Good Council Practice

West Wales Friend in Need (Carmarthenshire CC, Ceredigion CC, Pembrokeshire CC)

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 14:37:00 GMT

During the pandemic the West Wales Friend in Need initiative was introduced with the help of funding from Age Cymru. The projects aim was to improve the ability for formal and informal volunteers to digitally connect with people across West Wales, in doing so reducing social isolation and loneliness. A regional project group was established for organisations to work together, the membership of the group consisting of Age Cymru Dyfed, Pembrokeshire County Council, Ceredigion County Council, Carmarthenshire County Council, Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services, Carmarthenshire Association of Voluntary Services and Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations. A total of eleven community and voluntary groups received funding from the grant resulting in over 1,100 individuals benefitting from the initiative with 155 volunteers spending 1,975 hours working within their communities.

Winter Well-being Hub (Ceredigion CC)

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 12:40:00 GMT

Ceredigion County Council have created a new online Winter Well-being Hub to support the wellbeing of Ceredigion residents over the autumn and winter months.

Activities and events that would normally take place during this time of year are no longer possible due to the pandemic. So, the Hub provides a range of activities to undertake on-line and includes information and videos on a range of topics such as available support, health and wellbeing, young people and learning.

The Winter Well-being is in line with the Council’s Winter Strategy, to protect the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable, including care services for the elderly and those whose medical conditions make them particularly at risk from COVID-19.

Launch of the Carers Card (Ceredigion CC)

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 12:31:00 GMT

A Carer Card has been launched by Ceredigion County Council, for unpaid carers who look after family members or friends who would not be able to manage on their own without the support and care of an unpaid carer.

The Carer Card is a photo ID card issued by Ceredigion County Council’s Carers Unit to carers aged 18 and over who have registered with the councils Carers Information Service.

The card has been developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the early months of the pandemic, many carers contacted the council to ask for something they could use to prove that they are caring for someone if they were challenged when collecting and delivering essential supplies for that person.

Cardholders will have access to priority shopping opportunities with retailers who are participating in the scheme. A list of retailers and other benefits is available on the councils Carer Card page.

Supporting local communities (Ceredigion CC)

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:55:00 GMT

Councillors in Ceredigion County Council have taken a lead role in setting up individual support teams in conjunction with local groups and individuals, including community and twon councils, Young Farmers and Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) .

A comprehensive list of all support groups are available on the Ceredigion County Council website: http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/coronavirus-covid-19/resources/list-of-resources-in-ceredigion/ together with details of the businesses that have adapted to provide delivery services, details of support available those that are vulnerable or shielding, food banks, grants etc.

Some Councillors who are shielding themselves, are telephoning vulnerable members of their community on a regular basis, others have provided hands on support with one Member in conjunction with the local RNLI delivering food and medicine to over 90 residents in the New Quay area on a daily basis. They have also been contacting local businesses in their wards to direct them to the advice, support and grant funding available via the council, and they also took a lead role in encouraging tourist accommodation to close prior to the official lockdown.

At the beginning of lockdown, Councillors asked how they could support the services provided by the Council, and 3 Members with appropriate experience volunteered to manage a temporary resting centre. Training was provided including as assessment for driving 4 wheel drive vehicles, however we’re pleased to confirm that this facility was not required.-19

Guidance for Staff on the Re-opening of Youth Centres and face-to-face support (Ceredigion CC)

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 16:32:00 GMT

Ceredigion County Council understand that this period has been, and continues to be, a very difficult time for all. Children and young people have not been able to spend time with their friends, peers and support staff such as youth workers, whom many see as trusted adults. There is growing evidence that this lack of interaction impacts on young people’s mental and emotional health and wellbeing, so the Council are preparing and planning the re-opening of face-to-face provisions such as youth centres as safe, educational and fun environments once again. The Guidance for Staff document is for staff delivering support and interventions within the local authority youth centre buildings, however many aspects can be related to other family and education based settings and aligns with objectives set out in the Council’s COVID-19 Phase 3: Adjustment Phase and Long Term Resilience Strategy

NB: this guidance is based on current information (18 June 2020) and will be updated accordingly.

Ceredigion

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 08:29:00 GMT

Ceredigion County Council (CCC) have been working in partnership with Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations (CAVO) to coordinate the volunteer response to COVID-19. Clear process has been put in place for individuals wishing to volunteer in different communities, whereby CAVO ‘match’ volunteers with groups or organisations. As of the 24^th April 2020, 192 volunteers had signed up in response to COVID-19. CAVO and CCC are working in partnership to update resource lists three times a week. These are available on the Local Authority website and include a directory of meal deliveries, shopping and prescription collection, support groups in each community across Ceredigion.