Hounslow Council builds first children’s home in more than a decade

Hounslow Council is building a new six-bed residential children’s home to increase local in-house care and support for Looked After Children.

The six-bed residential home, being developed on a council-owned site at Bedfont Lane, will provide stable, high-quality accommodation for children in Hounslow’s care. Due to open in spring 2026, the home aims to ensure that more children can remain close to their families, schools, and support networks.

Councillor Samia Chaudhary, Cabinet Member for Education, Children, Skills and Employment, said the new home reflects the council’s commitment to keeping children connected to their communities.

“The benefits of keeping looked after children in their home borough are well documented,” she said. “This important development reduces the need to place vulnerable children away from their local communities, support systems and schools. It also strengthens their sense of belonging and can, where possible, open opportunities to reconnect with family networks.”

The facility will be staffed by specialist workers trained to support children and families with complex needs. It forms part of Hounslow’s Placement Sufficiency Strategy, which sets out how the council will meet the diverse accommodation needs of children in care.

Nationally, the majority of residential children’s homes are now run by private providers — around 80%, according to Ofsted — with councils struggling to maintain or rebuild local provision after years of closures and funding pressures. Council-run homes, however, are often seen as providing more stability, greater accountability, and closer integration with local support services.

Bogdan Duc Voinea, Operations Director at Mat’s Group Ltd, which is leading the development, said the project is about “far more than bricks and mortar.”

“This is about creating a space where young people can thrive, feel safe and supported, and where the community grows stronger,” he said. “We’re proud to be part of a project that will have a lasting, positive impact on local children and the wider borough.”

The new home is expected to play a key role in reducing the number of out-of-borough placements, improving continuity of care, and providing young people with the stability they need to flourish.