Barking and Dagenham Council has approved a plan to construct specialist children's homes within the borough, aiming to provide better care for young people with complex needs. The project is projected to save the council £23.6 million over 10 years through reduced out-of-borough placement costs. The efficiency savings resulting from the cost reduction of placements will be used to manage the capital investment repayments.
The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, 15 July 2025. Councillor Jane Jones, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care & Disabilities, highlighted that the £10.8 million project will involve building and commissioning three specialist children's homes across seven properties. The homes will cater to children aged 11 to 18, with a particular focus on girls under 16 who are at risk of deprivation of liberty orders.
The homes would improve care for children with complex needs, especially girls under 16 at risk of deprivation of liberty orders,
said Cllr Jones.
The project aims to reduce the council's reliance on expensive out-of-borough placements and provide local, regulated care with a focus on crisis management, therapy, and reintegration. The homes will offer a total of 16 placements. The council also announced that they have been successful in their bid for DFE match funding, which will reduce capital costs by 50%. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025, with the first home expected to be operational by April 2026, and all homes operational by 2028.
During the meeting, Councillor Dorothy Akwaboah raised questions about the criteria for selecting the 16 placements and how the council would manage potential cost overruns during construction. Councillor Jones responded that the homes would cater to young people with the most complex needs, including those at risk of self-harm, exploitation, or going missing. She also assured that the financial modelling had taken potential cost increases into account.
Councillor Simon Perry commended the report, noting that having the homes locally would allow vulnerable young people to maintain their support networks, making the transition less distressing. He said, When you're taking such vulnerable people away from the borough, they lose all their support networks. So, by having them here, they then complete, you know, still get all the care they need.
Cllr Dominic Twomey, Leader of the Council, expressed his delight at the news of the match funding, stating, Thank you very much, DfE, for considering, you know, our very vulnerable children, most vulnerable young females particularly.