Decision details

The original Single Member Decision in September 2024 (E3562), achieved cabinet agreement that Charlton House, Keynsham, could be re-purposed into a small residential and day school for young people aged 11-17 with complex special education needs with a fully approved budget of £6.1 million from High Needs Capital Allocation. However, following an aborted tender process and discussions with Ofsted it became clear that a ‘residential school’ for 12 pupils would not best meet the needs of our most complex children. This would be instead provided by two, co-located children’s homes. Each offering residential care for up to four children/young people. The proposal for a 30-place special school remains the same, with the school and children’s homes being operated separately.

Request for the Cabinet Member to approve the amended proposal that Charlton House, Keynsham should continue to be re-purposed into a special school for 30 day-pupils with highly complex needs, but with a 52-week residential offer for eight children and young people in total being provided by two, co-located children’s homes.

(1)  To agree that Charlton House, Keynsham should continue to be re-purposed into a special school for 30 day-pupils with highly complex needs, but with a 52-week residential offer for eight children/young people in total being provided by two collocated children’s homes.

(2)  To agree the increase of the budget by £660k to £6.760m funded by borrowing.

The Single Member Decision in September 2024 proposed that Charlton House, Keynsham, could be re-purposed into a small residential and day school for young people aged 11-17 with complex special education needs (12 residential and 18 day pupils, 30 in total).

£6.1m High Needs Provision Capital Allocation (HNPCA) Grant funding was approved to carry out the remodelli

ng to accommodate the young people at the new special school. This proposal was based on opening our own provision and commissioning a Multi- Academy Trust (MAT) to run it as a day and residential special school.

Following limited engagement from the market, withdrawal of the single tender submission (due to concerns around the MAT running a residential school) and acknowledgement that the need is for 52-week residential provision; it was decided to investigate if the residential element at Charlton could operate as a separately run children’s home.

A telephone call and follow up meeting with the lead Ofsted Regulatory Inspection Managers for the South-West, Paula Lahey and Polly So confirmed that it would be possible to have a children’s home in the same building as a school (it is proposed that this would be located on the top floor of Charlton House).

A 12-bed children’s home would not be deemed suitable by Ofsted. The proposed accommodation area on the top floor of the building should be divided into two entirely self-contained homes, each for 4 CYP with separate entrances and gardens allowing access independent from the school.

The capital project will include works to ensure that Charlton House and Hawthorn Court have separate access, security and landscaping to outside areas. It has been agreed with Adult Social Care that they will retain use of the kitchen in Charlton House (which will have a secure boundary with the school) so that meals can continue to be provided to Hawthorne Court and to the new school.

Consultation with our parents and carers has highlighted the priority of bringing children closer to home and to their families. Many of the children in the residential homes will continue to have close contact and relationships with their families. By providing these homes in the local area, parents/carers can remain fully involved in all aspects of their child’s care, for example attending all medical appointments, meetings in person etc.

Charlton House is also a five-minute walk away from the social care teams based at Keynsham. It is adjacent to a range of local amenities and activities allowing opportunities for socialisation and for engagement with the wider community. All of which will improve the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people and enhance preparation for adulthood.

The project team for Charlton includes our Communications Team as there is a positive story to be communicated around how opening our first children’s homes in B&NES aligns with our wider strategy for our most vulnerable CYP and adults, including the Englishcombe Lane project in development by Adult Social Care.

Other options would be to look for an alternative site, this would:

·  Delay the opening of the school – implications for the Safety Valve savings.

·  May have project cost implications.

·  Mean that that Charlton House will stand empty.