Proposed new children’s home for Kingston

Why are young people not placed with Foster Carers? 

Children come into care for a variety of reasons and for a small minority (around 10%) being with a family is not the best solution.  They may feel that being placed with another family makes them disloyal to their birth family.  Some children might have quite complex mental health needs which require round the clock supervision.  Our aim is always to place children with either their own family or a foster family but a therapeutic residential placement can be very effective for some children in terms of stabilising them and providing a stable and caring environment.

Could the young people be a risk to residents in the street?

No, children placed at this new home would not be a risk to residents.  Children in a residential setting can sometimes pose risks to themselves e.g. self harm or  they may sometimes be challenging with staff who are setting boundaries and acting in a parental role, but they will not pose  any risk to the general public.   

This home is not for young people who are in the criminal justice system and require a setting that restricts their liberty.

Will other young people congregate around the home?

No, experience shows that because children’s homes are highly staffed and only for three residents this will not lead to young people congregating around a home.  This new home will resemble  a private family home and the people visiting will mainly be professionals and the children’s family members.  

Will there be any noise or interruption to a quiet street?

We aim to be good and quiet neighbours and to have as little impact as possible. If there were any noise issues then residents would be able to speak to the home’s Registered Manager.

Is there written guidance on how the home is run that can be shared with residents?  

The home will be registered with and annually inspected by Ofsted.  As part of this the home will have  a statement of purpose that sets out how it will be run.  This can be shared with residents that request it.  If any resident has specific questions then we will provide the contact details for the Registered Manager and Responsible Individual  when the home opens.

Will the council repair any damage caused by the construction?

The council will make good of any damage caused by the construction works.