The Safer Vale Partnership are pleased to announce the refurbishment of the Community Support Centre within of Cadoxton House, Belle Vue Terrace, Barry.

Cadoxton House is a non-listed two-story villa style property constructed at the turn of the 20th Century. The property has commanding views over the Port of Barry and is set on a sloping hillside site and consequently the building has a basement storey below the main body of its premises. The main part of the building has double gables running front to rear with a veranda with a canopy roof to the rear. To the left size of the building is a two-storey nature. To the left side of this section there is a single storey addition.

Cadoxton House has been unoccupied for a number of years. It has been very badly damaged by both fire vandalism and several arson attacks.

In August 2005 Steven Knott Dip Surv MRICS Chartered Building Surveyor submitted a report that concluded Cadoxton House was in poor condition i.e. subject to hard or long-term wear with repair or renovation generally necessary.
In August 2008 the Vale of Glamorgan received a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government to establish a Support Centre for victims of Domestic Abuse. Shortly after the funding was awarded the Welsh Assembly Government published it’s Models of Joint Working between Substance Misuse and Domestic Abuse services. Subsequently the Safer Vale Partnership began investigating the feasibility of co-locating the two services.

Cadoxton House was identified as our preferred location. This area has specifically been highlighted for a number of reasons: The strategic assessment highlighted alcohol as one of the main issues in the Vale,    alcohol can be linked to all other crimes such as acquisitive crime, and anti social behaviour. The location of this property sits in the third highest area for occurrences of anti social behaviour. By providing supporting services from this location it is anticipated that this will have a considerable positive impact on crime in this area. 

The proposed community support centre will integrate a number of services in a dedicated space, providing more room with better facilities that is both practical for professionals and client friendly. People who experience alcohol misuse and domestic abuse would have access to information, support, advocacy and advice. This would eradicate a precious loss of time, expense and communication problems that most service users have to endure on a daily basis. The Community Support Centre would offer a seamless response to clients needs and would be a central point for agencies and professionals, creating better throughput of services. Further developing the current alcohol service in the Vale we will increase capacity and help reduce alcohol misuse and the anti social behaviour linked to alcohol misuse.

Partnership working would prevent service users being shunted between services and would stop agencies duplicating work. Interagency working will help reduce the time that it takes for clients to access all the services that are required. Information sharing protocols will ensure that clients receive the best possible service and that children and vulnerable adults receive all the support that they require. 

In the Vale of Glamorgan 45 % domestic incidents reported to the police involve substance misuse (mainly alcohol). Linking substance misuse and domestic abuse services would help perpetrators and victims to address the cause, effect and dependency thus reducing substance misuse and violent crime. In the Vale 22% of all violent crime in 2008 was linked to domestic abuse.

The agencies providing a service will be Victim Support, Pen-yr-enfys, Atal-y-Fro. Residents have been worried that the Centre will attract crime, however a vast reduction in Anti-Social behaviour has been recorded since the refurbishment began.

Penyrenfys – will be providing support to individuals who have, or may be, developing alcohol problems. They will also provide advice, support, therapeutic and treatment services, encouraging people to make positive changes to their lives.

Atal-y-Fro - is also a charitable organisation that provides support packages for the whole family. They provide refuge, tenancy support, counselling services, pattern changing programmes, children’s programmes, perpetrator programmes and individual support packages that are tailored towards the needs of the individual and families as a unit.