What are we campaigning against?

Planning permission has been applied for to change the use of Satis House into a young person's home for boys aged 11 to 18.

Specifically, taken from the Statement of Purpose and Function of the home, they seek to accommodate "highly vulnerable young people, predatory young people or young people unable to keep themselves safe" and "on occasions the young people need protecting from themselves (eg self harm, acting out their past abuses on others, predatory behaviour, Schedule 1 offences, damage to property), as well as protecting from others".

What are Schedule 1 Offences?

• Fighting
• Actions that aim to, or do, cause injury
• Sexual assault
• Abuse
• Murder
• Cruelty or Neglect

A Schedule One Offence is an offence of a violent or sexual nature committed against a child, even if you are a child yourself.

What type of accommodations are used to house Schedule 1 offenders?

Typically purpose built, well resourced, extensive facilities, located in rural, semi-rural locations operated by healthcare professionals within a trust structure. It is possible to see a list of homes in these environments from the following link:-

http://www.secureaccommodation.org.uk/unitdirectory.htm

Are there many other homes of this type accommodation in the country?

No. As you will see from the link above there are few homes across the country that support this type of accommodation. By its nature it is specialist, expensive, carries high risk and requires extensive professional resources.

Why does the Elms Avenue Residents Association believe that Satis House is inappropriate for this type of accommodation?

Satis House is a situated in a residential area. Many young families reside as immediate neighbours to this property, within 20 yards, and will be vulnerable to predatory behaviour. Not withstanding this the property is within a small radius of 3 schools, many of the pupils using the alley that runs directly behind the property. The purpose of function document for the home makes specific reference to accommodating those that exhibit predatory behaviour, this is not acceptable within a residential setting.

Satis House has no outside facilities. The residents will not have the open spaces other homes that provide this type of accommodation have. This is ultimately likely to lead to anti-social nuisance and severe disturbance to the local community.

This home is not operated by healthcare professionals. This home is not operating within a healthcare trust or organisational structure. This home is being operated as a private company, for profit. The operators of this home have no prior experience of running this type of accommodation and have made no study of the impact on the local area and community.

The operators of the home have secured Dan Luger as a patron. Patron has no formal status or controlled function in the operation of this type of accommodation. Dan Luger is a squad rugby player with the Nice Rugby Club.

What type of person could be housed in such accommodation?

Jon Venables (James Bulger murder)
Robert Thompson (James Bulger murder)
The Doncaster Two (Torture of boys aged 9 & 11 in Edlington)

Would we know who is accommodated?

Given the nature of the accommodation, it is unlikely that we would be aware of who and for why the residents are being accommodated.

Is Ramsgate a suitable location for accommodation of this type?

Ramsgate already has high levels of crime and anti-social behaviour. This is not an environment that is condusive to the rehabilitation of those that already exhibit this behaviour.