Plan unveiled for new residential care home in Sunderland for young people with additional needs
Plans for a residential care home for young people with “additional needs” have been submitted to council development bosses.
Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for a property in Joan Avenue in the city’s Ryhope ward.
Plans from applicant Terminus Properties Limited are seeking permission for a “residential care provision house for young people aged 16-24 with varying levels of need.”
The planning listing notes the proposed care provision, if approved, would be registered with regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
A planning supporting statement confirmed the site would accommodate “up to one young person, each receiving individually tailored care and support, with staff on-site 24 hours per day, seven days per week” and that the service would “provide a safe, structured, and therapeutic living environment within a small, domestic setting”.
It was noted that “young people aged 16–24 with varying levels of need” would use the scheme, with needs including “personal care, Autism Spectrum Condition and emotional and behavioural difficulties”.
Those behind the scheme added the property “comprises two bedrooms, making it a low-occupancy home with minimal impact on the surrounding neighbourhood” and that the property would “remain domestic inboth appearance and function”.
The planning supporting statement continues: “The home will operate like a typical domestic residence, with additional support for daily living activities.
“Young people will be supported to develop independence, undertake personal care, attend education or training, and engage in structured activities.
“Typical daily routines include morning preparations, personal care, and breakfast, school/college/work/activity attendance, afternoon and evening support with life skills, meal preparation, and community inclusion [and] night staffing to ensure safety and supervision.
“External professionals (social workers, therapists) may visit occasionally, but this will be low-frequency and comparable to normal household visitors.”
Planning documents confirm that to meet CQC requirements and ensure high-quality care, staffing will “operate on a 24/7 rota […] made up from eight full-time staff members”.
This includes up to two staff members on shift in the daytime “depending on assessed needs” and a manager or deputy manager “visiting regularly for oversight” along with “waking night staff”.
Applicants added that young people using the scheme would “not typically present behaviours associated with high-risk children’s homes” and that “their needs relate to developmental support, mild to moderate personal care needs, autism, or emotional needs”.
It was argued that the “home will operate quietly, with a calm therapeutic model and close engagement with care plans”.
On car parking, it was noted that “the property will experience minimal traffic and parking impact, typically less than an average family home” and that “there is a very large onsite driveway located here, which would be able to accommodate up to 4-5 vehicles”.
Applicants added that “young people supported are not high-risk or high-intensity placements” and that the proposed “operational model is quieter than traditional children’s homes (which often have younger residents and higher staffing).”
It was noted that the plan would “support local authority need for regulated accommodation for older young people”, along with employment opportunities for staff linked to the scheme and the provision of a “stable, supportive environment for vulnerable young adults transitioning toindependence”.
The planning supporting statement adds: “This application seeks approval for a small-scale CQC registered residential care setting for 16–24-year-olds with additional needs.
“The proposal is low-density, low-traffic, and low- impact, with only two residents, 24/7 professionally trained staff, minimal vehicle movement, domestic daily routines, no external alterations [and] strong management oversight.
“The nature of the service means the impact on the local area will be significantly less than that of a typical children’s home or multi-occupancy dwelling.
“The proposal is fully compatible with the surrounding residential character and meets a vital need for regulated, safe accommodation.”
A submitted application form describes the existing property as a “single, one-storey residential dwellinghouse / bungalow” and notes the site is “not currently vacant.”
An appeal against the council refusal decision by applicant / appellant”HMO Northeast T/A Forevercare” was later dismissed by a Government-appointed planning inspector.
A council decision on the new planning application for the site is expected following a council consultation exercise.
For more information on the plan, or to track its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 25/02846/FUL
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