Blackburn day care could become home for kids with complex needs
The proposal would see the existing single-storey building refurbished and reconfigured rather than demolished
A family support centre and day care in Darwen could be transformed into a specialist children’s home for some of the borough’s most vulnerable young people under plans Blackburn with Darwen Council has submitted to itself.
The authority is seeking permission to convert the council-run Earcroft Centre on Monton Road into a three-bed residential children’s home providing accommodation, education and therapy facilities for children aged between 10 and 16 with complex mental health needs.
The proposal would see the existing single-storey building refurbished and reconfigured rather than demolished, with council planners told the scheme would help address a shortage of specialist placements within the borough.
According to the design and access statement submitted with the application, children requiring this level of support are often placed outside their home district when suitable accommodation cannot be found locally.
The document states: “When a local ward or borough does not have sufficient capacity to provide a suitable compliant children’s home, then often children are housed outside of their local district, potentially further isolating them from established positive social support or connections.”
The council says the new home would allow young people with multiple and complex mental health needs to remain closer to their families, schools and support networks while receiving specialist care.
The Earcroft site currently accommodates the Earcroft Centre and Kittens Preschool. The centre has long been used for children’s and family services and remains a base for Blackburn with Darwen’s Early Help teams.
In 2024 it received a Gold Award from the borough’s Young Inspectors programme, with inspectors praising the quality of support available to children and families.
Plans show the proposed children’s home would accommodate three young people at any one time, each with their own bedroom and ensuite bathroom. Staff would be on site 24 hours a day throughout the year.
Young residents are expected to stay for at least six months while receiving therapeutic support aimed at helping to stabilise behaviours, better understand individual needs and identify suitable long-term placements.
The scheme includes a living room, kitchen and dining space designed to resemble a family home rather than an institution, together with a large therapy room, quiet learning room, staff facilities and outdoor recreation areas.
Architects say creating a domestic atmosphere is a key objective of the redevelopment.
The building would be redesigned to provide a more welcoming, residential environment, the application states. This includes its existing security shutters, which contribute to an “institutional” appearance.
Externally, the council wants to improve landscaping around the site while retaining most of its existing trees. Proposed works include new planting, raised garden beds, seating areas and an outdoor classroom where young people could take part in education and gardening activities.
A new entrance canopy and glazed link would connect different parts of the building, while the existing car park would be retained and reconfigured. Air-source heat pumps, LED lighting and potentially solar panels are also proposed as part of efforts to improve the building’s environmental performance.
Planning documents show the home would operate around the clock, with four staff members using the building during the day and at least one remaining on site at all times. Therapists, education staff and approved visitors including family members and guardians would also attend the site.
The documents note that the location is served by nearby bus routes and is within walking distance of schools and community facilities.
Council officers have been told the children’s home will provide specialist support for young people who are at risk of being deprived of their liberty for their own safety because of severe and complex needs.
The authority says the model of care will deliver time-limited therapeutic interventions intended to reduce risks and prepare children for more permanent living arrangements.
As Blackburn with Darwen Council is the applicant, the proposal is expected to be determined by councillors at a future planning committee meeting.