Children's home planned amid 'crisis' in care

A planning application has been submitted to turn a property into a registered home for children and young people amid a "crisis" in the sector.

The proposal for Camden House on Westmount Road, St Helier, is being presented as part the Government of Jersey's £15m Loving Homes project to address a shortage of residential placements.

The application, developed with Children, Young People, Education and Skills, seeks permission to change the use of the property from a private dwelling to a registered home for up to four children aged 10 to 18.

The property was purchased by the government as part of its Overdale Hospital redevelopment project but after planning revisions the site was scaled down.

The plans say the five-bedroom house would provide four bedrooms for children and one bedroom for a staff member working a night shift.

Loving Homes said in support of the application that children's homes were at "crisis point" with "no spare capacity to care for children on-island".

The application states that a lack of available homes has resulted in some children being placed in unsuitable or temporary arrangements, while others have required off-island placements when local provision was unavailable.

The documents say the home would be regulated by the Jersey Care Commission.

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