Care hub for 'complex needs' children approved

The plans were approved at Sunderland City Hall on Monday

Plans to convert a residential property into a specialist care hub for children and young people with "complex needs" have been unanimously approved by city councillors.

Sunderland City Council's Planning and Highways Committee backed the application for The White House property, located at Hylton Bridge Farm, in the city's Washington North ward, on Monday.

Applicant Together for Children (TfC), which delivers children's services on behalf of the Labour-led local authority, will accommodate up to four 11 to 17 years olds in the site, which sits off Downhill Lane, near the Nissan plant.

Simon Marshall, chief executive of TfC, said there was a "massive need" for the service across the area.

During the council consultation there were some objections from residents at Hylton Bridge Farm, as well as Mypetstop and Westfields Livery, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Concerns summarised in a committee report included the suitability of the location, existing anti-social behaviour in the area and an increase in "care-related traffic".

Closer provisions

Mr Marshall said there was currently no specific provision established for young people with complex needs, meaning the council had to commission places outside the city, which was an "extremely expensive process".

"What we recognise is that across the patch in South Tyneside and Sunderland there was a massive need for a provision for complex needs children," he said.

"It also means that children from Sunderland are having to access learning and provision for their accommodation quite often miles away and we wanted somewhere in the city to be able to meet our children's needs."

Councillors were told the care hub site was "self-sufficient" and "relatively isolated" and that children would have 24-hour supervision and support from highly trained staff.

The children's services boss said the approach would see professionals work with children and young people to enable them to return either back to their family or into other provisions within Sunderland.

Under planning conditions, the development must be brought forward within three years.