MEMBERS of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s corporate parenting specialist advisory group were given an update on a review of the borough’s residential services for children in care or at risk.

The children’s services department is in the middle of changing provision from two children’s homes, an adolescent support unit and one specialist unit to one children’s home and two adolescent support units.

Head of adolescent services, Imran Akuji, said in recent years it has become apparent that outcomes for children in care at adolescent age were poor and action needed to be taken.

He said the current adolescent support unit had been extremely useful in keeping young people out of care and so the decision had been taken to expand the service.

Mr Akuji added: “Having two units gives us the possibility of looking at some specialist work like short breaks or outreach work."

It would increase capacity from dealing with 55 cases to 75.

The review proposals were approved by children’s services exec member, Cllr Maureen Bateson, in August.

The council's new director of children's services, Jayne Ivory, said it was hoped the new Adolescent Support Unit would be up and running by Christmas.