SEND news

New children's residential home in West Hertfordshire opens

Hertfordshire is pleased to announce the successful launch of Greenway Lodge a new two bedded Children’s Home in West Hertfordshire. This is the first of a planned programme of increased residential provision in the County as part of our Residential Strategy. Its aim is to increase provision by 31 beds over the next three years.

The launch event took place on Friday 21 February with the opening being marked by a cake cutting ceremony by Cllr Teresa Heritage (pictured right below) and Joanne Henderson, (pictured left) Director of CF Support Services Ltd who will be operating the service on behalf of the Council.

The project took over two years of hard work and commitment to deliver including the oversight of building works to an existing Council property and the completion of a full competitive tender process to successfully award the contract to an external provider, CF Support Services Ltd.

The service will provide an OFSTED registered two bed, emergency therapeutic residential home for Children and Young People aged 9 to 17 with high levels of challenging behaviour and complex needs. Needs will include trauma, attachment, offending including gang affiliation and weapon use, mental health including hospital step down, neurodevelopment (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD and or Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD), substance use and child sexual exploitation presenting high levels of risk. The length of stay is anticipated to be approximately 12 weeks dependent on the needs of the individual young people.

The new service was commissioned in partnership with our Young Commissioners who were involved in the evaluation of the tender bids, the naming of the service and the look and feel of the home’s décor and soft furnishings.(Pictured centre are YC Commissioners Megan and Daniel)

Although the home will be registered with OFSTED for two beds the likelihood is that due to the high levels of need and matching only one young person will be in placement at any one time. CF Support Services Ltd are currently waiting for their OFSTED registration to be completed which is imminent in order to take our first young person.

For further information concerning the project please contact Lisa.Tank@hertfordshire.gov.uk or Andrew.burt@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Taylorfitch. Bringing Newsletters to life