Carolyn Jones writes -

PROJECT INFORMATION

The Caerphilly Children’s Centre was opened by Viscount Tonypandy on 12^th April 1991.

The Children’s Centre provides high quality medical, therapy, play, support and respite Services to over 800 families in the Caerphilly County Borough area who have a child or a young person with a disability, age 0-18 years.  The Centre is the main provider of services to young children with a disability in the area.

The children who use the Centre have a variety of difficulties including learning, physical and sensory disabilities.  The staff at the Centre provide help as early as possible and support families as their child grows.  The Centre provides a “one-stop-shop” for a range of services and clinics, so children can receive services locally in a friendly atmosphere.

The Project is based in a specially converted building in Energlyn, Caerphilly and is a partnership between NCH, Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Caerphilly Local Health Group, the Caerphilly Parents’ Council and SCOPE.  The Chair of the Parents’ Council chairs the Management Committee and represents the views of children with disabilities and their families.

The team that works in the Centre, playgroups, schools and in families’ homes throughout the Borough, includes Consultant Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Playstaff, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Portage Advisors, Health Visitors, Domestic, Driver/ Handyperson, Secretaries, Manager, Link Family Workers, Dietitian, Home Sitting Co-coordinator, Sitters and Outreach Workers, Information and Advice Worker and the Co-ordinator of the Caerphilly Children’s Information and Planning Service.

Children are referred to the Centre by Health, Social Services and Education professionals.  The family is then visited at home, school or offered an appointment at the Centre, by an appropriate staff member, and discussions take place about which Services they need. 

Since the Centre has been open, it has achieved a great deal and we are now in contact with over 800 families.  The parents’ fundraising body “Enable” is continually raising funds towards equipment and special activities for the children.

In 1996, an extension was built incorporating at Hydro-therapy pool, Audio-visual room and additional office space.  It enables the therapists at the Centre to make more appropriate assessments of need and has given us the ability to run wheelchair, seating services and provide splinting and orthotic services.

To help the more severely disabled children, we have converted an old store room into a Soft Play/Light Sound Room.  This helps children with challenging behaviour, visual and sensory impairment to learn and enjoy themselves in a safe environment.  The room offers an alternative activity which benefits these children via sensory input, visual stimulation and gross movements without being inhibited by safety restrictions.

We have also improved the children’s changing area in the Playroom and built a new weighing and measuring room, waiting area and reception.

In 2002, the Children’s Centre was successful in obtaining a grant from the Community Fund of the Lottery Board and, in the summer of 2004, we opened an Information and Advice Centre for parents, children and young people. 

At the moment, we are building a new therapy extension to enable more provision of specialist services.

If you would like more information about the work of the Centre, or any of the services please contact the Centre Manager on 029 20867447.

May 2005.