Emily Aklan on how her background in construction and property has shaped Serenity Welfare's approach to creating children's homes, using Cardiff House as an example.
Before I worked in children's social care, my career was in construction and property, including designing and creating show homes. A big part of that work was thinking about how a space felt when someone walked through the door, from the layout and lighting to the furniture and finishing touches.
That experience has stayed with me, and it has influenced the way we think about the homes we create at Serenity Welfare.
When we were developing Cardiff House, I found myself looking at the house in much the same way, but with a very different purpose. This wasn't about creating a show home for someone to walk through and imagine living in. We were creating somewhere that a young person would actually call home.
From the beginning, we wanted Cardiff House to feel like a home rather than an institution. We thought about how each room would feel, what would make it welcoming and comfortable, and how we could create spaces that young people could feel were their own.
We went through the house room by room.
In the lounge, we've used comfortable furniture, a rug and plants to make the space feel warm and lived in. There's soft lighting on the stairs, and we've paid attention to the colours and textures throughout the house.
These might sound like small things, but when you're creating a home, they all add up.
The bedrooms were particularly important to us. At Serenity Welfare, we don't want our children's homes to feel like they have been designed from a standard template. We think about the individual young person who will live there and what will help the room feel like theirs.
Their room might be influenced by their favourite colours, the type of lighting they prefer or the things that make them feel comfortable. At Cardiff House, one bedroom even has a light that fills the ceiling with stars at bedtime.
That's probably where my background in show homes has been most useful. I'm used to thinking about how a room comes together, but at Serenity Welfare the person at the centre of those decisions is a young person who will actually be living in the space.
And that's an important distinction.
A children's home should never just be somewhere that provides a bed and care. It is where a young person comes home at the end of the day, spends time with friends, does their homework, relaxes and has their own space.
I wouldn't suggest that good design replaces good staff, strong relationships or the right support. Those things are at the heart of what we do at Serenity Welfare. But I do think the environment has a part to play alongside them.
If a young person feels comfortable in their home and feels that the space reflects something of who they are, it can help them feel more settled. Being proud of where you live, and wanting to show it to a friend, can be important too.
Cardiff House has given us the opportunity to put a lot of these ideas into practice.
For us at Serenity Welfare, creating a children's home isn't just about the building itself. It's about thinking carefully about the experience of the young person who will live there, from the care and relationships around them to the environment they come home to every day.
I'd like to see more thought given to the design of children's homes from the beginning, alongside the care and support that will be provided there. It doesn't necessarily mean having a huge budget. Often, it's about taking the time to listen to young people and paying attention to the details that make somewhere feel like theirs.
For me, the aim is simple. Our young people deserve to live somewhere that feels welcoming, personal and comfortable, and somewhere they can be proud to call home.
Cardiff House is one example of how we are putting that thinking into practice at Serenity Welfare, and it's something we'll continue to carry into the homes we create in the future.
Emily Aklan, CEO and Founder, Serenity Welfare
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