Brent: Children's care home plan to be re-examined

A north London council has called opposition attempts to block a new £2.2m children's care home "disappointing but not surprising".

Brent Council is looking to buy a five or six-bedroom property in Wembley.

It said the home would help children transition to independent living and reduce the cost of placements.

The cabinet approved the plans last year but the Conservatives "called-in" the decision which means another cabinet vote will be held this month.

Signed by all five of Brent's Conservative councillors, the call-in said the £1.1m being invested by the council is "not the best use of limited funds" and criticised the consultation process and location within the Barn Hill Conservation Area.

It states: "There has been absolutely no democracy or transparency in the matter, residents feel they have been rail-roaded into accepting any decision the council makes. The council is not acting in the interests of the residents in this matter."

They said that a similar home was opened in Barn Hill and caused "untold problems" before it was "shut down".

Brent Council was awarded £1.1m by the Department for Education (DfE) to develop a children's care home in the borough, which it is required to match.

The children's home is estimated to cost £900,000 for staff resources and a further £200,000 for running costs - which includes the repayment cost of borrowing £1.1 million over 40 years.

Four of the bedrooms would be used for young people with social, emotional and behavioural needs, and the extra one or two bedrooms would provide a staff bedroom and facilities or an office.

Currently there are 19 children and young people placed in a residential home by the council, at an average cost of £7,739 per week.

It expects a placement in the children's home to cost £5,309 per week, with each placement lasting around 16 weeks.

Brent Council's cabinet member for children, young people and schools, Gwen Grahl, called the call-in "extremely disappointing but not surprising".

"The DfE have been incredibly supportive of our plans, making it frankly bewildering that local Conservative councillors wish to block investment from their own government," she said.

"This isn't just a policy check-box; it's about providing a safety net for the children who need that stability most."

Council documents suggested that the project could save the local authority up to £461,000 a year as it will help cut the distance some children will be sent to find a place.

In August 2022, Brent's placements were sent an average of 24.4 miles from their home address at a weekly cost of £4,700 - £200 above the national average - with the most expensive being £10,587.

However, its most expensive placement currently is 130 miles away and costs £17,122 a week, with two other placements 300 miles away and costing £13,906 and £13,726 respectively.

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