Temporary respite home for children with additional needs to be set up

A temporary respite home for children with additional support needs is to be created at a council property in Haldane Burgess Crescent.

At a meeting of the services committee on Thursday, councillors approved a recommendation by the head of children’s services Steven Morgan to develop the property to cater for some of the unmet need for respite care for children with additional support needs and their families.

Councillors heard that the current level of service at Laburnum House needs to be revised because the building is “not fit for purpose” due to its layout, condition and size.

The property at Haldane Burgess Crescent requires no additional work to allow it to be used for additional respite, however extra staff would be required who, along with the current staff at Laburnum, would split their time between the two units.

Ten full time equivalent posts would be created at a cost of just over £300,000. It would serve as a short term solution until renovations are made to Laburnum House.

The report was approved. Councillor Cecil Smith said that the council has a “duty to support children”, and councillor Alistair Cooper agreed, stating that “folk need the service, and I want to see it going ahead”.