A THIRD children's home is to be built in Caerphilly County Borough after the council was handed £700,000 from the Welsh Government.

The authority was given the money by the Integrated Care Fund (ICF), a scheme set up by the Welsh Government to help regional partnership boards develop new trials for delivering health and social care.

The location of the new home - which will have space for four youngsters - is yet to be identified, but the council has said the scheme as a whole must fall within the £700,000 budget.

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The council already owns two children's homes - one of which has been open for a number of years and has space for three children, at a cost of around £500,000 per year.

The second, which will have space for four placements, was purchased last year and is yet to open.

The council said the £700,000 is for purchasing and repairing or improving the property.

The council said: “We are looking at expanding our internal children residential homes to provide wherever possible in house provision.

“This is in line with Welsh Government ambition to bring placements in county whenever possible.”