Harrow council planning committee on 15 January 2025 granted planning permission to convert a house in Cavendish Avenue to house up to four EBD children (emotional, behavioural, and development needs).
Children’s homes are important because they provide a safe and nurturing environment for children who can’t live with their families. Therefore, the provision of a new residential care home for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and young people with support needs, is encouraged under Policy H12 A (2) of the London Plan and Policy DM29 A of the DMP (Development Management Plan, a part of the Harrow’s core strategy).
However, the officer assessment of ‘Residential Amenity’, most significant in the seven points of the assessment, is generic and not specific to evaluate the possible impact due to the potential residents of the care home.
Some councillor comments regarding the planning application have been criticised as if these were to describe these children problematic.
The councillor’s concern at the meeting did not appear to be dismissing the importance of specific needs of the children but appeared to be about the suitability of the place and the local impact.
Perhaps their expression could have been better, but their concerns were no different from those nationally, particularly regarding the commercial aspect and the quality of management of the care homes.
“As Children’s Commissioner, I am deeply concerned about illegal children’s homes and extremely worried that profit making by private companies has been prioritised over the wellbeing of England’s most vulnerable children” Children’s Commissioner on 16 December 2024
Unlawful children’s homes are demanding up to £20,000 a week per child and failing to keep vulnerable young people safe, the Family Court has heard – ‘Unlawful care homes ‘profiteer’ from at-risk kids’ BBC 17 September 2024.
Ofsted that regulates the homes has reported: “30,200 incidents were reported to Ofsted from children’s residential homes over the past year, with 26% of these incidents involving police call-outs” Children’s social care in England 2023 – updated 8 September 2023.
Children’s homes are important because they provide a safe and nurturing environment for children who can’t live with their families. Therefore, the provision of a new residential care home for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and young people with support needs, is encouraged under Policy H12 A (2) of the London Plan and Policy DM29 A of the DMP (Development Management Plan, a part of the Harrow’s core strategy).
However, the officer assessment of ‘Residential Amenity’, most significant in the seven points of the assessment, is generic and not specific to evaluate the possible impact due to the potential residents of the care home.
Some councillor comments regarding the planning application have been criticised as if these were to describe these children problematic.
The councillor’s concern at the meeting did not appear to be dismissing the importance of specific needs of the children but appeared to be about the suitability of the place and the local impact.
Perhaps their expression could have been better, but their concerns were no different from those nationally, particularly regarding the commercial aspect and the quality of management of the care homes.
“As Children’s Commissioner, I am deeply concerned about illegal children’s homes and extremely worried that profit making by private companies has been prioritised over the wellbeing of England’s most vulnerable children” Children’s Commissioner on 16 December 2024
Unlawful children’s homes are demanding up to £20,000 a week per child and failing to keep vulnerable young people safe, the Family Court has heard – ‘Unlawful care homes ‘profiteer’ from at-risk kids’ BBC 17 September 2024.
Ofsted that regulates the homes has reported: “30,200 incidents were reported to Ofsted from children’s residential homes over the past year, with 26% of these incidents involving police call-outs” Children’s social care in England 2023 – updated 8 September 2023.
Harrow Monitoring Group 