CELEBRATIONS were in order when the ribbon was cut to officially open the first of three new children’s homes in Solihull.
The homes will provide a secure place in the borough for children and young people who need a caring, supportive and consistent environment to live in.
Previously, Solihull Council has relied on placing children in homes outside the borough, which can be disruptive for the children as they are moved away from people and places they know.
The new homes will prevent this whilst lowering costs.
The first home was officially opened at an event attended by leader of the Council Councillor Ian Courts and deputy leader and portfolio holder for Children’s Services and Education Councillor Karen Grinsell, along with newly recruited staff who will be working in the home.
The home was made possible after the Council secured around £1.5million in funding from the Department for Education, which was used to buy three properties in the borough from NHS England and carry out extensive refurbishment.
Coun Grinsell said: “The opening of this home is a huge achievement and marks a real milestone in the improvement journey of our Children’s Services.
“There are many benefits to running our own children’s homes – the capacity to house vulnerable children in a place where they have connections and are familiar with the area can be vital at what is often a really difficult time in their lives, and placing children with other local authorities or in private homes can be really costly.
“It also gives us more control over the space they will be living in, so we can make sure that it really is the best possible place to meet their needs.
“With one home open already and the others likely to follow in the coming weeks, we’ll be able to provide a brilliant, stable environment led by caring and dedicated professionals who will be on hand to support the children and provide them with all the opportunities they deserve.”
