‘Innovative’ proposals to work with children’s charity Barnardo’s to create eight new ‘gap’ homes, specifically designed to house and support care leavers with complex needs has been backed by our cabinet.
Today (Wednesday 23) recommendations to lease land at Aldens Farm in Alphington, Exeter and Silverhills in Barnstaple to enable the construction of supported accommodation for young people aged 16 and over were supported.
It’s part of one of the council’s key missions, to improve the provision of housing for care leavers.
The homes will help young people transition from the care system towards independent living – each home will be specifically designed for young people with higher levels of need who may not thrive in a shared home.
Each site will have a cluster of four self-contained homes and separate accommodation for a support worker, who will be on hand to help provide tailored support and guidance.
The partnership follows an £18 million donation to Barnardo’s from the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust.
Barnardo’s will invest £950,000 per site while we will lease the land for 125 years as match funding.
The aim is for planning consent to be provided at some point next year with construction expected to be completed by March 2027.
Councillor Richard Jefferies, our Cabinet Member for Children’s Social care said:
“Children leaving care and transitioning into independent living often have difficult histories and residential care or shared living arrangements might not always be suitable or in their best interests.
“Without stable housing and the right support, they can struggle to stay in education, find work, or access training and this can increase the risk of homelessness and serious health issues.
“Gap homes provide a suitable alternative; they are safe and will provide stable accommodation for some of our most vulnerable young people.
“I would like to thank Barnardo’s for their generosity and for providing us with this opportunity and I look forward to working with them in the best interests of our care leavers in the years to come.”
