Overview
- Sunderland City Council and the Department for Education are jointly funding the conversion of the White House in West Boldon into a Complex Needs Hub.
- The home will support 11- to 17-year-olds with complex mental health and emotional needs and reduce reliance on distant or unregulated placements.
- The four-bed model will allocate two places to Together for Children Sunderland, with two commissioned by South Tyneside Council.
- A 30-strong staff will provide round-the-clock care, creating new jobs in the area.
- The facility will be Ofsted-registered, with renovation expected to take about eight months and opening planned before the end of 2026 in a model described as rare nationally.