Farnworth: New children's homes planned for Slack Fold Lane

The proposal will see two houses on Slack Fold Lane transformed into homes each capable of housing three eight to 18 years olds with two carers who will sleep in on a rota basis.

If approved, the homes will be run by MB&S Care Ltd and both overseen by a manager who would arrive each weekday.

A statement from the company said: “We are a family-run company with a devotion to assisting young people to nurture their mind, body and soul.

The plan will see two small children's homes created (Image: YA Architectural Services)

“Our mission is to support young people to live a fulfilled lifestyle and engage in lifelong learning to transition on to positive destinations by providing an environment where young people are listened to, respected and supported.

“We endeavour to ensure that every young person feels a sense of safety and belonging by creating an aura characterised by love and respect.”

The proposal was put before the council on Friday, November 25 and according to Rose Consulting, Planning and Regeneration, which prepared the plan, the finished home will aim to mirror a normal environment for youngsters as closely as possible.

The homes will aim to house three youngsters each (Image: YA Architectural Services)

A statement from the company said: “The purpose of the home would be to support the children to build their confidence, help them in developing life skills and prepare them for life when they leave the home to fend for themselves.

“This type of support has been found to be most effective in helping these children to have normal lives and not experience problems in later life.”

Once the conversion is complete, up to three youngsters would live at each house, with two carers working on a rota basis sleeping overnight in each home.

Six carers would operate on a shift pattern of 48 hours on, 60 hours off.

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Except at changeover times, which last around 10 minutes, there will no more than two carers in each of the homes at any one time.

There would be one changeover of the overnight care staff per home, per day, usually between 7.30am to 8am each morning.

The plans will be open for neighbourhood consultations until Thursday, December 22 after which the council will decide whether or not to approve the proposal.