Choosing the Right Property for a Children's Home

Ofsted's current registration guidance requires applicants to demonstrate that the proposed premises are fit for purpose and suitable for the people the service intends to support, and that risks associated with the building have been assessed and managed.

The Children's Homes Regulations go further: the premises must be designed and furnished so that they meet each child's needs and enable children to participate in the daily life of the home.

So the property decision should never be "can we fit four bedrooms in here?" It should be "could the children described in our model of care genuinely live well here?"

Every part needs to work together.

Start with your model of care, not the building

Before opening Rightmove, revisit your model of care. You should have an initial understanding of:

• how many children you intend to accommodate
• approximate age range
• range of needs
• staffing model
• likely safeguarding considerations
• education needs
• mobility or accessibility requirements
• activities and community access
• family contact
• intended outcomes

For guidance on defining your model of care, see our dedicated guide.

Size, bedrooms and layout

Start with the obvious question, but do not stop there. If you intend to accommodate three children, you will probably be considering at least three children's bedrooms. But then think about:

• Registered Manager workspace
• staff office
• staff sleeping arrangements where required
• storage
• records
• medication storage
• laundry
• bathrooms
• communal space
• visiting professionals
• private conversations
• family contact where appropriate

A six-bedroom house does not necessarily mean it is a sensible six-place children's home. The relationship between the rooms matters just as much as their number.

That is the difference between looking at a property as an investor and looking at it as a home.

Consider each bedroom individually. Ask:

• Space: can it comfortably accommodate the furniture a child needs?
• Storage: is there suitable space for clothes and personal possessions?
• Privacy: can the child experience an appropriate level of privacy?
• Location: where is the room in relation to other children, bathrooms, staff, stairs, exits and communal rooms?
• Light and ventilation: does it feel like somewhere somebody would genuinely want to sleep and spend time?
• Personalisation: can the child make the room feel like theirs?
• Safety: are there property-specific risks that need considering?

Communal areas and how the house works

Children do not spend their entire lives in bedrooms. Look at:

• lounge: can children relax, watch television and socialise?
• kitchen: can children be involved in cooking and food preparation?
• dining: can everyone eat together?
• utility and laundry: can these be managed safely and practically?
• bathrooms: are there enough for the number of children and staff?
• hallways and stairs: are they safe and practical at busy times?

Think about how the house works at busy times: morning routines, shift changes, after-school hours, weekends. A property that looks spacious on a quiet weekday viewing may feel very different when five people are trying to use the bathroom at once.

Keeping it a home, not an institution

Do not automatically make it look institutional. The best children's homes feel like homes. That does not mean ignoring safety, but it means thinking about décor, lighting, warmth, personalisation and the overall feel of the place.

Ask whether the property can feel like a home where children live, rather than a unit where children are accommodated.

The neighbourhood and safeguarding environment

Look beyond the front door. Walk the neighbourhood at different times of day. Consider exploitation and safeguarding risks: what is nearby, who is nearby, and what risks might the location present to the children you intend to care for?

Think about:

• proximity to risks such as known exploitation hotspots
• what other children's homes are nearby and whether clustering is a concern
• noise, traffic and general feel of the street
• proximity to adjoining properties and shared access
• gardens overlooking one another
• terraces versus detached or semi-detached properties
• communal entrances

Do not approach this from the assumption that children living in a children's home are inherently a nuisance. They are not. The practical issue is whether the operation proposed for the property works appropriately within its surroundings.

For the full location assessment process required under Regulation 46, see our dedicated guide.

Local services: education, health, transport and workforce

A property is not just a building. It is a location within a community. Consider:

Education

Can children realistically access suitable education? Are there appropriate schools nearby, and is there transport available? Some children may need specialist provision or alternative education, so consider what is available in the area.

Health and specialist services

Can children access appropriate health services: GP, dentist, CAMHS, and any specialist support they may need? A remote property may be cheaper, but if it means children cannot access services, it is not good value.

Transport

Is there public transport? Can children get to school, activities and appointments? Can staff get to work? A property with no public transport may mean higher vehicle costs and more complex logistics.

Workforce

Your property assessment needs a workforce test. Can you actually recruit and retain the team you need in this location?

Planning, fire safety and physical condition

Planning

The planning system classifies different land and building uses. Class C2 includes residential institutions, while C3 includes dwellinghouses, including some arrangements where people live together as a single household and receive care. It is not safe to assume that every children's home automatically needs C2 planning permission, nor that every small children's home can automatically remain C3. The exact planning position can depend on the proposed operation and whether a material change of use would occur.

Ofsted requires applicants to establish the planning position. Its current registration guidance accepts evidence such as planning permission, confirmation from the local authority that permission is not required, confirmation that the property's current use class allows the proposed use, or at an earlier stage a copy of the planning application. Ofsted cannot carry out the registration visit until the required planning evidence has been provided.

For the full planning process, see our guide to planning permission: C2, C3 and change of use.

Fire safety

A property may require work involving detection systems, fire doors, escape routes, compartmentation, emergency lighting, fire equipment and evacuation arrangements. Exactly what is required will depend on the building and its intended use, so obtain competent fire-safety advice rather than assuming a domestic smoke alarm system is sufficient.

Physical condition and accessibility

Assess the physical condition of the property: structural issues, damp, electrical condition, plumbing, heating, roofing and any adaptations needed. Consider accessibility: can children with mobility needs move around the property safely? Are there stairs that may present difficulties? Is there level access?

Practical details: office, storage, garden, broadband, parking and neighbours

The office problem

A children's home needs a space where staff can work, make confidential calls, store records securely and have private conversations. Many domestic properties do not have an obvious office space. If the office is in the kitchen or the lounge, confidentiality is difficult to maintain.

Storage

Storage is the thing everyone forgets. Children's homes generate paperwork, equipment, spare bedding, cleaning supplies, outdoor gear, and everyday household items. A property with inadequate storage will struggle to stay organised.

The garden

Is the garden safe, usable and appropriate? Is it overlooked? Is it secure? Can children use it for play, relaxation and activities?

Broadband and mobile signal

Check broadband speed and mobile signal. A home that cannot reliably access the internet will struggle with care recording systems, online training, remote working and children's own digital lives.

Parking

Parking sounds trivial until the home is operating. Consider space for staff vehicles, home vehicles, social workers, the Regulation 44 visitor, health professionals, family visitors, maintenance and deliveries. Then consider what happens during shift change. Six cars suddenly appearing on a small residential street can affect relationships with neighbours and potentially become relevant to planning considerations.

Neighbours

A children's home is part of a neighbourhood. Think about proximity to adjoining properties, shared access, parking, noise transfer, and whether the operation proposed for the property works appropriately within its surroundings.

Buying versus leasing and total ready-to-operate cost

Whichever route you choose, check your lender, landlord and insurer early. Some lenders will not lend on children's homes. Some landlords will not allow their property to be used as a children's home. Some insurers will not cover the use. Finding this out after committing is expensive.

Consider the cost of conversion before comparing properties. A cheaper property that needs major fire-safety works, a new heating system and significant adaptations may cost more to bring into use than a more expensive property that is already suitable. Look at total ready-to-operate cost, not simply purchase price or monthly rent.

For guidance on the full cost picture, see our guide to the cost of opening and running a children's home.

How to view a property

Create a property scorecard before you start viewing. This keeps the assessment objective and consistent across different properties.

Take to a viewing:

• your property specification
• a tape measure
• a notebook or device for recording observations
• a camera or phone (with appropriate permission for photographs)
• a list of questions for the agent

Photograph, with appropriate permission:

• bedrooms
• bathrooms
• stairs
• entrances
• kitchen
• communal rooms
• garden
• parking
• boundaries
• surrounding street

Record: room sizes, obvious work needed, parking, traffic, neighbouring properties, local facilities, broadband and mobile observations, and questions for the agent. Then complete the scorecard immediately after leaving.

If the property survives the first assessment, go back. Visit at a different time and, ideally, with somebody who is not emotionally invested in buying it. Bring someone whose job is to find reasons the property does not work: the proposed Registered Manager, the RI, an experienced residential professional, a planning adviser or a building professional, depending on the issue being assessed.

Confirmation bias gets expensive in property.

Speak to the host local authority. Current Ofsted guidance requires applicants to consult relevant local bodies and services and expects evidence of contact with the host local authority. You should already be developing your evidence around local need, suitability, risks, services and your proposed care model. The property should strengthen that case, not contradict it.

The location assessment continues after registration

You are not simply asking whether this location is suitable today. You need systems capable of continuing to ask whether this location is still suitable for the children living here.

Reasons to walk away

Sometimes the most profitable property decision is the one you do not make. Be cautious if:

• planning is highly uncertain and you have significant money at risk
• the location does not match your care model, even though the building itself is attractive
• fire or building works destroy the financial model once properly assessed
• staffing looks unrealistic because of the location
• local need does not support the proposal despite assumptions made earlier
• the property will feel institutional because the layout cannot support normal household life
• the financial model only works at full occupancy after the true property costs are included
• you are constantly saying you will sort that after you buy it

Enough unresolved problems eventually become one very expensive problem.

The CHH Property Test

Before committing to a property, be able to answer: