Description:In the 1960s, despite plans underway for building two new homes for working children (Allenscroft Road and at Warstock), the Children’s Committee felt that need was still outstripping the number of beds available. Thus, two buildings, previously intended to be sets of two semi-detached houses, were used as working children’s homes. In common with the other working childrens homes adapted, or being built in the 1960s, they were to have eight children in each.
One of these hostels for working children adapted in 1968/69 was on Rednal Road, the other was Middleway View in Ladywood.
While Rednal Road was intended to house girls, Middleway View was for boys only.
During its relatively short lifespan – of less than 12 years, Middleway View had a number of different residential staff. According to the electoral roll, while some homes, deliberately or by accident, had house parents who were in residence for a number of years, there appear to have been many changes in residential staff at Middleway View.
Middleway View was closed in 1981. This is the Birmingham Evening Mail’s view of the closure:
“Middleway View in Ladywood for working boys was and [sic] experiment which had just not worked and would close, the committee decided”
The Next Move report describes the experimental nature of the home as being that it was used for minimum care, giving the children living there a degree of freedom and independence they may not have experienced in other homes.
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Image: Publicity photograph taken for the Children's Committee, Birmingham City Council 1967. The Birmingham Children's Homes project has no photograph of Middleway View children's home at this stage.
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Source: This history was compiled by the Birmingham Children's Homes Project, an initiative to explore Birmingham City Council-run children’s homes between 1949 and 1990.