Oxfordshire children's home plan to 'keep family close', council says

A new children's home could be created in a bid to keep residents closer to their families, a council has said.

Oxfordshire County Council is planning to convert a privately-owned, 10-bed facility in Enstone, near Chipping Norton.

It would be a mid to long-term home for up to four children, aged 12 to 17.

The council said "the majority of our children in need of residential care live some miles away from their family homes".

Oathill Lodge is one of four new homes the county council plans to acquire and refurbish as care homes for children.

The scheme is part of the approved match-funding bid of £10.45m from the Department for Education (DfE) to provide new homes for children within the county.

The council said there would be a minimum of two staff on site at all times who would handle different jobs, such as "providing care to the children, dealing with administrative tasks and cleaning".

It added it has been chosen for its "good proximity" to education and health provision, and rural location.

A planning statement said Oxfordshire County Council had one of the highest numbers of children in out-of-county placements of any local authority in the UK.

"The majority of our children in need of residential care live some miles away from their family homes and will have experienced disrupted education and health care," it added.

"They will struggle to keep in touch with their families, friends, communities, and other important people in their lives as a consequence."

A decision on the plans is expected to be made at the end of May.

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