Seventy per cent of care homes across the county of Lancashire are currently not caring for Lancashire children. And just 16 per cent of beds in homes run by agencies are used for Lancashire children, according to a report for West Lancashire councillors regarding a new children’s care home bid in Skelmersdale.
The figures are in a planning report regarding a new application to change a Skelmersdale family house into a children’s care home by a private company. Planning officers say the bid fails to demonstrate a local need and should be refused.
It has been called-in for scrutiny by borough councillor Melissa Parlour. It is the latest children’s home application in West Lancashire which has raised concerns and criticism about the care and planning systems.
Applicant Dr C Worrall, of Briars Green Care Limited, wants permission to change the use of 10 Briars Green, Skelmersdale, into a home for up to four children. His address is the same location. He is working with Burton Upon Trent-based agents AM Planning Consultants Limited. The bid is a resubmission of a previously-withdrawn plan. West Lancashire Council’s planning committee is to consider it this week (Thursday, January 16).
A drawing of 10 Briars Green, Skelmersdale, for the care home application
(Image: Submitted to West Lancashire Council)
A planning statement for Dr Worrall says there is a record number of children in England’s care system, with just over 400,000 at any one time. In 2023-24, seven English regions opened the same number of care homes, or more, compared to the north-west.
It adds: “The applicant will provide outstanding care and opportunities to enable children to reach their full potential. This would be in a safe, secure, friendly environment that is non-institutional, promoting family-style living as a positive experience in the home and community.”
The home would accommodate children who are considered vulnerable, predominantly from the outcome of neglect and abuse. It would be the primary home for up to four children aged between ten and 17.
Children would be cared for by two staff at all times, supported by a registered manager on-site through the week and on-call other times. In total, ten staff would work on a rota.
A drawing for the 10 Briars Green care home plan, Skelmersdale
(Image: Image submitted to West Lancashire Council)
However, 12 objections have come from neighbours. Concerns include anti-social behaviour, crime, car parking prpblems, the loss of a family home and the accusation that the care home plan is purely for financial gain. Objectors also say seven new homes have been opened and approved in Skelmersdale in the past two years. Some photos have been sent to West Lancashire Council which one neighbour says show parking probems during interior work to the house.
County council concerns
Lancashire County Council, which has a children’s care remit, has been asked about the application. It states: “Lancashire has the highest number of Ofsted-registered children’s homes than any other local authority in England. There are almost 300 agency children’s homes in Lancashire, which deliver four times as many children’s home beds than we require.
“Despite this, we can still really struggle to find suitable, local, good quality and good value homes for some of our children in care. This is because many of the homes in Lancashire, 70 per cent, are not caring for Lancashire children and are instead caring for children from other local authorities, sometimes at a great distance from home.
“Only 16 per cent of agency children’s home beds in our area are being used for Lancashire children. This has a significant impact on local resources, such as health, schools and policing. Also, having so many children’s homes in our area makes it challenging to recruit good quality, suitably-trained staff including care home managers.”
The county adds: “Our Children’s Services department is firmly of the view that careful consideration should be given to agreeing new children’s homes in Lancashire. New homes need to meet an identified local gap and be delivered by providers offering good quality, good value provision and who are committed to providing local homes for Lancashire children.
“The proposed home by Briars Green Care Limited is a four-bed provision. But this is not the size of home we usually find challenging to source. So we do not consider it to be a local gap in provision.
“In addition, whilst the planning statement outlines the applicant will work with children’s services to prioritise the placement or relocation of local children where appropriate, to date the provider has not contacted the county council. This does not give us confidence that this home would be used for Lancashire children.”
County council records indicate there are four operational children’s homes under one mile away from the proposed home. So this is not a planning application the county supports.
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