Secure Children’s Homes – A Pathfinder Scheme

Synopsis

There are 14 Secure Children’s Homes throughout England and Wales providing placements for vulnerable Young People aged between 10 and 19. The homes deliver tailored care in high-quality, safe, and therapeutic environments that meet all the Young People’s social, educational, health and wellbeing needs. Children are placed in the homes directly from the Courts, either through the Youth Custody Service or through Welfare requirements.

The Lincolnshire Secure Children’s Home (Millennium Lodge) is a pathfinder scheme. The project design team informed the design development process with visits to other exemplar Secure Children’s Homes and similarly aligned establishments. They have sought to implement the learning from these visits and the best practices at the establishments studied.

The goal is to enable Young People inclusive access to healthcare and educational facilities. This is at a time when the Young People accommodated present increasingly complex and multiple needs (such as child sexual exploitation, gang-related violence, mental health issues, and substance misuse). By adopting best practices in the design of the Home we improve and enable the successful operation of the new Secure Home. The project seeks to learn from the experiences of Young People, staff and visitors to develop a nurturing rehabilitative social and educational environment that is robust yet homely.

The design aims to normalise social, mental wellbeing and healthcare education as part of each Young Person’s daily routine. There are clearly delineated zones for healthcare, education and residential accommodation that support a mix of social and supportive spaces. The project team have carefully considered the experience of the building users in order to explore movement, adjacencies and support spaces that reflect the wellbeing needs of each Young Person in a robust, safe, and secure Home.

It is proposed to present this scheme in collaboration with the Secure Children’s Home End User Stakeholder and DfE Client