Liverpool to launch first permanent care leavers hub 2026

Key Points

• Liverpool City Council is poised to endorse a permanent, full-time care leavers hub at Williamson Square, which would be ready by next summer.
• The hub would cater to more than 800 care experienced young people up to the age of 25 years who already get help but lack a dedicated permanent venue.
• A proposed £458,000 fit-out cost together with a 10-year lease, with annual costs of about £180,000 being borne from existing service budgets, would go into this project.
• It will provide a place for drop-ins, appointment rooms, community/social space, laundry facilities, digital access, food, and a safe place for care leavers.
• This comes as a result of a May 2026 Ofsted inspection which has rated Liverpool children’s services as ‘good’ in three of four areas, following a ‘inadequate’ rating in 2023.
• Leaders in Liverpool Council argue that the hub was designed with care-experienced young people in mind and is in line with Liverpool’s status as a UNICEF Child Friendly City.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 08, 2026 – A first-of-its-kind permanent hub for care leavers is set to open in Liverpool city centre next summer, following a cabinet proposal to invest £458,000 in fitting out premises in Williamson Square. The facility will provide a dedicated, full-time base for more than 800 care-experienced young people up to the age of 25 who currently receive support from Liverpool City Council but operate without a permanent venue.

What services will the new Liverpool care leavers hub provide?

The proposed hub is designed as a one-stop support centre where care-experienced young people can access a wide range of practical and emotional services under one roof. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the hub will allow young people to drop in, meet friends, speak with their personal advisor, have something to eat, do their washing, receive advice and support, and use the space as a safe environment.

Councillor Liz Parsons, cabinet member for children’s services, told the Liverpool Echo:

“We know that our young people in care are rightly passionate about the need for a dedicated facility which is better suited to their needs.” She added:

“We are working really closely with them on the type of services that they would like to see provided, such as drop-in access, private appointment rooms, communal and social spaces, laundry facilities and digital access.”

Jenny Glennard, corporate director for children and young people services, said: “Our care experienced young people deserve the very best support and having a dedicated venue will enable us to provide it.” She continued: “As a UNICEF Child Friendly City we are putting young people at the heart of our decision making and their voices are an integral part of developing the services provided in the new hub.”

Where will the care leavers hub be located and how will it be funded?

The hub will be located in Williamson Square, a central and easily accessible site in Liverpool city centre. A report to cabinet, due to be considered on Tuesday, proposes investing £458,000 to fit out the premises, with the council taking on a 10-year lease for the property. The site will have capacity for up to 20 staff and will provide both drop-in and appointment-based services for care leavers.

Annual running costs of around £180,000 will be covered by existing service budgets, according to the council’s proposal. An extensive review of council-owned accommodation previously failed to identify a suitable location within the local authority estate, prompting the decision to lease private premises in the city centre.

Why is a permanent hub needed for Liverpool’s care leavers?

Currently, the care leavers service operates from temporary accommodation at the Merseyside Play Action Council (MPAC) building on Bridport Street, and only one day a week. Council leaders acknowledge that this arrangement does not provide the best environment for care leavers, who require consistent, accessible support as they transition to adulthood.

The push for a permanent hub gained urgency following an Ofsted inspection in May 2026, which rated Liverpool City Council’s children’s services as “good” in three out of four areas, marking an improvement from an “inadequate” rating in 2023. Ofsted highlighted the need for better facilities for care leavers as part of its assessment.

In Autumn 2024, Liverpool City Council held a landmark conference at St George’s Hall aimed at reframing the narrative around care leavers and connecting education, business, and young people to create greater opportunities. Former Lord Mayor Cllr Richard Kemp described the event as an opportunity for the city to “reshape the destiny of our young people” who, he said, had for too long been depicted as “problems”.

How does this development fit into wider improvements in Liverpool’s children’s services?

The proposed hub forms part of a broader “continuous improvement journey” for children’s services in Liverpool, according to Councillor Parsons. The council’s children’s services were upgraded from “inadequate” to “good” by Ofsted in July 2026, though inspectors noted that provision for care leavers still required further work.

Cllr Parsons previously told the BBC that a planned care leavers hub had been delayed due to lease agreements on a suitable city centre property taking longer than expected. She described the hub as a “one-stop shop” where young people leaving care could access advice on jobs, housing, sexual health information, and benefits.

Jenny Glennard told the Liverpool Echo: “Something that we are absolutely determined to do is to deliver a care leavers hub in the city.” She added:

“We’ve been talking about it and we’ve been trying to find the right location, which has not been that simple, actually, in this city.”

Background: How did Liverpool’s care leavers support develop to this point?

Liverpool’s care leavers support has evolved through several stages in recent years. A temporary care leavers hub first opened in September 2025 at the MPAC building on Bridport Street, offering personal support, a shared kitchen, arts and crafts space, a canteen, and a DJ/music suite. At the time, Cllr Parsons described the MPAC site as a “temporary home” while the council worked on a more permanent and purpose-built venue.

The temporary hub was part of a wider effort to improve outcomes for care-experienced young people, including access to free travel passes across the Liverpool City Region and tailored pathway plans for each care leaver. However, the limited opening hours and temporary nature of the MPAC site were repeatedly cited as insufficient to meet the needs of more than 800 care-experienced young people in the city.

The 2023 Ofsted rating of “inadequate” for children’s services intensified pressure on the council to improve provision for care leavers, particularly around pathway planning, housing, education, employment, and training support. By 2026, following improvements across most areas, the focus shifted to delivering a permanent, city-centre hub as a flagship element of the council’s upgraded children’s services.

Prediction: How could the new care leavers hub affect young people and local services?

The establishment of a permanent, full-time care leavers hub in Liverpool city centre is likely to have significant effects on care-experienced young people, local support services, and the city’s social care landscape.

For care leavers, the hub could improve access to consistent, practical support at a critical life stage. With drop-in access, laundry facilities, digital access, and private appointment rooms, young people may find it easier to engage with personal advisors, access housing and employment advice, and build peer networks in a safe, dedicated space. This could lead to better outcomes in education, employment, and independent living, particularly for those who previously struggled to engage with services due to limited opening hours or unsuitable environments.

For Liverpool City Council and partner agencies, the hub may reduce pressure on fragmented services by consolidating support in one location. It could also serve as a model for other local authorities seeking to improve care leaver provision following similar Ofsted recommendations. However, the long-term impact will depend on sustained funding, staffing levels, and the extent to which services remain responsive to the evolving needs of care-experienced young people.