| Description | Covers 17 April 1973 - 5 June 1994. Includes name of individuals admitted, date of birth, age on admission, home address, religion, reason for admission, relevant statuory section applied, responsible authority, date of admission, date left, total days in residence, remarks.
Loose pages in volume. |
| Administrative History | Brimmond was established by Aberdeen Town Council as a successor service to Kaimhill Remand Home. It was a short-stay children's home with secure accommodation, with children placed there from across Scotland.
Located at Kepplehills Road, Newhills, Bucksburn, the Centre opened in March 1973 and closed in 1993/1994 due to "its physical incompatibility with current child care policies" (GRC Social Work Committee, 23 Sep 1993 p.679).
Described variously as an assessment centre or a remand home, it was initially jointly run by Aberdeen Town, Aberdeen County and Kincardine County Councils before coming under the remit of the Grampian Regional Council in 1975. A minute of the Counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine Social Work Committee meeting on the 5 Apr 1972 states: "The designation 'Remand Home' is no longer used but the purpose of the establishment i.e. to provide residential care with the secure element for 20 boys and 5 girls, remains unchanged."
Assessment Centres were established in the wake of the Government White Paper "Social Work and the Community" (1966) as part of a range of residential establishment for children, replacing Remand Homes. Professor K. Norrie's 2017 Report "Legislative Background to the Treatment of Children and Young People Living Apart from their Parents" quotes the White Paper as following regarding Assessment Centres: "Those remand homes which are suitable will become assessment centres, and their principal function will be to make available a full range of assessment facilities for all children sent to them. They will provide residential accommodation for the minority of children who cannot be assessed while living in their own homes and who cannot satisfactorily be accommodated for this purpose in a children's home or hospital."
In 1973 it was described as accommodating children between the ages of 8 and 18 (Evening Express 6 Sep 1973 p.6). It was described in 1976 as a "short-stay home for 20 boys and 5 girls, many of whom have been before Children's Hearings because of difficult circumstances or conduct"(job advertisement, P&J 9 Jul 1976 p.14). In 1983 it was described as an "observation and assessment centre for children between the ages of 10 and 17". By 1986 the capacity of the home was reduced to 18. In 1988 Brimmond was developed as 2 units for 12 children, with 4 bedsits. From 1990 it was accommodating 6 children.
In 1973 it was projected that staff would include a resident officer in charge (Superintendent), a deputy, a matron, four house-parents, a part-time clerical assistant, a cook and assistant cook, four domestics and a driver/handyman. Social workers and teachers are also likely to be made available." (P&J 8 Mar 1973). Teachers were based at the home from 1976. Although the home was under the supervision of the Social Work Department, the Education Department provided teaching staff. A double classroom unit was added to the site c. 1983. |