Secure Children’s Home (SCH) for London and Pan-London Vehicle for Children’s Complex Commissioning (PLV)

A new secure welfare provision with community re-integration accommodation. This programme will also create a not-for-profit company, owned by London Boroughs, to oversee the development and running of London’s new secure welfare service.

The London Secure Children’s Home Review provided strong evidence of the need for a secure children’s home with re-integration / transition accommodation in London in order to better support and improve outcomes for some of London’s most vulnerable children. 

London boroughs are leading on proposals to design, build and open a new secure children’s home in London, using funding from the Department for Education.  The proposed service will provide up to 24 specialist welfare placements for highly vulnerable children with complex needs. It will also include accommodation for up to 4 children who no longer need to live within a secure environment but will need a period of extra support to help them achieve a positive transition back into the community. London Boroughs will develop and oversee the running of the new provision through the Pan London Vehicle for Children’s Complex Commissioning Ltd (PLV Ltd).

PLV Ltd will also provide a mechanism for future joint commissioning to improve the lives of London’s children.

Programme Goals

This programme will deliver improved access to appropriate and safe local facilities that will provide specialist care, education, and support for London’s most vulnerable children.

The programme will address the following issues:

  • Nationally, there is a significant shortage of welfare placements in secure children’s homes provision, and the situation is particularly stark in London as there are no secure children’s homes in the capital.   
  • Often, places are not available for London children when referrals are made, leading to a wait of several months or the use of alternative, high-cost and less suitable provision. 
  • When a place is available, despite their complex needs, London’s children who require secure welfare provision are often placed the furthest from their home – on average around 200 miles away, meaning some children lose regular contact with their families, friends and communities.
  • When children are placed at this distance it impacts negatively on the outcomes that can be achieved for the child.

Programme Milestones

Subject to achieving planning permission, we hope to be in a position to start construction work by autumn 2025 and complete by summer / autumn 2027. 

We intend to open the secure children’s home as soon as possible after construction is complete – following a setup and implementation period.

Programme partners

Programme Governance and Delivery