Locations revealed for new Lancashire children's homes providing 'better outcomes for kids'

The four premises - created from the conversion of existing properties - form part of Lancashire County Council’s ambition to develop a total of 15 new small-scale residential facilities to house some of the young people in its care.

That longer-term vision would double the number of homes the authority currently operates, in an attempt to reduce its reliance on costly placements in the private sector - which county councillors were told achieve “variable results” for the children themselves.

The bill for housing children in privately-run homes in the county averages at around £6,000 per week, but can top £9,000 for the most complex cases.

A recent Lancashire County Council meeting heard that its quartet of new properties - along with two adolescent support units whose locations have not been disclosed - are expected to save the authority £1m a year by 2025/26.

When the full programme, known as Where Our Children Live' (WOCL), is completed - which it is intended will be within the next three years - that savings figure could rise to £4m.

Cabinet member for children and families Cosima Towneley told the meeting the new homes will be for the good not just for the council’s coffers, but also the youngsters who need them - because “cost does not necessarily equal quality of care”.

She added: “Whilst we have good relations with many…private providers, [they] are able to turn us down, to refuse [to provide] a bed. The WOCL programme will give us the ability to ensure a child in crisis always has a safe port to harbour in whilst we all take stock.

“I’m delighted to say phase 1 is now - in all but name - complete and has provided a further 16 beds to our present 46. We can look forward to reaping the benefits, both social and economic, in the years to come,” County Cllr Towneley predicted.

In a statement issued after the meeting she added that the authority believes children have “better outcomes when in our provision”.

The first phase of the programme has seen the creation of two three-bed and a pair of two-bed specialist homes. The adolescent support units - one of which has been repurposed from an existing mainstream unit - will offer a total of six places. A 'joint health and care home' has also been added to the list of initial projects, part-funded with cash from the Department for Education.

Phase 2 - which County Towneley described as a “work in progress” - aims to develop a further 11 two-bed homes and four four-bed facilities, along with the purchase and repurposing of two ‘crisis flats’, at an estimated total cost of just under £10m.

Once complete, the scheme will have generated an extra 57 in-house children’s places for the county council to operate.