In 1930, the Boards of Guardians, who had administered the poor relief system in England and Wales since 1834, were abolished and their responsibilities were taken over by county and county borough councils. Each council set up a Public Assistance Committee to oversee its new duties, which included the operation of the various children's establishments previously run by the poor law unions in each area. The Barrow-in-Furness Council took over the cottage homes on Roose Road, Barrow, formerly run by the Barrow Poor Law Union, where up to 72 children could be accommodated in the two pairs of semi-detached houses.

Roose Road Cottage Homes, early 1900s. © Peter Higginbotham

Following the passing of the 1948 Children Act, councils were required to provide care services for all needy children in their area, especially those who lacked a normal family home. In common with other local authorities,Barrow Council established a new Children's Committee, whose responsibilities had previously been spread across separate Health, Education and Public Assistance Committees. The Committee took over responsibility for the Roose Road cottage homes, whose capacity at that date was recorded as being 24 places. Presumably, the whole premises were no longer in use by then.

By 1952, the council had opened a residential nursery at Dunlop House, Abbey Road, Barrow. By 1954, an additional home had been opened at 115 Duke Street, Barrow.

The 1948 Act had recommended that where children needed to be in residential care, they should be in 'family group' homes, which ideally accommodated no more than eight children, or twelve at most. Barrow's first home to fit this description was the family group home on a new council housing estate at 15 Tyne Road, Barrow, opened in about 1958. Use of he Roose Road cottage homes ceased at the same time. A second family group home, at 14 Lesh Lane, Barrow, followed a year later.

As part of the local government reorganisation that took place in 1974, Carlisle's social services provision, including its children's residential care, was taken over by the new Cumbria County Council.