Conwy Social Services Annual Report

  • Home
  • Reports
    • 2020-21 Report
    • 2019-20 Report
    • 2018-19 Report
    • 2017-18 Report
    • 2016-17 Report
    • 2015-16 Report
    • 2014-15 Report
    • 2013-14 Report
  • Contact

Prevention

  • The need for care and support is minimised, and the escalation of need is prevented whilst ensuring that the best outcomes for people are achieved
  • Resilience within communities is promoted and people are supported to fulfil their potential by actively supporting people who need care and/or support including carers to learn develop and participate in society

Children, Families and Safeguarding

The Strengthening Families Team

The Strengthening Families Team (SFT) is a multi-disciplinary service comprising of professionals from a range of agencies including highly experienced social workers, a psychotherapist and a community Psychiatric Nurse to name just a few.  The team offers two tiers of support: Early Intervention and Edge of Care.

The team provides targeted early help and therapeutic edge of care support for children, young people and families who exceed what can be met by universal services. Through the Early Intervention Team, the service delivers short-term targeted and therapeutic support to families with unmet needs, including those open to universal services.

Families and individuals are allocated to team members based on assessed needs and specific circumstances. This ensures a tailored and responsive whole family approach.  This model has proven to be highly effective, contributing to a significant number of positive outcomes and generating consistently strong feedback from families.  The team develop meaningful relationships with families, enabling them to identify their own goals, strengths and barriers.

The team collects and analyses data based on service user feedback.  This enables the team to understand what has been achieved and done well and supports continuous service improvement.  Over the past twelve months 100% of individuals accessing the service said that they were happy with the support they received.  Over 95% of people agreed that the support they received had prevented them from escalating their level of need.

Data collected also shows that the SFT service is contributing to supporting children to remain safely within their family networks.  Of the 285 children who had been open to the team in the past year, 90% were supported to remain with their families, with only 10% requiring or continuing in local authority care.

Some of our service users said:

“Worker is very approachable and understanding. She has provided excellent information and support and has helped the family come together and work on the same page.”

“Worker is a true miracle she has helped me in so many ways with my dreams and she’s the one who helped me become a mum. It has given me the opportunity to bring my baby home and keep her and my dreams of being a mum have finally come true”

“We have formed an unbreakable bond with our children and have completely stopped drinking and are looking forward to the future as a family.”

Over the past year, the SFT has experienced a significant growth and innovation based on identified needs and opportunities to enhance service delivery.  Key developments have included:

Group for Girls: A targeted group intervention designed to support teenage girls experiencing challenges such as exploitation, risk-taking behaviours, mental health concerns, low self-esteem, and social isolation.

Video Interactive Guidance (VIG): Several team members have completed training in VIG, a strengths-based approach that uses video feedback to enhance communication and relationships within families. This method has been successfully integrated into direct work with families, and we talk about this in more depth further on in this section.

Systemic Family Therapy Training: One Therapeutic Worker is currently nearing the end of the Systemic Family Therapy course through Bangor University. This advanced training will further strengthen the team’s therapeutic capacity and enhance support for families through systemic approaches. Two further therapeutic workers have now enrolled on the course.

Domestic Abuse Lead: A dedicated therapeutic worker has been appointed to lead on Domestic Abuse support and intervention, providing specialist professional consultation alongside direct therapeutic interventions for families.

Photograph of a young boy with curly hair wearing a grey shirt, sitting outdoors with a thoughtful or concerned expression. Background includes blurred greenery and a building, emphasizing a contemplative mood.

Neurodiversity Lead: This role has delivered significant impact through professional consultation, targeted bite size learning sessions, and specialist therapeutic interventions. These activities have strengthened knowledge and confidence across the social care workforce, while ensuring families receive timely therapeutic support and robust professional assessment that is responsive to neurodiverse needs. The role will continue into 2026, including the ongoing delivery of a monthly parent support group to further enhance inclusive, family-centred practice.

Youth Initiative

Over the past twelve months there has been a notable increase in concerns relating to adolescents presenting with substance misuse and high-risk behaviours which in some cases has contributed to breakdown of family placements.  In response to this emerging need the Strengthening Families Team have implemented a Youth Initiative.  The aim of this initiative over the next twelve months, is to strengthen the support provided to adolescents and their families through a clear commitment to earlier preventative interventions.  The initiative aims to build on multi-agency working and support from youth services, police and educational partners to deliver timely, joined up support that strengthens protective networks around young people.

The Youth Initiative will adopt a two-tiered model, comprising of both consultative functions and direct intervention which includes:

  • Consultation with young people to better understand risk factors and the types of support most likely to engage and support towards a reduction in risk taking behaviours
  • Professional consultation to support practitioners in intervention planning and decision making
  • Learning from lived experience with individuals who have experienced similar challenges
  • Therapeutic support and one to one intervention
  • Psycho education focused on risk, resilience and decision making
  • Group work to promote peer support and pro-social behaviours.

Discharge and Reunification/Transitional Panel

A second key priority for 2026 is to reduce the number of children and young people in Local Authority care, including those placed in high-cost residential settings. This objective aligns with both system sustainability and a commitment to supporting children to live safely within family-based care wherever possible. In response, the SFT has established the DART Forum (Discharge and Reunification/Transition Panel), which has been operating for the past six months. The DART Forum is a monthly panel designed to identify and support children, families, and social workers where children are currently looked after or subject to Care Orders.

The forum provides structured oversight and challenge, supporting social workers to develop clear, robust plans for discharge, reunification with family, or step down to lower levels of intervention. A key feature of the model is the integration of direct therapeutic support from the SFT, offered alongside social work involvement to promote sustainable change and reduce the risk of placement breakdown.

Further development of the DART Forum is a key area of focus for 2026. A dedicated DART Therapeutic Lead has been identified within the team, bringing specialist experience in working with children who are looked after and those placed in residential care. This role will strengthen the therapeutic offer available to children, young people and their families, with a focus on building on existing strengths, reducing risk, increasing safety, and supporting progression towards step-down plans. The intended impact of this work is to increase the number of children who can safely return to, or remain within, family-based care, reduce reliance on high-cost placements, and improve outcomes for children and young people through targeted and therapeutically informed intervention.

Using Video Interaction Guidance to improve family connectedness

As mentioned in our overview of the Strengthening Families Team’s activity over the last twelve months Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) training has been provided to seven colleagues. They received regular supervision from Conwy’s Clinical Psychologist, alongside regular peer supervision sessions, and were provided with appropriate technology to complete the interventions.

Six families received VIG and reported improvement in confidence and connection with their children. Staff have reported the intervention can be transformational for families but also for themselves as practitioners, as the enhanced supervision and focus on their own strengths has improved their confidence and feelings of self-efficacy.

Introducing a new intervention in a service can have its challenges, and most of the feedback has been received from practitioners delivering the intervention. We know that:

  • Families are not being routinely offered VIG, and it is not yet embedded in SFT routine practice
  • Technology is a barrier
  • The Clinical Psychologist has changed role and peer supervision sessions have stopped (we hope to re-establish these)
  • Practitioners feel that stakeholders are unaware of VIG as an intervention

We therefore need to think about VIG from a referral standpoint, and design questions for those triaging referrals to identify when a family would benefit from VIG. It may be appropriate for children under the age of eight, those displaying challenging behaviour, or issues with communication, suspected neurodivergence in the child and/or parent, and where other interventions such as parenting courses have failed to improve the situation. VIG can highlight where parents need to learn further skills but empowers them by offering to see them at their best first.

We will also look to present VIG to stakeholders as an intervention offered by the Strengthening Families Team so that Family Centre workers can keep it in mind when making referrals.


Foster Carer recruitment

This reporting year has seen a steady increase in enquiries, visits and applications, and we continue to maintain an active recruitment presence in the community, focusing this year on leisure centres and hospitals. We have also attended a range of community events including Prom Xtra, Colwyn Bay Pride, Deganwy Prom Day, National Play Day, Together for Colwyn Bay, Sioe Llanrwst and Take Part.

Our digital presence continues to perform strongly. Regular online content – particularly posts featuring our own foster carers – achieves high reach and supports positive engagement with prospective applicants. Awareness of the not‑for‑profit fostering model has increased, contributing to a rise in transfer enquiries from IFA carers. Our enhanced fee, council tax discount, and leisure centre membership remain key strengths in attracting applicants.

This year we produced new recruitment videos highlighting the additional support we offer, including the baby and toddler group, Appreciation Day, and our growing partnership activities with the National Trust at Bodnant Garden. One of our best‑performing posts was a blog by foster carers Hannah and Betty, which generated excellent engagement across all platforms.

Photograph of a group of 17 people standing on a garden path surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant orange flowering bushes. The group appears cheerful and casually dressed, with logos for "maethu cymru" and "foster wales" indicating a community or foster care event in Conwy.

We continue to work closely with Foster Wales and the North Wales region. Jess, our Recruitment Officer, contributed to a forthcoming myth‑busting video that will be released during Foster Care Fortnight in May 2026. Foster Wales also launched The Big Welcome, a new profile guide for children and young people. All newly approved foster carers now complete this as part of their assessment, and we are working to ensure all existing

Retention remains a priority. Our baby and toddler group continues to grow, offering opportunities for peer support, developmental discussions, and specialist input from the Play Therapist. Our partnership with the National Trust has expanded further, with events at Bodnant Garden and Penrhyn Castle, including snowdrop planting, wellbeing walks, themed trails, art sessions, and an Easter activity day. We also continue to deliver bi‑monthly coffee mornings, regular zoo visits, and well‑attended Service and Appreciation Days. Our group for children of foster carers meets quarterly and will continue to develop into 2026/27.

Connected persons carers benefit from the ‘Kith and Kin’ peer group, offering support and targeted learning. All foster carers continue to receive regular supervision and access to both in‑person and e‑learning opportunities. We also look forward to the revised national Learning and Development Plan from Foster Wales, expected in spring 2026.

The Foster Wales Conwy website members’ area remains an important resource, providing policies, updates, and event information. Work is also underway to strengthen our recruitment strategy by developing profiles that better reflect the diversity of our foster carers and the different lifestyles fostering can complement. This will support recruitment across a wider range of carer types, particularly those able to care for teenagers, sibling groups, and children needing long‑term placements.

In response to applicant feedback, we are also modernising the application process. Our IT team is currently converting the Registration of Interest and application forms into fully electronic formats, improving accessibility and streamlining the experience for prospective carers.

Have you ever thought about fostering? Why not have a friendly chat over a cuppa with one of our experienced local foster carers? You choose the time and place, and we’ll take care of the rest. It’s a relaxed, no-pressure way to ask questions, hear genuine experiences and explore whether fostering could be the right path for you. Find out more and book your chat by e-mailing fostering@conwy.gov.uk or calling 01492 576350.

Photograph of a child wearing a pink hooded jacket with fur trim, colourful leggings, and rainbow rain boots crouching on grassy ground with scattered snowdrops. Several other children in rain boots are partially visible in background, suggesting outdoor nature exploration or gardening activity.


Reviewing the delivery of our Mental Wellness Service

Last year we said we would undertake a review of the delivery of our Mental Wellness Service. We have been able to provide a further twelve months of the Hadau Newid Creative Recovery scheme as a Coordinator post was funded via the Community Well-being Team’s Shared Prosperity Funding. The scheme offers a structured weekly timetable of sessions ranging from arts and crafts, allotment and outdoor activities. There are over thirty participants associated with the scheme and in general between 8 and 15 people attending each session (depending on the activity).

We have also been successful in bidding for capital funding to refurbish the lower ground floor of Queen’s Court Mental Health residential care home in Old Colwyn, which will become the base for the scheme. This will enhance our offer as currently participants have to travel between morning and afternoon sessions, according to the timetable and availability of free venues. Importantly, this also ensures that we can provide a fully confidential space for one-to-one support going forward; this is often difficult when using public spaces such as the library and Family Centres.

We have a Peer Mentor, a person with lived experience of mental health challenges and who accessed the programme before stepping up into this role. This has been a vital development in the smooth running of sessions and support to the Coordinator. We have funded a Peer Mentor course so that they will have a qualification in this area, which we have also been able to extend to our Volunteer, who runs the fishing and bushcraft sessions, and also has lived experience of poor mental health. Further funding to secure the Coordinator’s post plus developing the Peer Mentor role would ensure that the scheme can continue to flourish and that there is an onward strategy for those who are ready to progress.

The following example demonstrates the difference this approach is for people who are ready and willing to invest in their recovery. One reports:

“My confidence was not good – it became difficult to go out, and I got depressed and anxious about going places and meeting people. I am so glad I agreed to go along [to Hadau Newid] and am taking part with the groups most days; it gives me a reason to go out, I have made friends and feel comfortable while with the groups. I have learnt things I never thought I’d be able to do since starting.”

A second participant stated:

“I come to the groups every week and have made a lot of friends who I enjoy spending time with; I see them at groups and outside of the sessions. I am really enjoying everything I do with the group; I really liked learning about bush craft and going to Nant BH (Outdoor Centre) where we learnt to canoe and went into the mines.  It was all really good, and I am really happy to have the chance to take part.”

We have also supported a participant who has been open to services for a substantial period of time, with complex mental health issues. They stated that:

“I have a one-to-one support worker, and he helped me to start off with to attend and meet other people in the group. I wasn’t sure what it would be like and was a bit worried about meeting new people…[now] I look forward to going and being around the nice people in the groups.”

The participants co-produce and influence what’s included on the timetable. For example, they requested support with budgeting and confidence building so a series of fun challenges were set up, such as shopping with a small budget for a list of items; whoever spent the least were the winners.

The improvements we need to make

The feedback that we receive from participants, as demonstrated by the testimonials above, is generally very positive. The key improvement would be securing funding for the Coordinator’s post and the activity budget, which would mean that we can continue to offer support at the current level.

Ideally, we require a dedicated team of staff to enable us to forward plan effectively and offer multiple activities across the week. Many of the participants have asked for evening and weekend events as that’s when loneliness and social isolation can cause or exacerbate issues. Currently the Coordinator attends all the sessions, offers one-to-one support, manages the timetable and delivers a number of sessions herself to reduce commissioning costs. This makes it difficult to give her administration time, and we close the scheme to ensure she receives her holiday entitlement. A team of staff would mean that the scheme is robust, a variety of sessions could be held simultaneously, one-to-one support is increased and cover is in place when the Coordinator is off. We would also like to increase Peer Mentoring and Volunteering roles, which would also provide a peer-led step-down approach when participants are ready to progress.

Action planned and taken to achieve identified improvement needs

We have invested additional Shared Prosperity funding on Level 2 Foundations of Peer Support training for our Peer Mentor and Volunteer. We are also exploring how to adapt and extend this training to embed into routine practice in the scheme.

We also want to:

  • Develop a standard job description for the Peer Mentor role so that expectations are set out and be able to expand the offer for other participants to aspire to
  • Extend our volunteer offer so that we can provide tutors/session providers more sustainably, including supporting participants to deliver activities in their own hobbies and passions
  • Continue to explore funding options and possibilities to secure immediate funding and potentially expand the Hadau Newid offer.

Although we said we wanted to introduce or repeat service user and staff satisfaction surveys to influence change, they will have to be brought forward to 2026/27 when our new Vulnerable People Service Manager will be in place.


Integrated Adults and Community Services

Reviewing how we approach early intervention

During this reporting year we commissioned an independent review of our approach to early intervention to explore how we gain feedback from families, colleagues and multi-agency partners, and identify strategic and operational improvements to strengthen delivery.

Our Family Centres operate from five locations across the county, and we know that this locality-based delivery generates trust and a sense of ownership amongst the communities that access them. Looking closely at our current position we found that:

  • The Family Centre service is agile and able to respond quickly to emerging needs and trends
  • We work well with other organisations with multi-agency collaboration built on established relationships, so we will focus on embedding processes
  • The funding model limits flexibility as short-term grants constrain our ability to innovate and plan for the future
  • Our assessment tools are effective in capturing the voice of the parents that we support, with work ongoing to include the lived experience of children
  • The increasing complexity of the cases we support across all teams is stretching our capacity and we risk staff fatigue and burnout.

What we’ll do differently

Prevention means different things to different people and organisations, so one of the first recommendations from the review is for us to develop a clear prevention and intervention model for Conwy with a common language that everyone understands. It will lay out clear criteria to support services to fit together better. Families will move through the model, accessing its different tiers with the support of a dedicated team, whilst specialist provision leans in to offer further support where necessary.

We’ll consider the implementation of a pre-statutory assessment that moves with the family and is updated by practitioners, with family co-production. This will act as a tool to assess changing risk and protection factors and will be shared with statutory services as necessary.

We’ll enhance our coordinated approach to complex cases, ensuring that co-production and collaboration drive our approach, and the lived experiences of adults and children remain at the centre. Their wishes and needs will be better communicated throughout the process, and opportunities to hear directly from them maximised.

We will improve our referral links with Housing and Adult Services and promote a general understanding of the role of early intervention and prevention in Conwy.

In conclusion, the review highlighted that the Family Centre model remains a vital, valued and effective part of Conwy’s early help offer. We now have an opportunity to evolve the model to meet increasingly complex and changing needs across our communities. Futureproofing our delivery will require strategic clarity, stronger systems and sustainable funding, along with a focus on what prevention means, capturing the voice of the child and cultivating partnership resilience.


Supporting our unpaid carers

An unpaid carer is a person who provides care for an adult or disabled child. They can be relatives, friends or neighbours of any age, and may not even consider themselves as carers, even though they may have been offering support for a long time.

Being a carer can be rewarding but at times can feel overwhelming and demanding. Conwy’s Carers Team provides advice and support to carers in the County who have assessed needs of their own.

During another busy year for the team, we have seen a rise in working-age carers, alongside an ageing carer population; the average age is 71.6 years, and several carers are recorded as being over 90 years of age.

Our officers have continued to increase the uptake of Direct Payments, giving unpaid carers greater flexibility and autonomy in how their support is delivered. Awareness-raising activities during Carers Week and Carers Rights Day, supported by information stands at our main offices, provided both staff and the public with access to Carers Officers and Direct Payments Officers for guidance and support.

We also continue to offer manual handling training for carers to keep them safe and confident in their care-giving roles.

We are striving to achieve our wider objective of identifying, connecting with and informing more unpaid carers in Conwy, most recently through attendance at the Dementia Centre in Mochdre. Moving forward, this will be a regular occurrence, requested by the carers group.

In terms of our internal processes, we have taken a new approach around carers assessments by utilising our locality-based Community Resource Teams in addition to our Carers Team, to reduce waiting lists. As a result, we are able to provide more holistic support to the carer and the person who is cared-for, assessing their needs at the same time, where applicable.

MeTime sessions are run by Carers Wales and are designed to inform you of your rights and support your well-being. Find out more about upcoming sessions and register your interest.


Our Community Well-being activity programme

Each year we tell you about the fantastic work of our Community Well-being Team, and the positive impact of their timetable of varied and interesting activities; this year is no exception. The team takes a preventative and early intervention approach to supporting people in Conwy, strengthening individuals’ resilience as well as links within the community, and thereby reducing the need for more intensive health or social care support in the future.

Here are some of the key measurable results from 2025/26:

  • 723 people have taken part in more than 65 activities
  • 22 health-specific activities and 5 educational workshops were delivered
  • 4 new activities were set up, including Qigong in Llanrwst, Zumba in Abergele and singing groups in Llandudno and Conwy, all of which are now running self-sustainably
  • 6 local organisations were awarded grant funding to deliver activities
  • 29 new volunteering opportunities were created

The positive outcomes speak for themselves:

  • 98% of participants reported improved emotional health and well-being
  • 80% of participants felt less lonely
  • 71% felt more connected and more independent for the future
  • 70% felt less likely to need social care support

We ask participants for feedback on the sessions they’ve attended to make sure we’re on the right track:

“I am just glad to be able to get together with a big group of women and deal with my grief my way. I didn’t even know my water provider or electric company, but I feel now I have been able to do this I can do anything, and I just want to help others feel like they can overcome things as well. I am really glad I met with the ladies in the community well-being team and would advise anyone to do the same.”

“Well done team for managing to get a class/teacher to set up a beginner class. You’d be surprised at how everyone is saying their balance and ankle strength has already improved. The music is uplifting, you managed to get more people moving, having fun and I have created a new group of friends. One of my new friends has said she has waited over 60 years to be able to do ballet again, she is thrilled.”

Community activities are happening every day of the week, so if you’re interested in joining in, take a look at the latest timetables.


Increasing sport and leisure opportunities in our rural area

Our Family Centre in Llanrwst has been working alongside Actif North Wales with the aim of increasing physical activity and sports participation in Conwy’s rural area.

To ensure that funding available from Actif North Wales could be channelled appropriately we sent out a survey to children and families who access the Family Centre to gauge opinion on the sport and leisure activities available to them locally. Participants were asked what they’d like to see made available for children in the town and the barriers that prevent them from taking part in existing activities. We received a variety of responses, including ideas for maximising or improving the use of existing facilities such as the park, leisure centre, and swimming pool, and opening up opportunities in the surrounding villages.

Time, cost and lack of facilities were cited as reasons for not taking part in activities, as well as having to travel to coastal towns to benefit from longer opening hours and more established teams and clubs.

As a result of the survey, a focus group of local partners, including Family Centres, Ffit Conwy, the Youth Engagement and Belonging Service, TRACK and local councillors was set up, meeting every other month to discuss activities for children in the rural areas.

So far funding has been used to support and set up an after-school mountain biking session and free toddler and parent swimming sessions.

Basketball, self-defence classes and mixed martial arts and boxing sessions are also in the pipeline.

Find out more about the clubs and activities in your area by visiting the Actif North Wales website.


Creating age-friendly communities in Conwy

An ageing population brings challenges to government, communities and individuals. Longer lives means more years spent in retirement, with many older people living alone or providing unpaid care for a loved one. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that “an age-friendly world enables people of all ages to actively participate in community activities and treats everyone with respect, regardless of their age”.

The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales has committed to supporting age-friendly communities being developed throughout Wales.  Through the implementation of its Age-Friendly Wales strategy, Welsh Government is encouraging local authorities in Wales to work with the Commissioner to become age-friendly.  The process involves individuals, local groups, services, and businesses working together to make positive change to enable everyone to age well.

Photograph of two older men standing outdoors on a grassy field, both smiling and dressed in casual jackets. One man wears sunglasses and a checkered shirt, while the other holds a walking cane and wears a grey patterned jacket.

In Conwy we are committed to becoming an age-friendly community and are actively working towards gaining this status. During this reporting year we have continued to work on our WHO application and can confirm that funding for 2026/27 has been made available to us to continue this work. We focused on a questionnaire between July and September 2025, inviting residents to share their views on eight interconnected domains of urban life, as set out by the WHO, and displayed on our dedicated web page. The responses will allow us to identify our progress and potential in terms of age-friendly practices and will help us to write Conwy’s action plan for the WHO application.

An age-friendly stakeholders steering group meets four times a year and provides valuable insight and information, as well as promoting cross-authority relationships and joint working.

Meanwhile, in our communities:

  • Attendance at Older People’s forums has increased, with uptake from new members. Guest speakers have attended from various organisations such as Alzheimer’s UK, Men’s Sheds, Versus Arthritis and others, and more sessions are planned over the next six months
  • Older people are able to participate in shared reading sessions
  • Dial-a-Ride Denbighshire have received funding to pilot a three-year community transport project serving the Conwy coastline
  • The Community Well-being Team organised an afternoon tea to mark International Day of Older People where attendees enjoyed tea and cake, and live music from a local ukelele band
  • Care Creatively provides artist-led support for care staff and activity coordinators by providing resources, encouragement, inspiration and workshops, giving them the skills and confidence to bring creativity into their care every day.

We plan to engage with older people and other stakeholders through:

  • Meetings with Council services, Third Sector organisations and charities
  • The age-friendly baseline assessment and County Conversation surveys
  • Meetings with North Wales Age Friendly lead officers
  • Age Connect older people forums.

We will ensure that we utilise existing well-attended services and localities around Conwy to reach older people who don’t traditionally take part in formal events. This will include libraries, leisure centres, community groups and information stands.

Now that we have confirmed funding for 2026/27, we will focus on gaining age-friendly status for Conwy and continue developing our work based on the results of the baseline assessment survey.


Upgrading our Family Centre in Llanrwst

The Conwy South Family Centre has operated from the Church House in Llanrwst for over 20 years. The property was owned by the Church in Wales, with the Family Centre occupying under an implied tenancy. The Church in Wales was seeking to dispose of the property as it was no longer a viable proposition for them. This project sought to safeguard the existing Family Centre service, and enhance the offer, and was split into 2 phases:

Phase 1: acquire the property from Church in Wales to safeguard the existing service; and

Phase 2: once acquired, undertake refurbishment of the property to improve accessibility and increase the service offer to families.

Phase 1 was completed on 3 July 2024 following the formal acquisition of the property from Church in Wales. 100% funding was awarded from Welsh Government’s IRCF fund for the purchase.

Phase 2 refurbishment was completed on 28 May 2025, with the centre becoming fully operational from 6 June 2025. Again, 100% funding was awarded from Welsh Government’s IRCF fund for the refurbishment.

Photograph of an outdoor courtyard area adjacent to a red brick building with arched windows and a slate roof. Features include a wooden picnic table under a small pavilion, a yellow storage bin, a paved walkway, and playground equipment in the grassy background.

Anecdotal evidence from families since the re-opening following refurbishment has been really positive. This includes:

  • Appreciation that, following refurbishment, the centre has retained its homely and welcoming feel. This was a key aspect of the consultation undertaken with families prior to the works, who had concerns that any refurbishment and/or upgrade to the facilities might make the centre more ‘officious’ and formal.
  • The reconfiguration of space, particularly increasing the size of the kitchen, has been a huge benefit – delivery of cooking skills sessions is now being undertaken which we were unable to do previously.
  • Making the centre more accessible, and the introduction of wash facilities and additional toilets, has meant an increase in the services that BCUHB are able to deliver from the centre.

Performance metrics:

  • CH/002: The number of contacts for children received by statutory Social Services during the year where advice or assistance was provided – 12,464
  • CH/007: Total number of new assessments – CH/007b: Needs were met by any other means – 19
  • AD/002: The number of new contacts for adults received by statutory Social Services during the year where advice or assistance was provided – 4,011
  • AD/005: Total number of new assessments – AD/005b: Needs were able to met by any other means – 113
  • AD/010: The total number of packages of reablement completed during the year – 879
  • AD/011: The number of packages of reablement by outcome:
    • AD/011a: reduced the need for support – 77
    • AD/011b: maintained the need for the same level of support – 201
    • AD/011c: mitigated the need for support – 399
    • AD/011d: neither reduced, maintained nor mitigated the need for support – 202

Search

2020-21 Report

2020-21 Report cover image for slider

2019-20 Report

2018-19 Report

Family

2017-18 Report

2016-17 Report

2015-16 Report

2014-15 Report

2013-14 Report

Return to the home page

Visit our main website

For more information about Social Services in Conwy, please visit www.conwy.gov.uk/socialservices

Photo attributions

Contact Social Services

General Enquiries for Adult Services: 0300 456 1111
General Enquiries for Children’s Services: 01492 575111

email: socialservices@conwy.gov.uk

Language

Wordpress multi-language plugin by WPML.org

Use the links below to view this site in Welsh or English.

Copyright © 2026 · Conwy County Borough Council

  • Cymraeg
  • English