Health minister Mark Drakeford and deputy minister for social services Gwenda Thomas, have visited the NSPCC’s base in the Welsh capital to see for themselves the work being done to safeguard children across the country.
Among those to welcome them were Des Mannion, NSPCC head of service for Wales; Viv Laing, NSPCC head of policy for Wales; and Cardiff Service Centre manager Tracey Holdsworth.
While at the centre, the ministers heard about NSPCC Cymru/Wales’ strategy, the future of its services and new evidence on child neglect as well as receiving a tour of the service centre and an overview of the services offered there.*
The visit comes the same day as an announcement that the NSPCC’s Cardiff Service Centre is now a dual hub. It became a centre for expertise around child sexual abuse in May. This aims to improve the confidence of professionals in identifying and responding to concerns about child sexual abuse, and providing them with a ‘go to’ resource for information, advice and guidance. Today, it was announced that the Cardiff base has been awarded a second status as a Thriving Families Centre – a holistic approach to improving parenting and tackling neglect in families with complex needs.
Mr Mannion said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome Ministers Mark Drakeford and Gwenda Thomas at such an exciting time for the NSPCC’s base in Cardiff. It is wonderful news that we have been announced as one of the NSPCC’s Thriving Families centres. This means the service centre in Cardiff is now pioneering two approaches – one relating to child sexual abuse and one relating to parenting and tackling neglect. This latest opportunity will allow us to assess neglect within families based on evidence, help them improve their parenting skills and measure families’ progress.”
Professor Drakeford said: “I was pleased to visit the NSPCC’s Cardiff Service Centre and hear about the future of its vital services for children and young people.”
Gwenda Thomas added: “Safeguarding children is one of my top priorities. It is great news that the NSPCC’s Cardiff Service Centre has been awarded the status of Thriving Families Centre and I look forward to hearing about the successes of this service and others in the future.”
