A CHILDREN'S home in Ramsbottom is to be reopened seven years after it was closed.

Social services want to establish a four-bed home at the building in Fir Street to provide a better service and reduce costs of sending youngsters away from their families.

It will be run by a private or voluntary sector partner, as bosses admit they do not have sufficient expertise to keep the service in-house.

Since it closed as a home, the building has been used by the Outreach service and family support team, but has lain vacant since November 2001.

It would take one young person on an emergency basis for up to 72 hours, plus three people aged 13-16 on a short/medium term basis. Officers say this will help them maintain links with their friends and family, be supported by a multi-disciplinary team, and be taught locally.

The department closed its remaining children's home, in Ribchester Drive, Bury, last October. It cited lack of effective management, high levels of staff sickness, leading to lack of consistent care for young people.

It has concentrated on providing family support to prevent youngsters coming into care: those who do, however, have "complex needs" and "challenging behaviour", and are placed elsewhere in the country.

The price of looking after such children is huge: the average cost of placing four youngsters into residential care is £624,000 a year, which puts great pressure on council budgets. The idea is for social services to provide the building, which will bring costs down to between £450,000 to £500,000.

Having a home in Bury, therefore, would benefit both the children and the budget.