Barnardo’s breaks ground on new homes for young people leaving care in Birmingham
Children’s charity Barnardo’s has broken ground on a new housing development in Birmingham that will provide supported homes for young people leaving care.
Last updated 12th Nov 2025
Five specially designed Gap Homes will be built to help care leavers live independently, with on-site support from Barnardo’s staff. The homes will form part of a nationwide project delivering 50 new-build Gap Homes across the UK, designed to tackle the shortage of suitable and affordable housing for care leavers.
According to Barnardo’s, the number of children in care in England has risen by 23% over the past decade, with one in three young people becoming homeless within two years of leaving care.
Speaking at the groundbreaking event, Elizabeth McShane, Barnardo’s Head of Gap Homes, said the project is about “giving young people the stable start they need.”
“We want to demonstrate that giving young people this kind of start, a stable and safe home, when they’re moving from care and working towards living more independently, really works,” she said. “We’ll build this one in Birmingham, then others across the UK, and evaluate what we do so we can show the positive impact and encourage others to follow.”
Elizabeth, who began her career working directly with care leavers, said she’s seen first-hand how easily things can fall apart when young people are left without proper housing or support.
“Many young people move into their first tenancy full of excitement, but they can quickly find themselves isolated,” she explained. “They might not know anyone nearby or have family to lean on, and that can lead to homelessness. These homes are designed to stop that from happening.”
Each Gap Home will provide a self-contained space for one young person, while also being part of a small community with staff support available 24/7.
“Unlike some shared supported housing, Gap Homes give young people privacy and independence” Elizabeth said. “But they’re never alone, there’s always someone there if they need company or help.”
The Birmingham project has been initiated by the West Bromwich Building Society Foundation, which was established in 2024 to support local housing and community projects. Additional funding has come from the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust, which earlier this year gave Barnardo’s its largest-ever single donation, £18 million, to support Gap Homes nationwide.
Jonathan Westhoff, a trustee of the West Bromwich Building Society Foundation, said the project “brings us ever nearer to welcoming young people leaving care as the first residents of the new homes.”
Construction is expected to be completed by August 2026, with the aim of welcoming the first residents soon after.
Elizabeth said seeing the digger break ground on the site was a “huge moment.”
“Birmingham was one of the first sites we wanted to develop Gap Homes in” she said. “I’m absolutely thrilled to see the digger go in, now the build will continue, and we’ll be able to get young people into the houses as soon as we can.”
For safeguarding reasons, the location of the homes is not being disclosed.