Children, SEND, Youth Empowerment and Culture, said residential placements are costing the council almost £30 million per year, with many individual placements "exceeding £10,000 a week."
Criticism of private market dependency
During last week's meeting, Cllr Skyers said: "For far too long, we along with other councils across the country have become dependent on the private market for residential children's care. The result is that vulnerable children often move miles away from their families, friends, schools and support networks - while public money increasingly flows into a system where profits come before our children's needs."
He added: "I believe there are some responsibilities that firmly belong in the public realm; caring for our children who cannot live safely at home is one of them. This proposal gives the children of Lewisham the opportunity to bring part of that responsibility in-house."
Sydenham site and next steps
The home will be located at a site in Sydenham, where an existing property will be refurbished. The building has the potential to provide en-suite accommodation, along with "generous" communal areas, flexible garden space, and room for therapeutic, activity-based, and family work.
Now that the plans have been formally approved, a paper will be presented to the council's Children and Young People Select Committee on Tuesday evening, September 15. The committee is being asked to note the report and the decision, discuss the plans, and offer any further support or comments.
The home still needs to go through several stages, including ensuring the building is suitable, recruiting staff, and securing Ofsted registration.
