On Wednesday 6th March, the Chancellor announced that an additional investment of £165m will be made available for building and maintaining secure children’s homes as part of the Government’s public sector productivity drive.
The Government’s plan includes £165m to make 200 additional child social care places available. The funding announced by the Chancellor comprises £45m in match funding for local authorities to build homes.
Suella was thrilled with the Chancellor’s announcement, which will pave the way for a new children’s home in Hampshire thanks to funding allocated by the Department for Education to rebuild Swanwick Lodge.
Suella understands that Hampshire County Council has engaged in discussions with the Department for Education for quite some time to secure much-needed funding to invest in a new replacement for Swanwick Lodge, which is approaching the 30-year mark.
At this point in time, the County Council and Department for Education are continuing to explore potential future options for the delivery of a new secure children’s home. Suella will be closely monitoring their progress and looks forward to the delivery of this new unit in the future.
Commenting, Suella said:
“I am thrilled to see Swanwick Lodge has been selected to receive a significant funding package by the Department for Education. I know that the current site is reaching the end of its tenure, and the County Council has been looking at multiple options to deliver a new unit to replace the current site.
“While details of how and when this funding will be delivered are yet to be established, I’m assured that this is a very positive step forward in the County Council’s commitment to supporting children in Hampshire in the very best settings. I look forward to following the developments of this announcement closely.”
