Councillors in Coventry have thrown their support behind ambitious plans to establish a new secure children's home in Birmingham, marking a significant step forward for youth services across the West Midlands.
Regional Collaboration for Vulnerable Children
Coventry City Council cabinet members voted this week to back the business case for the 20-bed West Midlands Safe Centre, which will be constructed in Gravelly Hill on the site of a former children's home. The project represents a collaborative effort between 14 local authorities and will receive crucial funding from the Department for Education.
During Tuesday's cabinet meeting, Sukriti Sen, director of children's and education services for Coventry, strongly endorsed the development. She emphasised that the region has been waiting over a decade for such a facility, which will address a critical gap in provisions for vulnerable children.
"We haven't had a secure provision for children who need to be away and in an environment where they can have a combination of education and psychological support," Ms Sen stated. She highlighted the pressing national issue, noting that "on any one day in the country there are 50 children waiting for secure provision and they often end up in very costly unregulated homes."
Ensuring Financial Sustainability
While financial discussions were held in a private session, Councillor Jackie Gardiner raised important points about the centre's operational management. She stressed the necessity of involving business-minded professionals to ensure the facility becomes self-funding and sustainable.
"It is going to be really important that somebody with a business brain is going to be involved with running this because it needs to be self-funding and sustainable," Cllr Gardiner remarked. She expressed concerns about local authority management, particularly given Birmingham City Council's financial challenges after declaring effective bankruptcy in 2023.
Angela Whittrick, Coventry City Council's strategic lead on corporate parenting and sufficiency, provided reassurance about the management structure. "There will be a commissioning local authority who will, in effect, be responsible for the business element – quality standards, costs and business," she explained. "It cannot be Birmingham if they take on the running of the provision."
Purpose-Built Facility Details
The plan, submitted by Birmingham Children's Trust in June, involves demolishing three existing buildings – Kingsmere and Earlswood – at the Gravelly Hill North site. These structures were previously used by Birmingham Children's Trust's Youth Offending team from 2010 until the site was completely vacated in January 2024.
In their place, a purpose-built two-storey facility will be constructed, featuring:
- 20 en suite bedrooms for children aged 10 to 17
- Specialised learning and vocation rooms
- Health treatment facilities
- Physical activity spaces including a sports building with an indoor court
- An outdoor Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA)
- Administration facilities and visitor spaces
The development will also see the current 30-space car park expanded to 60 spaces, with 10 designated for electric vehicles and potential for 30 more. The site benefits from excellent transport links, being just 300 metres from Gravelly Hill Station and on bus routes to Birmingham city centre.
According to application documents, the facility will prioritise "well-being, therapy and education" for its young residents. Final designs are expected to be completed by the end of this year, with contracts scheduled for signing in May 2025.
In his closing remarks, Cllr Jim O'Boyle highlighted the significance of the project: "This means there will be a facility that will be costed which means children, who end up in the position whereby the only place for them for their safety and the safety of others is a secure unit, will be safe. And overall, we are not at the behest of any potential private support that could cost us a lot more going forward."
