BCBC’s Corporate Parenting Committee (the committee responsible for care, adoptions, looked-after-children) are due to discuss year-round care for disabled children on Wednesday (18th October).
According to the report (pdf) until this year there’s been no provision for year-round residential care for disabled children with complex needs in Bridgend county. All parents in this situation had to send their children to other local authorities, which often required families to move or came at great expense.
That’s set to change with the opening of Harwood House – the former caretaker’s house in the grounds of Heronsbridge School in Bridgend. After undergoing a £286,000 refurbishment, the home is due to receive its first intake this month.
Harwood House will provide year-round residential care for three children aged 8-18 with complex needs and who are unable to live with their families.
The Committee will be asked to approve the Statement of Purpose for Hardwood House (pdf) and it’s expected that the cost savings from no longer having to send children out-of-county will more than make up for the running costs of the new Bridgend-based service.
As there’s a chronic shortage of year-round residential care across south Wales, officers hint that in the longer-term there may be opportunities to raise money from neighbouring local authorities by moving complex needs children here.
