New Flintshire care and support services celebrated at opening events

Two major new services designed to enhance care, support and opportunities for Flintshire residents have been celebrated at special opening events.

The events at Ty Croes Atti in Flint and Coed y Ddraig in Mold were attended by residents and people who use the services, along with staff members and representatives from Flintshire County Council and partner organisations.

They were held to recognise the positive difference both sites are already making to local communities and the significant investment they represent in health and social care services in the county.

Ty Croes Atti, Flintshire County Council’s newest care home, is providing high-quality residential care for older people and delivering integrated health and social care services in partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

The scheme was funded via the Welsh Government’s Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund (IRCF) and Housing with Care Fund (HCF) capital programmes and through the Council’s own capital programme.

Meanwhile, Coed y Ddraig has brought together a range of support services for learning disabled and autistic adults and those with mental health needs. Operated by national learning disability charity Hft, the modern, inclusive space offers opportunities for people to build skills, confidence and enjoy a wide range of activities.

A dedicated space is also utilised by BCUHB to offer therapeutic interventions from Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.

The development of Coed y Ddraig was also made possible by the Welsh Government’s IRCF and capital funding from Flintshire County Council.

The celebration events highlighted the strong partnerships that made both developments possible, with representatives from the Council, Health Board, Welsh Government, Hft and construction firms Willmott Dixon (Ty Croes Atti) and MPH Construction (Coed y Ddraig) coming together to mark the occasion and hear directly from people supported by the services and their families.

Councillor Christine Jones, Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Social Services and Wellbeing, said:

“It was a pleasure to join people who are directly benefitting from the new services and their families, staff and partners to celebrate the success of both Ty Croes Atti and Coed y Ddraig.

“These services have been designed around the needs of the people who use them, providing welcoming, modern environments where people can access high-quality support close to home, in settings that promote independence and wellbeing.

“It was wonderful to see them both fully operational and to hear first-hand about the difference they are already making to people’s lives.”

Nesta McCluskey, BCUHB’s East Integrated Health Community Director of Allied Health Professionals, said:

"We are delighted to celebrate the opening of two fantastic facilities that demonstrate what can be achieved through strong partnership working across health, social care and local authorities.

"These developments represent a significant investment in the wellbeing of our communities in Flintshire, offering access to high-quality support and purpose-built care. 

"We are committed to working collaboratively to deliver care closer to home and ensure people can access the support they need in the right place and at the right time. These new facilities will help us strengthen our services, improve outcomes and provide care in environments that are fit for the future. 

"We are proud to be part of these important projects and would like to thank our partners at Flintshire County Council, Hft, Welsh Government and all those involved in bringing them to fruition. We look forward to seeing the positive difference they will make to the lives of people and families across Flintshire for many years to come.”

The Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health, Delyth Jewell, said:

“Ty Croes Atti and Coed y Ddraig are examples of what can be achieved when local authorities, health boards and partners work together to build services around the people who use them. These facilities reflect this government's commitment to strengthening local services and its aim of ensuring people can access high-quality care and support in their communities.

“Investments like this help build the capacity we need, so that residents living within these communities receive the right care, in the right place, closer to home. I look forward to seeing the lasting benefits they bring to local people for years to come.”

Mel Shad, Hft’s Chief Operating Officer, said:

“Places like Coed y Ddraig matter because they empower and enable the people we support to live a good life.

“A job. A new skill. New friends. The confidence to try something you’ve never done before. Greater independence and more choice about what you want your life to look like.

“Those things can feel very ordinary – and they should be. But too many learning disabled people still don’t have the same opportunities as everyone else to experience them.

“Coed y Ddraig shows what can happen when organisations work together around the ambitions of learning disabled people themselves. We’re immensely proud of what has been created here, but I’m even more excited about what the people we support will go on to achieve because of it.”

Anthony Dillon, Willmott Dixon’s Managing Director for the North, said:

“It was a pleasure to join Flintshire County Council and our project partners to celebrate the opening of Ty Croes Atti.

“Alongside our dedicated supply chain partners, our team has worked hard to deliver a high-quality care home and we’re proud of what has been achieved and, most importantly, of the difference Ty Croes Atti is making to residents and their families, providing a modern facility where local people can receive high-quality care and access vital health and social care services.”

Rhys Edwards, Commercial Manager at MPH Construction, said:

“As a Flintshire-based contractor, we are proud to have delivered Coed y Ddraig for the local community. Working closely with Flintshire County Council and our local project partners, this has been a truly collaborative project from start to finish, built on shared goals and strong relationships.

“It is especially rewarding to now hand over a quality, purpose-built facility that reflects the needs of the community and will provide lasting benefits, making a real and positive difference to people’s lives for years to come.”