The centres are run by the NCH

Outreach teams are going into housing estates across Blaenau Gwent to offer specialised services such as parenting skills to people who live there.

The latest centre to open is in Nantyglo which is expected to be ready for use within days.

The council in Blaenau Gwent, one of the most deprived areas of Wales, has recently come under fire in a report on the social services department which showed that children were being failed by the local authority.

But now council officials have teamed up with children's charities to go into the communities to tackle the problem at grass roots level.

A house in the Cefn Golau near Tredegar and a house in Winchestown in Nantyglo have been kitted out as drop-in centres for people who live on the estates to get help.

Debra Ennis is the project manager at Ebbw Vale Resource Centre, which is run by the children's charity NCH.

She said: "We have the outreach teams which are based on the local estates and they provide services on a self-referred basis so people drop in when they need help at that moment," she said.

The centres act as a lifeline for people who are in crisis and are desperate for help and also for people who feel a bit shy and isolated Jayne Isaac, NCH

"It is all about intervening at the earliest possible stage to prevent problems from getting worse," she added.

Officials at the charity, which works closely with the council, said that every centre tried to cater for the area's specific needs.

Jayne Isaac, who is the public policy officer for NCH, said: "The centres act as a lifeline for people who are in crisis and are desperate for help and also for people who feel a bit shy and isolated.

"They are excellent ways of increasing people's confidence.

"They offer a number of things such as activities for children and young people, a cr�che and learning facilities for adults.

"They are able to point people in the right direction if they need help or advice.

Parents can use the cr�che facilities at the centres

"The whole idea is that these centres are very local and that people without transport can use them."

The centres have been set up following public consultation with the people living on the estates who have asked for certain services to be set up in their areas.

They also feature facilities like a laundry service, baby equipment, and welfare advice.

"The centres are very popular with the people who live near them and they are used - they are a valuable resource for the people who use them," she added.

No confidence

The report on the social services department was carried out by the Audit Commission in Wales and the Social Services Inspectorate.

It followed a visit to the council's social services department in July and August 2002 and said there was no confidence that vulnerable children in the authority's care were safe.

It comes just months after reports into social services in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan produced similarly stinging criticisms.

Karen Williams, the executive member of social service for Blaenau Gwent said she accepted that the findings of the report but added measures had been taken to improve the council's responsibilities.

"It was a snap shot of what was taking place at the department taken last July and August," she said.

"I think it was a fair report but it's no longer representative of where we are doing in the department at this moment in time."