In an update on children’s residential care services, Bridgend Council is confident that a new residential children’s hub at the former Brynmenyn Primary School will open in January/February 2023 (pdf).
The project had been hit by delays around common land issues, but the site has now been cleared with construction work on the £2.25million hub set to start this spring.
In other developments, Maple Tree House – which is set to be replaced by the Brynmenyn hub – has appointed an on-site behaviour analyst. The analyst will monitor the resident’s behaviour to better inform decisions around care, therapy and placements – something the centre had been criticised for lacking in the past.
In a bit of less positive news, the council has fallen short of its recruitment target for new foster carers. The council identified the need for six transitional foster carers but only recruited three, with all of them later deciding to withdraw for different reasons.
Transitional foster carers offer temporary placements for children who’ve experienced trauma or have complex needs as they move to permanent placements.
