Coventry council addresses children’s homes concerns
Surge in applications prompts careful scrutiny
Coventry City Council has announced plans to assess each children’s home application on its merits, addressing concerns over an increase in such applications.
According to the Coventry Society, city planners have been receiving at least two applications per month since autumn 2025 for houses to be repurposed as children's homes.
The council's first proposal to convert a family home into accommodation for care leavers has also been submitted.
The Coventry Society expressed concerns regarding the legitimacy of the applications, having previously raised the issue with the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Despite the rise in applications, many are refused due to a lack of identified need in the city.
Following a meeting with the council's corporate parenting team, the society was informed of significant national shifts from large council-run institutions to smaller, more residential-like environments for children's care. Additionally, the 1989 Children Act led to an increase in privately-run care homes alongside council provisions.
Currently, Coventry offers between 65 and 75 places in children's homes, and over 70% of children in care are placed in foster homes.
The council, now operating nine children's homes and utilizing registered private providers, sees demand for homes catering to children with challenging behaviour and complex needs. Planners aim to focus on appropriate provision in suitable locations, avoiding clusters of care homes and ensuring sites are not near major roads or high-crime areas.
Applications are welcomed from highly-rated registered providers willing to expand and meet city needs.
Coventry Society will supply feedback on the applications, considering accommodation types and locations, as well as the applicants' competence in running children's homes. They are also monitoring the cumulative impact on residential properties.
Ofsted requires evidence that planning permission or confirmation of non-requirement is provided upon registration of a children’s care home, ensuring applications are tracked and recorded by the council.