Approval given to find a property to turn into care home for children with complex needs

Children’s Social Services staff will now need to find a property with up to six bedrooms, and convert it to become a specialised care home for up to three children.

It would also need to have space for a classroom.

Members of Powys County Council’s Cabinet were told at their meeting on Tuesday, November 10, that there is a lack of this kind of specialist, care not just in Wales, but the UK in general.

Head of Children’s Social Services, Jan Coles, said: “The need for secure accommodation is due to a lack of provision for children who can’t contain their emotions.

“Their behaviour can escalate to levels that can sometimes be harmful.

“This is because of the trauma they have experienced in their lives.”

Ms Coles explained that the children they were looking to help have difficulty building relationships with others and accepting support.

Ms Coles added: “This is a Wales and UK wide problem and we think we can and should do something for our children in Powys.”

Ms Coles pointed out that due to the scarcity of places, care providers can “pick and choose” who they take, and charge “almost whatever they want.”

The idea is to have Children’s Social Services work with the Education Services and Powys Teaching Health Board to provide a joined up approach to looking after the children.

Portfolio holder for Adult Social Services, Councillor Myfanwy Alexander, said “When we have to place the youngster outside our own borders, what we’re doing is exporting the jobs that are going with looking after that young person.

“It would be lovely to think we can build up expertise in this county and people could have careers looking after young people.

“We would not be sending our Powys rate payers money to support jobs in other parts of the country, but support them at home.”

She added that the cabinet do “talk a lot” about the Powys Pound, and that this “is” a Powys Pound project.

The project is worth in total £525,000, with £300,000 coming from a Welsh Government grant, which needs to used by March 31, 2021.

Ms Coles said it will be a challenge, but they are confident.

Children’s Social Services portfolio holder, Councillor Rachel Powell said: “This is about doing the right thing, the importance of bringing young people back to our county is about that sense of belonging.”

Nine children/young people with complex behavioural and emotional needs are in residential placements outside Powys.

The average cost of having one child in a therapeutic children’s home costs on average is £7,046 a week but it can go up to £13,000.

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