The children’s home, called Anchor House, is the latest home to be operated by the council as it continues to provide support, help and protection to a growing number of children and young people.

Anchor House is a four-bed short break home which is for young people aged between 11-17. There are all the usual facilities you’d expect, including a kitchen, living space and garden.

For all intents and purposes, it appears just like any other house.

Assistant Director for Children’s Social Care at the council, Sharon Cooper, said: “Anchor House children’s home has been refurbished to ensure it feels like just that – a home.

“From here, we offer a lot of ‘edge of care’ services – services that are designed to keep children out of our care and at home with their parents.

“This means that if children or young people are close to being placed into care, we work intensively, with support to the child and their family, to try and keep them together.

“Anchor House is used for short breaks. It’s a place where a child can stay for one night a week alongside our expert children’s services team. Here, they’ll receive the support they need to ensure they can remain at home.

“We want the young people who stay here to feel like they are in a normal home environment. We cook and clean together, we spend time together and develop connections. It’s from here that we can build trust with our young people and offer specialist support and interventions.”

Why facilities like Anchor House are essential

2023 figures show that nationally there are around 83,800 children and young people in care, which is a 2% increase on 2022.

In Warrington, there are 334 children in care, but facilities like Anchor House are helping to prevent young people entering care permanently.

Anchor House is an example of how the council can manage the ever-increasing costs of supporting young people and their families, in a preventative way. Locally, the cost of providing support to children in care, or on the edge of care, is increasing each year. But without places like Anchor House, the council would be spending far more.

Warrington Borough Council’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for children’s services, Cllr Flaherty, said: “The Anchor House model ensures that some of our young people who need help the most, receive positive support built upon nurturing relationships. The ultimate aim of this approach is to prevent them from entering care on a full-time basis.

“The officer teams that support those who stay at Anchor House do incredible work. We’ve had success stories of some young people who were literally on the cusp of going into care, now staying with their family in stable arrangements, having received our help and support.

“As a council, we’re committed to doing all we can to look after our young people. Despite the immense costs and demand pressures we’re continuing to face, we have a positive story to tell in Warrington of the work we’re doing with our young people who need help and protection.”