Director Carol Hill said: “Catholic Care has sadly taken the decision to close its Residential Home for Children and Young People in Leeds. Since the 1970s, our dedicated team in the Leeds Home has provided safe, stable, and supportive family-style living for children and young people needing medium to long-term care. Inevitably, the Catholic Care family feels sad at leaving a place that has been a happy home for some of the country’s most vulnerable children. However, the changing nature of social care means that we require a property that better meets modern standards and the needs of children and young people today. Catholic Care is actively in the process of opening a new residential home for children and young people in Keighley, and the charity’s trustees hope to open a new home for a fresh service in Leeds in the not too distant future.”

Since 1970, Catholic Care’s residence in East Leeds has been home to hundreds of children and young people who haven’t been able to live with their own families, or perhaps not all of the time, and for whom foster care is not appropriate. Such homes are highly regulated and are overseen by Ofsted.

Catholic Care’s Head of Care, Rachel Wilkinson, said: “For six decades Harrison Crescent has been a safe and nurturing home for hundreds of children and young people. Our charity is very proud of our highly trained and trauma-informed staff who have served the young people in their care with commitment and compassion, helping them to process past experiences and make the most of their potential. In particular, Catholic Care wants to pay tribute to Tracey Burke, registered manager of Harrison Crescent, who has devoted more than thirty years working with us in the care of children.”

Catholic Care’s Director, Carol Hill, went on to say: “As a charity, we’re sad to see the closure of the Leeds Home, as are the many people with fond memories of living there as children. However, we’re confident that it’s the right decision for

Catholic Care to meet new challenges. Recruiting staff is difficult across the care sector, which is why we invest so heavily in training and developing our workforce. The needs of children also change with time, especially in recent years as we continue to see the disruptive impact of Covid on education and family life. Our new services will be better able to respond to such challenges, and though one home is closing, our service will go from strength to strength for as long as children and families need us.”