A council has agreed to increase funding for a children's home by £280,000.

Rutland County Council's cabinet voted unanimously on Tuesday (July 14) to commit the additional investment for "construction and fit-out" of the planned five-bedroom children's home on Brooke Road in Oakham.

According to a report, the supplementary funding would reflect "updated cost assumptions", in light of "construction cost inflation, evolving regulatory expectations, and enhancements to safety and therapeutic environments".

"We are corporate parents for the children in our care. We should be doing the best we can for them, and this children's home will go a long way towards that," Cllr Tim Smith said, the council's portfolio holder for children, families and communities.

"There has been a recent increase in unlawful, unregulated and particularly high-cost child placements. Ofsted reported this month that local authorities are spending record amounts on these unlawful placements, and as a result vulnerable children are becoming more vulnerable. We need to avoid this, and the new home will help to do so."

"I think we need to remember that this could be a traumatic process for these young people," council leader Christine Wise added, "and to be able to stay within the community they've grown up in is incredibly important."

Cllr Smith explained how the funding would be used for certain modifications to the building, to ensure the safety of children with particularly "complex needs". He went on to outline "anti-ligature features" as among the proposed modifications, signifying the potential vulnerability of future occupants.

A budget of £1.45 million to buy and renovate the building had already been consented to, including a £708,000 grant from the Department of Education. However, the report also outlined that a failure to complete the project could result in the council having to sell the house to pay back the department – a scenario Cllr Smith said would have him "in tears".

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After delays, completion of the project is now expected to take place in March 2027.