Neighbours object to new Swindon private children’s home

Residents of a cul-de-sac have criticised what they say was a lack of consultation over the opening of a new children’s home.

Swindon Borough Council gave permission for the property to be changed from a dwelling to a business in May, a process that does not need public consultation.

Swindon has no council-run facilities and relies on private children’s homes to accommodate children needing residential care at an average cost of £7,000 per week per child.

The children’s home, which is not being named to protect those it takes care of, said it ran an open day where neighbours were invited to meet the staff, view the property and air concerns but nobody attended.

Co-founders of the new home, Amanda and Alicia, said building a relationship with neighbours is important for the young people living in the facility, and that they wouldn’t give up trying to make connections.

Amanda said: “We want to build a relationship with our neighbours for us but more so for that child can have that relationship with their neighbours.

“They may be friends with their children, they may go to the same school. We want them to live in a beautiful street, in a beautiful house just like your child or mine.”

Once the new home has been officially approved, the first resident with be a 16-year-old girl, whose interests have been worked into the decoration of the property.

A group of neighbours, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to the BBC, with one saying he was worried about anti-social behaviour, “spilling onto the street”.

The man added that in his personal experience, some children living in homes like this can “fly off the rails”.

Another neighbour shared concerns for the safety of property adding: “it’s a housing cul-de-sac, it affects everybody in many different ways.”

The two women opening the new facility said looked-after children do experience “stigmatisation”, but added they do not believe such beliefs are malicious, but more from “not knowing”.

When people hear the phrase “children’s home”, they added, they often think the young people will have drug, alcohol or behavioural issues but “that’s not often the case”.

The two women say they have 30 years of experience in social care settings and have hand picked their “highly trained” staff who will be ever-present at the property.

“We will be there with them day in, day out to live a normal life just as they deserve,” Amanda added.

The neighbours who spoke to the BBC said they also have concerns about limited parking for the 17 houses on the cul-de-sac, saying parking issues are already causing “high tensions”.

The care home management admitted that when they were moving in there were “a few cars on the drive and on the street” but that in the long term they would be encouraging staff to park out of the area and walk to work.

No public consultation is required before private residential care facilities are opened.

A certificate of lawfulness must be issued by the local authority allowing the property to be changed from a dwelling to a business, and the facility needs to be approved by Ofsted.

Swindon Borough Council has said it pays an average of £7,000 a week per child to private children’s home to care for looked- after children.

This latest private facility said it will charge the council at cost with reported “small profits” being spent on extra benefits for the children in their care.

Council cabinet member for children’s services, Paul Dixon, said: “We have plans to create our own in-house accommodation placements in Swindon and, if this is a success, we will look to expand that further, creating additional places for children and young people within the Borough.

“A proposal will be going before cabinet on this in the next few months.”