Anglesey Children and Families Services initiative up for UK award

A COUNTY Council initiative which ensures Anglesey’s looked after children enjoy positive life experiences is up for a prestigious UK award.

The Cartrefi Clyd initiative has been recognised for its success in providing looked after children with safe and nurturing homes.

Launched in 2020, each of the County Council’s Cartrefi Clyd properties provide a home for up to three children. They are staffed by a small team of care workers, ensuring continuity of care for the children living there.

The Cartrefi Clyd initiative emphasises the importance of giving children individual time and attention. This helps to foster valuable relationships and ensure that the children receive positive life experiences that enable them to develop into emotionally healthy adults.

These positive life experiences also helps the children to become part of their local community and ensures they can access services like any other child.

Now, the Cartrefi Clyd scheme has been shortlisted for the 2022 Children in Care Award at the Children and Young People Now 2022 Awards that will be held Thursday, 24 November 2022 at The Hurlingham Club, London.

The Children in Care Award recognises the contribution made by a local authority or care provider to improve outcomes for looked-after children or young people, whether in residential care, foster care or other types of placement.

Anglesey’s Director of Social Services, Fôn Roberts, said:

“To be shortlisted for this prestigious award is a testament to all the staff and partners involved in this fantastic initiative. This service is provided in regular houses in local communities where other families live; and like other families, it’s a home where children live together, with 24-hour care and support from our excellent carers.”

He added:

“I am very proud of the Cartrefi Clyd initiative and would like to thank Anglesey Council’s Housing and Education Services and Welsh Government for making this possible. Thank you also to our Elected Members for their continuous support and to local Anglesey residents for welcoming the children into their communities.”

The initiative enables children to maintain a healthy relationship with those who are important to them and to support their sense of identity.

Anglesey’s Children and Families and Youth Services portfolio holder, Councillor Gary Pritchard, said,:

“To be shortlisted for this award is a real achievement. It highlights all of the hard work that has gone into this initiative, which has proved to have been extremely successful.”

He added, “I congratulate all of the staff, services and partner organisations; without their commitment and team-work this would not have been possible.”