Potential plans for a new and vitally needed specialist secure welfare children’s home in Hampshire could reach a key milestone next week, as a possible site for the home is set to be discussed.

On Tuesday, 8 July, Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to consider whether to recognise The Henry Cort Community College site in Fareham as its preferred location for the new home. The site is due to be available after September 2027, following a separate decision in April to relocate the school’s staff and pupils to a new site in North Whiteley.

If agreed by Cabinet, the Henry Cort site would then be recommended to the Department for Education (DfE) which has proposed to fund the development of a new and larger specialist children’s home to replace the County Council’s existing but ageing site at Swanwick Lodge in Fareham.

Subject to DfE approval by the end of this year, there would then be a longer process including a planning consultation, which would provide an opportunity for the local community to have their say on the plans. Should planning consent be granted, work to deliver the new home would not be expected to start on site until 2028.

The County Council’s existing specialist home at Swanwick Lodge currently provides a safe and secure, therapeutic environment for up to 10 of the most vulnerable children from Hampshire and across the country. The home does not provide criminal justice placements for young people in custody but offers very specialist care and support for children who have experienced significant trauma and abuse. There are only 14 such specialist homes nationally, including Swanwick Lodge which at almost 30 years old, is now in need of replacement.

Councillor Nick Adams-King, Leader of the County Council, said: “To continue to meet demand and the increasingly complex needs of our most vulnerable children, it is clear that we now need a new and larger specialist children’s home offering the very best, modern facilities. Without this, children in our care in the future may need to move much further away from their homes and families to access suitable support, and at significantly greater cost. The potential Government investment in a high-quality home with 18 beds, which would almost double our current capacity, therefore represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our social care estate – and most importantly, for the children who require this very specialist type of care.

“I know from previous discussions with my fellow Cabinet Members that the need for a new specialist children’s home is clearly understood and we will consider carefully the recommendations in relation to this proposed new asset when we meet next week.”

The Government funding cannot be used for the purchase of any new land and is subject to the County Council’s confirmation that a suitable site is available for the new home. The County Council has previously undertaken a rigorous review of potential County Council owned sites, including the existing Swanwick Lodge site; however, this is not sufficiently sized to facilitate a larger home. Earlier this year, following this site selection process, the County Council’s Cabinet rejected proposals to build the home on the site of Stubbington Study Centre, and asked council officers to see if any new sites could be found for consideration.

Since then, the County Council has concluded its separate decision-making process, begun in October last year, regarding the future of The Henry Cort Community College. With the Henry Cort site now due to be available after September 2027, the County Council has thoroughly assessed and evaluated the site as well as a range of other options put forward by local district and borough councils and third parties. Having followed the Government’s requirements, the County Council has now determined that the Henry Cort site could be a suitable location to accommodate the new children’s home, subject to Cabinet’s agreement, further detailed work and approval by the DfE later this year.

The recommendation to propose the Henry Cort site as the County Council’s preferred option for the new home will be discussed by Cabinet Members at their upcoming meeting on 8 July. For full details, visit the County Council’s website.