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    Young offenders' unit could close in Anerley

    Staff
    Staff


    Posts : 76
    Join date : 2009-04-18
    Location : Bromley

    Young offenders' unit could close in Anerley Empty Young offenders' unit could close in Anerley

    Post  Staff Sat May 02, 2009 4:28 pm

    A SECURE unit for young offenders is facing closure after its contract was not renewed.

    The unit for young criminals at Orchard Lodge, William Booth Road, Anerley, is set to close after the Youth Justice Board ended a contract to fund 16 places there.

    The 20-year-old facility, which has 70 employees, is the only one in London.

    It has a reputation for handling some of the most difficult and vulnerable children in London, including one of Damilola Taylor’s killers, Ricky Preddie.

    The Youth Justice Board said the funding cut was due to a review of the number of places needed.

    Director of children's services at Orchard Lodge, Dennis Scotland, said the closure of the home would jeopardise the long-term rehabilitation of youths in his care.

    He said: "Parental visits are of huge importance to the boys we care for.

    “They provide a morale boost and something to focus on during their custodial sentence.

    “Without their support the boys can feel abandoned and cut off from their family unit and as young children, this can have very damaging repercussions on their development.”

    He added: “Not having a secure care home in a city as vast as London, with all its social issues is utterly ludicrous."

    Three years ago a planning application was submitted to Bromley Council to extend the site at a cost of £3m to increase the number of people the unit could hold from 24 to 36.

    Councillors agreed permission in August 2007, although the building project was not due to start for two years.

    But now that the Government has withdrawn funding, the future of the unit is unclear.

    A Youth Justice Board spokeswoman said: "The number of beds required in this sector is based on an analysis of the population of secure children's homes and secure training centres over the last three years, taking into account the geographical spread of homes across England."

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