Minister marks official opening of Children's Assessment Centre

Minister marks official opening of Children's Assessment Centre

Official opening of Bwthyn y Ddôl

Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden MS unveils plaque to mark the official opening of Bwthyn y Ddôl Children’s Assessment Centre.

Bwthyn y Ddôl is a partnership project between Conwy County Borough Council, Denbighshire County Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) that provides support for children with complex needs and their families.  The facility includes a dedicated assessment unit to provide space for intervention and therapy, alongside accommodation for planned stays.

The Minister was welcomed by representatives from the partner organisations and joined the wider project team at Coed Pella to learn more about the development.

Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden, said: "I was delighted to officially open Bwthyn y Ddôl today. It’s a fantastic example of how we want transform children's services in Wales, keeping children within their communities and close to their networks of support.

“It's inspiring to see how partners from Conwy, Denbighshire and the Health Board worked together, alongside local services, to create something that will make a real difference to the lives of children and their families."

Cllr Kay Redhead, Conwy’s Cabinet Member for Children and Safeguarding, said: “I was delighted to welcome the Minister today. We’re very proud of the work that’s taking place at Bwthyn y Ddôl to support children, young people and their families. The benefit of having a bespoke facility for these services cannot be underestimated, and I’m pleased that such an innovative model, working with partners from Denbighshire and Health, is going from strength to strength.”

Councillor Diane King, Lead Member for Education, Children and Families at Denbighshire County Council said, “I’m so pleased that this valuable facility at Bwthyn y Ddôl has opened. It’s going to have such a positive impact in the area and make such a difference to those children and families who need complex support. This model of care has been developed to focus on the specific needs of children and young people using the expertise of a multi-disciplinary team and is an excellent example of what we can achieve when we work in partnership.”

Tehmeena Ajmal, BCUHB’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “I am delighted the Minister has officially opened this much-needed resource for children and families in Conwy and Denbighshire. It is another example of our commitment to collaborating with our local authority partners and others, for the benefit of our communities.

“We really hope the work we are a part of at Bwthyn y Ddôl gives families the best chances of staying together and makes sure vulnerable children are fully supported, closer to home and their support networks.”

The project was funded through the Welsh Government’s Integrated Care Fund (ICF) and Housing Care Fund (HCF).

The contractor was Bodelwyddan-based Wynne Construction Limited.

Bwthyn y Ddôl opened its doors to service users in December 2024 and is the first of its kind in Conwy and Denbighshire.

Photo shows [from left]: Cllr Elen Heaton, Denbighshire County Council; Cllr Kay Redhead, Conwy County Borough Council; Dyfed Edwards, Chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board; Dawn Bowden, Minister for Children and Social Care; Cllr Dilwyn Morgan, Chair of North Wales Regional Partnership Board.