Application submitted for children’s care home at Grantham address
Plans have been submitted to turn a house into a children's care home.
The proposal, submitted to South Kesteven District Council by applicant Chiwaridzo, seeks to change 10 Goldsmith Road, Grantham, from a private home to a small care facility.
If approved, the home would house two children aged seven to 17 needing stable, long-term care.
“This longer-term arrangement provides stability for the children, providing a safe, secure home where they will be supported to develop and grow in a nurturing, positive environment where they feel able to be themselves and enjoy their childhood,” said the planning application.
The planning statement says the property, which currently has three bedrooms, would not undergo any structural alterations.
Two bedrooms would house the children, while the third would be used as a staff rest area and office.
Children would attend local schools and use nearby services.
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A staff team, overseen by a part-time registered manager, would provide care around the clock.
Shifts would involve up to two staff on site at a time.
Additional visitors – such as social workers and Ofsted inspectors – would attend only occasionally.
The planning statement addresses concerns often raised about such facilities, noting that looked-after children are usually victims of difficult circumstances rather than perpetrators of crime.
“Any typical family home can be expected to generate some degree of noise where children are resident – whether this be playing in the garden or practising their musical instruments,” the documents said.
“The risk of anti-social behaviour is no greater than with any other family who may move in, and in fact, residential care practitioners are better equipped and trained to manage children’s behaviour than most parents.
“It is entirely possible for a ‘normal’ but noisy family with several children to move into the property and cause more disruption than a well-run care home, which has far more mechanisms in place for dealing with it.”
However, a noise plan could be added if needed.
According to statistics in the document, only 43.86% of Lincolnshire County Council’s looked-after children currently reside within the county.
The proposal aims to address this shortfall by offering local, regulated care in a domestic environment.
The planning statement also says that children from Nottinghamshire would be prioritised when considering placements at the property.
The applicants say the plan helps the council meet its duties and supports children’s integration.
“There has been a 277% rise in the number of children knowingly being placed into illegal and unregulated care homes by local authorities between 2020 and 2023, due to chronic shortages in the number of homes available,” the application said.
“This is placing hundreds of our most vulnerable children at risk whilst planning controls fail to prioritise delivery of the urgently needed places.”