New Somerset children's home to be up and running 2023

Children from Somerset who are currently in care placements hundreds of miles away from home will soon be able to be looked after in the county.

Somerset County Council made a pledge in June 2021 that it would open 10 new children's homes by 2026.

Officers have now confirmed two homes have been purchased with a further two expected to be finalised shortly.

The first of the new facilities is expected to be fully up and running in early-2023.

In May 2022, there were 49 children aged 16 or under in residential placements, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 

The majority of these were housed either in Somerset (27 children), Devon (five), Wiltshire (two), Dorset (one) or North Somerset (one).

However, some had to be housed miles away from their families - including two in Lancashire, one in Cambridgeshire, one in Staffordshire and one in London.

The council's strategic manager for the project, Daniel Moncrieff, told the children and families scrutiny committee that a "lack of choice" has resulted in children living far away from home.

The council has entered into a partnership with Homes2Inspire, which will run the homes under a £70m 10-year contract.

In addition to the new homes, the former Misterton Church of England Primary School near Crewkerne - which closed as part of the council's school reforms - will reopen in September 2023 to provide "therapeutic education" to up to 15 vulnerable children and young people.

Councillor Leigh Redman, who chairs the committee, said: "I was here when we closed our last children's home in Somerset, and I'm pleased to be here when we open our first new one."

Mr Moncrieff said the aim was to spread the homes across the county and that the precise locations would not be announced due to safeguarding reasons.

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