Home to support young people in difficulty being opened in Coulsdon

A HOME to help troubled youths get back on their feet is being opened in Coulsdon.

Transitional Plus Care (TPC) is opening the home for four people aged between 16 and 18 at number 107 Marlpit Lane.

A TPC spokesman said the move follows the company's placing on a Croydon Council list of preferred organisations to provide "semi-accommodation based support" to looked-after 16 to 17-year-olds.

Operations director Darren Hobbs said: "The work we will undertake at Marlpit Lane forms part of Croydon Council's Framework Agreement.

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"We provide support to young people to help them develop their independent living skills as well as enabling them to access employment, training and education. We do not cook, clean or provide care to the young people who are placed with us."

He added that two live-out staff would oversee the home in Marlpit Lane – which TPC is renting – and support its residents.

He said: "The staff do not sleep within the houses, but have a presence in order to ensure that the service is maintained to a high standard."

A spokesman for Croydon Council said it had not yet referred any youngsters to the company, and that the home could also house youngsters from other boroughs.

TPC will probably have to apply for planning permission, because the lawful use of the building is as a single-family dwelling.

A spokesman for Croydon Council said: "We are liaising with the developers to understand the nature of the proposed use and their intentions.

"This may result in a planning application. Neighbours will be able to comment on the proposal if we get an application."

She added: "The council receives applications for proposals that are yet to commence and retrospective applications to retain uses that have commenced.

"We deal with both in the same way, having regard to the relevant planning policies and to other material planning considerations."

TPC representatives met with councillors, residents and the police two weeks ago to discuss their plans.

Mr Hobbs added: "Transitional Plus Care and the young people placed with us by the local authority will strive to play a positive and committed role in the life of the local community.

"There is great emphasis being placed on local authorities to keep young care-leavers within their local authority areas, as opposed to dispersing them to all parts of the country."

TPC, which is registered with the Care Quality Commission, runs sites across the country to support young people leaving care, young offender institutes and other institutional settings.

Its other homes include those in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.