Three new Surrey children’s homes in Epsom and Walton-on-Thames welcome children

Surrey County Council is proud to be opening three brand new purpose-built children's homes, one in Epsom and two on a site in Walton-on-Thames, as part of its drive to increase residential capacity within the county and, in turn, offer more Surrey homes to Surrey children in care.

In 2020 and 2021, the Council agreed to invest £34m in improving what's known as 'sufficiency' for children in care and £2.4m in increasing management capacity and upskilling the workforce. The resulting Capital Programme of work, which is being delivered by creating new provision as well as renovating and extending existing homes, will result in an overall gain of more than 30 additional bedrooms for individual children in homes within the county. Meaning more children and young people in care within the county can be given the choice to stay close to their communities in Surrey, where this is appropriate for their needs and circumstances.

Currently, around 70% of Surrey children in residential homes are placed out of county, a figure which is largely due to a lack of available homes for them in Surrey. The Council's investment into in-county provision, and the building of new homes like these in Epsom and Walton-on-Thames, is part of wider efforts to actively reduce the proportion of Surrey children living out of county.

In line with this vision, these new homes are prioritising providing places to children currently living out of county. This is being achieved by identifying children and young people that would most benefit from, and would like to, move back into Surrey. Staff are then undertaking visits to these children to discuss the option and potential timescales with them. The new homes in Epsom and Walton-on-Thames can accommodate a total of ten children between them, with rooms for overnight staff too.

Children and young people have already started moving into the Ofsted registered Epsom home, with children expected to move into the two homes on the Walton-on-Thames site when their registration is completed in the coming months.

Clare Curran, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, states; "I am delighted by the completion of these new purpose-built children's homes. Too many Surrey children are currently living out of county, and having these additional, welcoming homes available within the county brings us closer to redressing the balance and being able to offer more Surrey homes to Surrey children.

"Having visited the homes and met with some of the staff there, I feel confident they will provide a caring home where children can thrive."

Natalie Bramhall, Cabinet Member for Property, Waste and Infrastructure, adds; "A great deal of care and consideration has gone into the build, location and design of these homes. Creating an accessible, homely setting for children and young people, from the layout, functionality, and flexibility of the accommodation to the high-quality finishes throughout. The locations chosen ensure young people living in the homes have access to local shops and amenities within walking distance, helping them to feel connected to the local community.

"The buildings also incorporate green technology with modern building efficiency, offering a more sustainable provision longer-term and setting the standard for the construction of future children's homes."

Building the homes has also created new career opportunities for those with aspirations to work in residential care. The Council's dedication to recruitment and workforce development means that individuals working in these vitally important roles are provided with a comprehensive training offer, to facilitate professional development and the growth of new specialists within the county.

An additional home build is currently underway in Dorking which will further improve capacity within Surrey, moving the Council closer to its sufficiency targets to have fewer children living out of county.

Upon the conclusion of the Council's current investment programme in 2027, the county will have up to 18 children's homes and capacity to offer homes to up to 60 children overall, making Surrey one of the largest Local Authority providers of children's home places in the country. Since the start of the year, two Surrey Children's Homes have received 'Good' and 'Outstanding' Ofsted ratings respectively, meaning that seven out of the nine operational homes in Surrey are rated at these top two levels of the Ofsted rating system.

Notes to editors

• Details of Surrey County Council's Sufficiency Strategies can be found on the Council's website: Surrey County Council Commissioning sufficiency strategies - Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)
• A video tour of a Surrey children's home, with commentary from Clare Curran (Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning) and Natalie Bramhall (Cabinet Member for Property, Waste and Infrastructure) can be found on the Surrey County Council YouTube channel
• The new Epsom children's home received its Ofsted certificate of registration in January 2024
• The new Walton-on-Thames children's homes are currently awaiting registration visits and certification
• Ofsted ratings for Surrey children's homes: of the nine operational homes, seven are rated 'Good' or 'Outstanding', one as 'Requires Improvement', and one (the new Epsom home) is yet to be inspected as a new home.
• The Ofsted reports for the two Children's Homes that have received their ratings this year can be found here: 50238474 (ofsted.gov.uk) and 50239719 (ofsted.gov.uk)
• Those interested in working in residential care in Surrey should visit the Surrey County Council job pages for current opportunities or to sign up for job alerts: Jobs - Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)
• The Dorking home referenced is due for build completion in December 2024, with the intention of being operational from spring 2025

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