Care home for up to four teenagers could open near town centre
PLANS have been submitted to convert a residential property in Middlesbrough into a home for youngsters who may have faced abuse, neglect or exploitation.
If accepted by Middlesbrough Council, a four-bedroom terraced property on Victoria Road in the central ward of the town would accommodate a maximum of four boys and girls aged 16 and 17 with “emotional behavioural difficulties”.
It would be staffed by a full-time Ofsted registered manager and a part-time support team, between the hours of 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Evening and weekend supervision would be provided by “an offsite duty worker” who would visit the site “if required”.
A statement from BIM Architectural Services, on behalf of the applicant Taybrayz Khan, said: “The planning system should not be a barrier to providing homes for the most vulnerable children in society. When care is the best choice for a child, it is important that the care system provides stable, loving home close to children’s communities.”
The teenagers would be screened by referrals from the local authority to ensure their “appropriateness”
to stay in accommodation of this nature, said the agents, with an aim to give the young people independence, but additional supervision would be provided if deemed necessary.
Each young person would have a care plan according to their individual needs with the agreement of the council which would oversee their care.
The agents said the proposed change of use is in “direct response to an identified local need which can be accommodated in this property that is entirely suitable for the care use envisaged”.
They said homes need to be in “the right places” with access to schools and community support, adding: “It is not acceptable that some children are living far from where they would call home (without a clear child protection reason for this), separated from the people they know and love.”
Neighbours will be consulted before a final decision on the application is made by the council.
It comes after the council executive agreed a revised approach to increase its in-house estate by up to five new-build properties to provide more residential and supported accommodation for children’s care.