Wrexham Council, working alongside Flintshire County Council, is exploring plans for a regional Specialist Children’s Assessment Centre that would offer therapeutic and educational assessments together with short-term residential support on a single site.
What the plans would provide
At this early scoping stage, funding for preparatory work is being provided by the Welsh Government’s Housing with Care Fund. Councillors say the intention is to build a facility that brings several services under one roof so children with complex needs can be assessed and supported nearer to home, reducing the need for placements outside the region.
“This is a project with incredible potential,”
“This is an exciting opportunity to explore a new way of supporting children and young people with complex needs across Flintshire and Wrexham.”
Those are the words used by Councillor Rob Walsh, Wrexham’s lead member for children and family services, and Councillor Christine Jones, Flintshire’s cabinet member for social services and wellbeing, as both councils set out the rationale for joint working.
Local impact and aims
Council statements highlight several anticipated benefits, including:
- reducing out-of-county placements for children who need specialist assessment and care;
- expanding local residential care options and specialist assessment capacity;
- delivering not-for-profit services closer to home for families in the region.
Both authorities stress the scheme is in early development and would build on existing collaboration between Wrexham and Flintshire. No site, timetable or detailed costings have been published at this stage while scoping takes place.
How the work will progress
Initial work is funded by the Welsh Government, which has allocated resources from its Housing with Care Fund for early-stage planning. Councils will need to complete scoping, feasibility and stakeholder engagement before any firm proposals are brought forward for public consultation or cabinet decisions.
| Aspect | Current position |
|---|---|
| Partners | Wrexham Council and Flintshire County Council |
| Seed funding | Welsh Government – Housing with Care Fund |
| Services proposed | Therapeutic & educational assessments; short-term residential support |
For families and local practitioners, the prospect of assessments and short-term support being available within the community could mean faster, better coordinated care for children with complex needs. Councils say bringing key services together should help children receive "the care, support and assessments they need closer to home."
Next steps will be to complete the scoping work and report back to elected members. As plans develop there will be opportunities for further briefings and, where appropriate, public consultation on any proposals that progress to the planning and delivery stage.
