New children’s home and step‑down supported living provision open in Aylesbury ​

Coach House is the council’s newest children’s home, joining Lawrence Lodge, Pineview and The Beeches in providing nurturing, secure placements for children and young people in care.

Alongside this, the council is also opening Oakview, a step‑down supported living provision. Oakview provides step‑down supported living for up to four families, designed for those who have completed a parenting assessment but still need ongoing support or do not yet have access to safe, suitable housing. This provision bridges the gap between full residential support and independent living.

Buckinghamshire Council is now halfway through its plan to open 10 of its own new children’s homes, each with a dedicated team of experienced staff. In total, the new homes will provide secure and nurturing placements for more than thirty children and young people in care.

More than 500 children are currently under the care of Buckinghamshire Council. Many of those children are looked after by our growing community of foster carers, but the council’s new children’s homes will provide accommodation and support for children and young people who need a different type of living arrangement.

Investing in its own children’s homes allows the council to keep children and young people in care within Buckinghamshire, closer to their local community and friends. It will also save the council £7.5m per year from 2027/28 (when all ten homes will be open) by providing excellent care for children at a significantly lower cost than the council pays when it places children in privately-run children’s homes.

Carl Jackson, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services, said: “By opening Coach House and Oakview, Buckinghamshire Council is extending the support we can offer to children, young people and families, helping them stay close to their schools, family members and local community. Ensuring that we provide high‑quality, locally based support remains at the heart of everything we do.”

A recent Ofsted inspection of one of the council’s new children’s homes, Lawrence Lodge, praised the positive experiences of different young people. They included siblings who were able to stay together, close to home, allowing them more opportunities to build relationships with family members, and another young person whose time at the home helped them gain the confidence to secure a work experience placement with a top London law firm and sign up for the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award.

Ofsted Inspectors also praised the staff at Lawrence Lodge, noting: “The staff at Lawrence Lodge came from very different backgrounds, bringing different skills and energy to the home. All staff are now either trained or working at completing their level 4 apprenticeship and have completed other important training to help support them to give the best level of care.”