Robs Weekly Round-Up

14 April 2023

Dear colleagues,

I hope you enjoyed the Easter bank holiday and got the chance to spend some quality time with family and friends.

Despite another shorter week, for some of us, there is plenty of good work to shine a light on in this Friday’s message.

After I mentioned the superb Care Inspectorate Wales report Social Services received last week, there was more positive news from that area as the Social Care Workforce Development Team organised the Excellence in Care Awards for the Cardiff and Vale region.

Over 150 care professionals celebrated staff gaining Health and Social Care qualifications Level 2 to 5 at a ceremony in Barry’s Memorial Hall.

The evening was hosted by BBC News presenter Sian Lloyd and made all the more special as it was the first since the pandemic.
Awards were presented by Vale of Glamorgan Mayor, Cllr Susan Lloyd-Selby, her Cardiff counterpart, Cllr Graham Hinchey, and Director of Social Services, Lance Carver.

I’m also told The Big Fresh Catering Company laid on an excellent buffet for all those in attendance. 

Well done to all who received awards and those involved in organising a very successful event. Llongyfarchiadau.

Project Officer Steve Davies led on its planning, ably supported by the team’s administration apprentice Katie Foster.

Feedback on the evening has been really positive and it’s great to see care staff, who do such an important job looking after some of our most vulnerable residents, recognised in this way.

Protecting and supporting our most vulnerable residents is a key priority for the Council and this work is central to us delivering on this key objective. 

On that subject, a review of the Council’s Warm Welcome/Croeso Cynnes programme revealed around 3,500 people used these facilities this winter.

That illustrates not only the significant scale of the cost-of-living crisis, but also the number of residents we have been able to help.

As part of the Council’s work to support citizens during this uncertain period, colleagues in Partnership and Development Services helped launch the initiative in September.

It offers a warm and inviting place for people to come together at no cost to enjoy a range of activities and access financial support.  

Nearly 40 locations across the Vale have taken part in the scheme, creating a network of community spaces.

All of them of them were free to access and offered activities spread across seven days of the week. 

Only around 10 venues are expected to stop the provision, meaning that the offer of a warm welcome/Croeso cynnes will continue at the vast majority of locations into the spring. 

Each location offers a different opportunity to enjoy some company, get involved in an activity, and take advantage of the facilities available.  

Details on what is on offer at each location can be found as part of the Cost of Living Support Hub on the Council’s website. 

The Hub also provides information on accessing cost-of-living support grants and details of support available from the Council and a range of partners.

Rising prices have had a detrimental impact on so many residents, pushing those already struggling with financial pressure and isolation into further difficulties.

As well as those who helped organise the provision, I’d like to thank staff at the various locations for the selfless work they have put in to support service users.

I know many of you work for the Council as Warm Spaces have been set up in libraries and other spaces managed by the Authority.

Well done to all involved, this is fantastic work and I’m delighted to hear that most of the centres will stay open. Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi i gyd.

Sticking with the theme of protecting those that need it most, the Youth Service recently held an event to raise awareness of sexual harassment among young people.

Organised with Her Voice Wales (HVW), one of the Service’s participation groups, it saw a report on the subject presented to an audience in the Council Chamber.

Made up of girls aged 13 to 17, HVW started the #wedon’tfeelsafe campaign and conducting a survey into the problem.

The groups findings were then delivered to a selection of guests, including representatives from the Council, Police and Welsh Government.

The girls worked with a local designer to create posters, with the artwork encouraging young people to report incidents of harassment and explaining how to go about doing just that.

They asked people to make a pledge to publicise the issue and came up with suggestions of improvements that could be made, including the creation of Safe Spaces.

When a young person is feeling vulnerable, they can use this space as refuge. 

This initiative involves asking businesses across the Vale to display a sticker in their window that indicates this is a safe place to enter.

Alexandra Thomas from the Youth Service played a key role in pulling this important event together.

It is vital that all groups in our communities have the opportunity to raise concerns so it was great to see these young women given a voice.

Well done Alexandra and all involved in staging a thought-provoking event. I have already held discussions with the Leader and colleagues about how we can keep this important work on the radar and raising its profile even further. 

Once again, thank you all for your efforts this week – they are, as ever, very much appreciated.

Diolch yn fawr iawn,

Rob