We are rethinking residential children’s services in Greater Manchester.  With nearly 2,000 children brought into care each year across Greater Manchester, it is the responsibility of the state to provide a growing number of young people with a home environment and nurturing relationships that significantly improve their life chances and support their journey into adulthood.

When it comes to residential children’s homes, there’s a growing awareness that the sector is in trouble, and we need radical change to improve the life chances of our most vulnerable young people.

Our first home is opening in Summer 2024 after securing investment from Social and Sustainable Capital a leading social investor.

This home will be independently set up and operated by Social adVentures and is a natural progression from our work with children and young people. We have been involved in research over the last 12 months which has highlighted a great need for more children’s home places. As an organisation that exists to help people and communities and, who sets out to fill gaps in public service delivery, we simply could not delay our first home any longer.

This follows on from (and runs alongside) work that we have done with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to bring together third sector organisations in a partnership to deliver high quality residential care for children.

The Children in Care Social Enterprise Taskforce (CIC SET) is made up of Action for Children, Big Life Group, Bolton Lads and Girls Club, Social adVentures and Together Trust. The group has been working over the last 12 months to mobilise a plan of action with the aim of improving the number of local residential placements and the quality of care.

The group has now formally become the Fair Care Alliance.

What makes us different –

• We are a social enterprise, not for profit – all the money invested back into the services we provide.
• Focused on investing back into the care and quality of delivery.
• Staff owned organisation with staff representation at Board level.
• High staff retention and engagement.
• We are part of a strong network of VCSE organisations who are working with us to provide wraparound care on including eating disorders, self harm, trauma and much more.
• We provide enhanced training and benefits packages based around what staff want.
• One of the founding members of the Fair Care Alliance a partnership of social sector providers.
• We are focused on providing high quality placements locally for GM children.