Exciting News From Eastleigh
Beaufort Care Group have been working on a very special project lately as part of their expansion plans into Hampshire. Here we take a sneak peek at what’s been going on and speak to our Registered Manager, Ken Rowe, about his role and the exciting, much anticipated launch of Hestia House, nestled in the heart of Eastleigh.
Hestia House is a new residential children’s home designed to feel like a true family home. The home will provide residential care for up to three looked-after children with emotional and behavioural difficulties which stem from lived-experiences of trauma, neglect and abuse. Our mission? To provide therapeutic care in a warm, nurturing environment where every child can feel safe, valued, and well cared for.
Why the name ‘Hestia’?
Hestia is the Greek goddess of hearth and home. Derivatives of Hestia can also mean family, domestic life and household – all the things we hold dear at Beaufort Care Group.
So what’s been happening at Hestia?
Over the past few months, there has been a tremendous team effort across many different departments, including:
- Refurbishment of the home to our high standards, collaborating with the Estates team and external contractors
- Planning the layout of bedrooms and communal areas , buying furniture, dressing the home and creating a fantastic, homely environment
- Recruiting an incredible, passionate team, planning their induction and training
- Assigning budgets, liaising with Finance
- Planning all the finer details of running a new children’s home: liaising with our regulators and our internal quality assurance team, speaking to utility companies and contacting other partners and suppliers
What’s more, Beaufort are really proud of the space and accommodation opportunities that Hestia will provide, such as:
- Beautifully decorated home with all rooms finished to a high specification
- Dedicated outbuilding for therapy-based work with our very own psychotherapist
- Spacious garden for outside activities and BBQs
- Fantastic location and amenities
Upon moving in, the children will be able to choose their preferred bedroom colourways and soft furnishings, encouraging each child to make the space their very own, a place to call ‘home.’
Having joined us in February 2025, Ken has been busy settling into his new role as Registered Manager, getting to know our Beaufort family and procedures. Since joining, Ken has taken the necessary steps into registering with Ofsted to ensure that Hestia House can open in the Summer of 2025 as planned.
Ken’s background includes eight years’ as a residential children’s home manager and experience in working with vulnerable children since 2012. Ken is proud to join Beaufort Care Group and be part of something new! Ken says, “It’s important for children to have a loving, nurturing environment.” Furthermore he adds, “the new home is much needed, it’s a great time to join Beaufort and help provide a home for children in Hampshire. I’ll be working in partnership with Hampshire County Council, as well as our Referrals Manager to ensure that we give every opportunity to children that need security and stability and to provide plenty of opportunities for them to achieve their best.”
Ken went on to talk about the fantastic location of Hestia House. Eastleigh sits within the West of Hampshire, with easy access to the local town, the neighbouring cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, with the New Forest, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty only stone’s throw away! In fact, there are plenty of activities on the door step. As Ken says, “Our children can look forward to living in an area where there are so many things to see and do! The team and I can’t wait to make plans to visit places like the New Forest, the water park, the local theme park, go rock climbing, trampolining and other fun activities; we will definitely make the most of our amazing location.”
Our dedicated team will be there every step of the way—offering emotional guidance, planning enriching activities, and helping children with their emotional and educational journeys—just like a family would.
We look forward to a future full of team spirit and lots of fun!