Sleaford to accommodate new children’s home

Main contractor Willmott Dixon has signed a multi-million-pound main contract to build a new 28-bed secure children’s home in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, that will provide much-improved facilities for young people.

Procured via Pagabo’s Major Works Framework and funded by the Department for Education, the project will provide care for some of Lincolnshire’s most vulnerable children as well as being a national resource for secure accommodation.

It replaces an existing smaller site that is coming to the end of its useful life and will help meet rising demand from a national increase in the number of children requiring both criminal justice and welfare placements.

The home is designed to reach net-zero in operation, providing an innovative partial grid solution, which will be supported by extensive solar panels and state-of-the-art power storage.

Cllr Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: “The new home will help address the national shortage of spaces in secure homes, helping keep children from the county and surrounding region closer to their support networks. Its design is centred around the young person’s journey while in a secure placement, offering wrap-around professional support and educational opportunities. It will also employ more staff with specialist training and a diverse skillset to support the children’s increasingly complex needs.

The home is due to be completed in late 2026.