The last five years has seen a 20% increase in the number of children in residential care (DfE 2017). In 2016, there were 7,600 children in either a children’s home or another form of residential facility for looked after children. With a culture of low pay and limited training and development, there is real difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff to work in residential homes and the sector is beset with high turnover – detrimental to the needs of highly vulnerable and often traumatised children who are struggling to form attachments and positive relationships. Outcomes for children who live in residential homes are poor: In 2015, 4% of children who live in children’s homes gained 5 or more good GCSEs, compared to 16% of all CIC and 58% of their peers (DfE 2015-16).

Following two years of research looking at residential homes and their outcomes in Europe, Emmanuel Akpan-Inwang founded Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust in 2017 to address some of the UK’s systemic challenges, creating a non-profit model of home based on the philosophy of social pedagogy (https://lptrust.org.uk/social-pedagogy/). Emmanuel’s vision is that children in residential care have the same life chances and opportunities as their peers.

Treebeard provided early grant funding; in 2020 we invested in a property in Sutton which, following extensive and careful renovation in partnership with LPT, opened in early 2022. The home provides a safe, supportive and loving environment for up to six children, and is led by a team of highly trained practitioners under the experienced leadership of home manager Hannah Severn (https://lptrust.org.uk/our-people/#hannah).

LPT are now in the process of searching for a suitable property and location for their second home.