POLICE presence is set to be placed in a new childrens residential hub coming to Middelsbrough

Middlesbrough Council will be working with North Yorkshire County Council to implement a system called: “No Wrong Door Trailblazer model,” which will see a smaller “residential hub” created, staffed with its own on-site police officer or PCSO.

Middlesbrough has been chosen by central government as a council with a poorly performing children’s service which may benefit from local authority.

Ian Wright, Director of Business, Perfromance and Change said: “The idea of this model is to keep children safe in a different way and to build resilience in the families, or in the right foster care so that those children don’t have to be in a children’s home that costs £3,000 ot £3,500 a week."

The proposals were debated at a Children and Young Persons Social Care and Services Scrutiny Panel meeting, and will be funded by 2.7m from Central government, accross 36 months. 

There will also be three full-time specalist roles at the home to provide suppport for looked-after children, which will include a speech and language thereapist and a clinical psychologist. 

Mr Wright added: “There’s a full-time police officer in each of the North Yorkshire’s hubs. They’re not in uniform and that’s about building relationships with the young people and building relationships with the rest of the police service.”

Mr Wright also expressed concern over the number of children living in accommodation provided by the private and voluntary sectors. “as of today we have 57 young people in that accommodation. That’s not ideal, we would much rather have them in accommodation provided by us.”