New children's home for young people in need opens in Dacorum

The opening of the new home in Dacorum on Friday, February 21, was marked at a cake cutting ceremony by cllr Teresa Heritage, Hertfordshire County Council’s executive member for children, young people and families and Joanne Henderson, director of CF Support Services Ltd, who will be running the service on behalf of the council.

CF Support Services Ltd, who are experienced in delivering the best outcomes for children and their families, have been chosen to run this emergency residential support at the newly refurbished two bed home.

Greenway Lodge will be able to support young people affected by serious health and care issues such as trauma, mental health conditions, learning disabilities, those who have offended or those at risk of exploitation.

Cllr Heritage said: “The opening of Greenway Lodge marks an exciting development in our Children’s Services Residential Strategy.

"The challenge of finding suitable support for children and young people who are most at need or face the most challenging circumstances has grown in recent years.

“It is vital we have safe and regulated support in place to help these young people; this specialist emergency residential home will be the first step towards helping many of them secure a stable longer term solution.”

Local councillors and the council's Young Commissioners, were invited to look around the new home and speak to the staff that will be on hand to support some of the counties most vulnerable children and young people.

Joanne Henderson, Director of CF Support Services said: “We offer an intensive model of support and accommodation providing a high level of care to encourage positive change.

"Greenway Lodge is designed for the small cohort of children and young people who are unable to be looked after in either standard children’s homes or foster placements.

"The home will offer a safe and emotionally containing environment in which young people can begin, or continue, to explore what they have experienced and get the support needed to help them towards a plan to return to the family home, return or enter a longer term care setting or move towards independent living.

“These smaller one or two bed, OFSTED registered homes are a vital part of the council’s residential strategy which aims to ensure that our young people are well looked after as close to their home and community as possible and we’re proud to be providing this service to support that aim.”

The new service was named Greenway Lodge by the council's Young Commissioners, a group of young people who support the council to ensure that services are as accessible and appropriate as they can be for the young people using them.

They also had a strong influence on the refurbishment, helping plan the layout and décor that they felt would help the residents feel as comfortable as possible.

One Young Commissioner, Daniel, who attended the opening, said; “It's great that CF Support Services have taken all of our suggestions into consideration, such as having city scape pictures as a contrast to the greenery outside and having small double beds.”