We are excited to announce that we are in the process of opening our first residental children’s home.

We have always existed to fill gaps in public service delivery where we feel the third sector can have a significant impact in people focused services.

Our recent work has demonstrated that children’s residential services is an area that we can have a real and significant impact on.

Over the last 12 months we have been working closely with GMCA (Greater Manchester Combined Authority) to explore how residential childcare can be delivered differently.

As part of this, together with other third sector providers we commissioned a feasibility study which highlighted some key issues:

  • The majority of Greater Manchester children who need residential childcare are placed outside of Greater Manchester. Sometimes as far away as Scotland.
  • There is a need for more provision that feels homely and has a family feel
  • There is a need for more third sector providers in the market
  • More residential childcare places are needed across Greater Manchester

Together with GMCA we mobilised a third sector taskforce and we commissioned a feasibility study. The taskforce is in the process of launching a joint legal entity in which the third sector can work together to deliver more residential childcare places across GM at scale.

As a result of this work, the Social adVentures team felt empowered to act to provide solutions for this vulnerable group. We decided to utilize our skills and reserves to go ahead and open our own children’s home without delay.

We have raised additional social funding and are in the final stages of purchasing a property for our first residential children’s home.

We have appointed a Manager and are in the process of building the wider team.

Our homes will be child centred and will feel like family homes rather than like an institution. Children will be able to be children and will have the freedom and funding to explore their interests and to develop.

This is going to be an exciting journey where we feel we can have a real impact and, we look forward to keeping you updated along the way.