[an error occurred while processing this directive] Gwent County Council Homes
Ancestry UK

Gwent County Council Homes

The administrative county of Gwent was created in 1974 as part of a local government reorganisation in England and Wales. Gwent incorporated the existing county of Monmouthshire and county borough of Newport. The Gwent County Council's social services department took over the management of children's homes previously run by the Monmouthshire County Council and Newport Borough Council.

Following a further reorganisation in 1996, Gwent was abolished and its local government was divided among a number of new administrations: Monmouthshire (covering the eastern portion of the historic county), the City of Newport, and the County Boroughs of Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, and Caerphilly (part of which came from Mid-Glamorgan).

Children's establishments run at some time in their history by Gwent County Council.


 
  • The Elms, Belmont Road, Abergavenny
  • Family Group Home, 65 Montclaire Avenue, Blackwood
  • Family Group Home, Bryntirion, 29 Lilian Road, Blackwood
  • Family Group Home, 30 Herbert Road, Caldicot
  • Family Group Home, 2 Shelley Green, Penywaun, Cwmbran
  • Ty Plant, 6 Gorsedd Close, Garnlyddan, Ebbw Vale
  • Family Group Home, Cartref, St James' Square, Monmouth
  • Family Group Home, Brynheulog,2 Central Avenue, Pantside, Newbridge
  • Family Group Home, 1 Crouch Close, Bettws, Newport
  • Family Group Home, 108 Stow Hill, Newport§
  • Family Group Home, 152 Monmow Way, Bettws, Newport§
  • Family Group Home, 175 Chepstow Road, Newport§
  • Family Group Home, 181 Howe Circle, Newport§
  • Family Group Home, 31 Welland Circle, Bettws, Newport§
  • Family Group Home, Cambridge House, Stow Park Avenue, Newport
  • Family Group Home, Greytrees, 6 Caerau Crescent, Newport§
  • Oaklands House, Dents Hill, Newport
  • Family Group Home, Ringwood House, Dents Hill, Newport
  • Family Group Home, 57 Central Avenue, Oakdale


§ indicates homes at some time also run by a borough council.

Records

The involvement of local authorities in the running of children's homes dates from 1930, when they took over the running of the poor relief system previously administered by Boards of Guardians. Surviving records for council-run children's homes may be held in each council's own internal archives. Prior to 1991, however, when a legal requirement was introduced for councils to retain records of children leaving their care, the survival of such records is very variable. Contact details for local authorities in the UK can be found on the website of the Care Leavers Association (CLA). The CLA also provides guidance on accessing childhood care files, which are normally only open to the individuals they relate to.

Locating local authority records has been complicated by the various local government reorganizations that have taken place in recent times, such as the abolition of the London County Council in 1965, and the major nationwide restructuring in 1974 in which many administrative areas were created, amended or eliminated.

Older records may sometimes be placed with the relevant county or borough record office. Many of these repositories have online catalogues of their holdings and also contribute to the National Archives' Discovery database. Note that records containing personal data usually have access closed for a period of fifty years or more.

Older material relating to Gwent Council homes may exist at:

Some records relating to council-run homes, for example inspection reports (though not resident lists etc.), are held by The National Archives (TNA). A closure period may apply to these records.

Bibliography