Teenage monsters or victims?

Toffee is the most popular flavour yoghurt in the dining room at Thornbury House. Nobody wants black cherry or mandarin but toffee and fudge are prizes worth having.

The boys squabble over what flavour to have as if it is a matter of life or death.

These boys are just like any other teenage boys of their age, but the very fact they are staying at the Kidlington children's home means that some people see them as little monsters.

Over the years, boys staying at Oxfordshire County Council's Thornbury House have come under constant fire from residents living nearby.

They claim the boys are making their lives a misery and the not in my backyard syndrome means they want to see the home moved.

But these boys are not bad boys, they are victims of a system. They have been badly let down and residents criticising their every move merely puts them under increased strain.

Almost all the boys at Thornbury come from broken homes and have parents who say they simply cannot cope with them.

Many feel rejected and unwanted. If they commit minor crimes, many of them are doing it for the simple reason that they want some much-needed attention - and don't care how they get it.

Michael, from west Oxfordshire, was the first boy I was introduced to. The 14-year-old has piercing blue eyes and a cheeky smile and could not have been more attentive during my visit to Thornbury.

He offered me food and drink, asked me about myself and was even prepared to give up his toffee yoghurt if I wanted it. We and the other boys watched EastEnders and a sci-fi movie together after eating our tea of scrambled eggs and mushrooms on toast.

Michael looks as if he hasn't a care in the world but despite his apparently nonchalent attitude he carries a heavy burden.

His future is uncertain. His parents cannot decide whether he should live at home with his mother and stepfather or move abroad to live with his father.

It's a hard choice to make and it's little wonder that he finds life confusing.

He has been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and has to take medication to keep it under control. But even after taking his tablets he is like a Jack in the Box, finding it hard to concentrate or sit still for more than a few minutes.

He is constantly on the look out for fresh activities and this has landed him in trouble. Michael was due to appear in court the following day, charged with criminal damage after breaking down a door at home. He has also made several hoax calls to the fire service.

He tells his story in a calm and detached manner. It's almost as if he is talking about someone else. He is clearly not proud of what he has done.

"I'm up in court tomorrow but going to court is nothing to be proud of. When I don't take my tablets I start to get mad. I get in a temper and then I can't control it.

I've done hoax calls to the emergency services and the odd arson attack so I'm here to work through my options and decide where I'm going to go - whether I'll stay here or go abroad with my dad. It's a big decision and hopefully I'll make the right one. Sometimes I just don't care what happens."

Michael clearly is no angel - but he's not a villain either.

The atmosphere at Thornbury is not institutionalised and the place does not smell of disinfectant. The staff try to make the place seem as homely as they can, but at the end of the day it can never be a replacement for a proper home.

Residential social workers Sean Barker and Jim Nicolls act like firm but fair fathers. They have a laugh with the boys and are happy to play a game of pool but they also keep the boys in line.

Jim says: "I do parenting here. It's difficult for some of the boys.

"Many of them come from broken homes and are used to having stepfathers or mum's boyfriends around.

In many respects we are just another male figure who has no right to tell them what to do.

"But we try to give them the basic fundamentals of life - some of them will take it, others won't. "We want to give them good memories so that when they are older they can look back and say 'yes I was in care, but it wasn't all bad - we did this, this and this.' That's all we can hope for."

Manager Ian Macho says times are changing and local authorities are moving away from keeping youngsters in long-term residential homes.

The cost is crippling - it costs Oxfordshire taxpayers 3,000 a week for a child to stay at Thornbury House - and research shows it is better for the children to be in a family environment.

Mr Macho says: "We want to limit the amount of time the boys spend here so they are not away from home for longer than they need to be.

"There is still very much a stigma to being in care. The youngsters end up being marginalised and isolated from their homes and communities. While we provide a very accepting and nurturing environment it's not going to be as good for them as being at home. These kids are the victims of society but with the best will in the world, we cannot be their parents. So, we are very insistent that we work closely with the boys' parents - in some cases more closely than they want.

"We see the awfulness of these children's lives - we see the abused, the troubled and the rejected.

"But the key issue here is gaining their trust."