Education
Full steam ahead for new £10.5million school development at Glasdir
The Council’s Planning Committee have recently granted planning permission for a new shared school site in Ruthin. The £10.5million investment will see Rhos Street School and Ysgol Pen Barras relocate to modern, fit for purpose facilities in 2017. The project has been match funded by the Welsh Government as part of their 21st Century Schools Programme.
Cllr Eryl Williams said “This is an important milestone for the future of education in the Ruthin area, approval at the planning stage is the last major hurdle so it is now full steam ahead for work to begin at the site. It is an exciting time for both schools, we would like to thank them and their communities for their contributions toward the development of this project.”
Head of Education and Children’s Services, Karen Evans commented “We are delighted that planning approval has been granted today. We are committed to providing the best educational facilities for our pupils in Denbighshire. Our continued investment in our schools is testament to this and it will ensure that educational excellence is supported both now and in the future.”
Chris Wynne, Managing Director of Wynne Construction said: “We are delighted to have secured another contract under the North Wales Construction Framework and to be working again with Denbighshire County Council on this design and build project.
“We have a successful working relationship with Denbighshire having previously completed Ysgol Brynhyfryd and Borthyn Primary School in Ruthin. We look forward to delivering the project along with our locally-based supply chain and to demonstrate our commitment to the local community through a range of community benefits and initiatives.”
Ysgol Glan Clwyd development on course
The redevelopment at Ysgol Glan Clwyd is progressing well, with the project now entering its final phase.
The £15.9 million development will extend and improve the school site, to accommodate an increase in demand for spaces, as well as providing new, modern facilities. The development is being funded by the Council and the Welsh Government through the 21st Century Schools programme.
Willmott Dixon, the contractors of the development, started construction on site in November 2015.
The new extension, which is phase one of the project will be complete in early 2017.
The next phase will see the refurbishment of the existing school buildings, with the project expected to be completed in late 2017.
A day of celebrations at Bodnant
There was an air of celebration at Bodnant Community School in Prestatyn recently as the brand new extension was officially opened.
Councillor Ann Davies, Chair of Denbighshire and Gwyn Bartley Chair of Governors at Bodnant Community School Prestatyn officially opened the new £3.4m extension and refurbishment project which allows the infants to join junior pupils on the same site.
The new extension has 7 new classrooms, a hall, community room, a new reception and offices. There is also a new staff and visitors car park which can be accessed from Ffordd Parc Bodnant. As part of the project the existing building was also refurbished.
The project has been funded jointly by Denbighshire County Council and Welsh Government through its 21st Century Schools and Education Programme.
Helen Vernon, Headteacher at Bodnant, said: “The children are so fortunate in having such a purpose built school which has been designed to accommodate so many activities. The children are also fortunate in having a team of dedicated teachers, each showing in their own ways true examples of kindness, caring and thoughtful ways where they will nurture and teach.
“Bodnant has been at the heart of the community since 1902 as a school on Marine Road and in 1972 a new school was built at the current location to accommodate the junior children and this is how the infant and junior children were on different sites. Over the years the amalgamation was considered and I and delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead the new school in to a challenging but very exciting future.
“I will do my utmost to following the footsteps of previous headteachers – Margaret Jones, Carolyn Thomas and Jean Hannam ion the infant school and Tom Parry, Gwyn Hughes and Martyin Blythin in the junior school. True examples of wonderful headteachers”.
“I am most grateful for the funding from Denbighshire and Welsh Government 21st century schools and th valuable input from our local authority into this special project, which will enable us to fulfil our dreams”.
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Business Section
Shop Local Campaign: #LoveLiveLocal
The Council is urging residents and businesses to get behind their campaign to support local businesses in the county. The #LoveLiveLocal campaign aims to get people to show their support for local businesses by using the hashtag on Twitter and Facebook to promote good experiences they’ve had and promote products and services locally that they have ‘loved’. We also want Denbighshire businesses to engage with the campaign and use the hashtag to promote their goods and services to help spread the word about the diverse range of products and services that are available in local towns and villages.
Here are just a few pictures of residents and businesses embracing the #LoveLiveLocal campaign.
Customers Katrina and Eddie Foozies Mr & Mrs Dyson at Chatwins, Llangollen
Elevate your sole - Prestatyn Jacob's Ladder - St Asaph
Leonardos - Ruthin Rejuve - Rhuddlan
Llangollen business trio champion #LoveLiveLocal online campaign
A trio of thriving Llangollen businesses are helping to spearhead a new drive to persuade people to support local businesses.
Stan's Supermarket, the Pro Adventure outdoor shop and Lilly Rose Interiors have all just joined the small and growing band of official ambassadors for the #LoveLiveLocal social media campaign.
The campaign is being supported by the Council to promote independent local shops, small companies and service providers and help them make the most of social media marketing.
The big idea behind the campaign is that if a customer loves the product they have just bought at their local gift shop or is delighted with the restaurant meal they had, they can spread the word over Twitter or Facebook, simply adding #LoveLiveLocal, to help their business friends and neighbours.
Denbighshire Council Leader Hugh Evans OBE has invited businesses across the county to engage with the campaign, use the hashtag to promote themselves and ask their customers to use it too.
He said: “There are so many fantastic businesses here in Denbighshire in all sorts of sectors from food and hotels, to shops selling uniquely made crafts and providers of first class services and unforgettable experiences.
“We need to get the word out and make sure as many people as possible get to know about them and use them.
“We call on the people of Denbighshire to show community spirit by supporting this bid to safeguard the future of our high streets.
"Small businesses help create a thriving regional economy and provide vital jobs for local people.
"That’s why we really want people to share their positive experiences and boost our #LoveLiveLocal campaign by passing on the message about how much they love shopping locally.
"It's part of our ongoing drive to develop and expand the local economy, promote shopping locally and encourage businesses to further explore the benefits of using social media."
Among those throwing their weight behind the campaign is Stan's Supermarket on Berwyn Street where manager Steve Jones said: “I’ll be doing whatever I can to support it as an ambassador.
“At Stan's in Llangollen we’re very much in favour of supporting other businesses from the area and we stock items from 15 or 16 local suppliers alongside the main brands.
“We also support local causes and in the four years since we opened in Llangollen we’ve donated about £2,500 to schools, football teams and the area’s Tidy Town team.
“I think #LoveLiveLocal is useful as social media is such a valuable marketing tool and getting feedback about local businesses from the people who use them is very important.”
Another new #LoveLiveLocal ambassador in Llangollen is one of the town’s youngest businesses, Lilly Rose Interiors, which opened in Castle Street just four months ago.
It’s run by Jan Deeprose, who lives in the area and used her considerable background in retailing as a springboard to start her own shop selling a wide range of home and house wear, from candles and cushions to crockery and garden ornaments.
She said: “I’m pleased to become as ambassador for #LoveLiveLocal as I know that social media is so vital for businesses these days. That’s why I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“It’s also so important to be doing something to support smaller local businesses, which is what the county council is doing with this campaign.
“Being local is vital these days. I live and work in Llangollen, so I pride myself on knowing my local market and what people want and being able to pass the word about what businesses have to offer through this campaign all helps.”
Pete Carol, who has been running his Pro Adventure business in Llangollen since 1991 and now trades from the former Post Office in Castle Street.
He said: “I’m pleased to be involved as I regularly use social media to help market my business, which is a specialist retailer for people who love the outdoors.
“It’s not just about clothing and we stock items for walking, camping and bushcraft, such as such as axes and knives.
“Through our presence on social media we pick up on local shares and retweets, which is good for business.
“The #LoveLiveLocal campaign is an extension of that and I’m very pleased to be involved in it as it will certainly help to tell people about what’s good about using businesses in Llangollen and Denbighshire.”
Redundancy paves the way to success for husband and wife entrepreneurs
A husband and wife are building a new future for themselves after overcoming the heartbreak of redundancy by launching a stonemasonry business.
Julie and Dylan Williams, co-owners of Stoneworkz Industries, have secured a series of lucrative contracts across the UK since the Council awarded them a business development grant to cover the cost of specialised machinery to meet increasing demand.
The £5,000 grant, which funded a specialised saw for cutting stone and a bespoke water tank, enabled the Denbigh-based firm to improve its efficiency and fulfil bigger orders and has been instrumental to their growth.
The business now employs three full-time staff, has plans to recruit another and is preparing to launch its first showroom on the Spencer Trading Estate in the autumn.
“It’s going very well. It’s been hard and we’ve both had to work very long hours but we’re so pleased with the way the business is being built so far and we’re hoping to grow further,” said Julie, who lives in Denbigh.
“At the beginning, when we launched, we wouldn’t have thought we would have a showroom and a workshop within a year so we’re really pleased. We’re going in the direction we’d planned to.
“The grant was a huge help to us. Financially, we just didn’t have the back-up. We’ve both taken a big drop in income to be able to start the business and build it which has been our personal financial contribution.
“We’re trying not to take much money out of the business to be able to move forward. The grant has helped us grow according to our demand.”
Julie, 48, has been working in the industry 11 years while her husband Dylan, 39, has more than 16 years’ experience.
The couple, who have three children aged 10, 20, 27, were working for the same local stone supplier when Julie was made redundant from her management position. Although she took on a temporary role at another firm, the couple wanted to apply their vast experience and knowledge by building their own firm.
“The decision to set up a business was mine initially. Being made redundant was the key thing and the driving force behind the decision,” said Julie.
“We were both in management positions and we realised we both had put in so much effort for someone else – we’d really given it 100 per cent - and we didn’t want to do that again and still have no control over our jobs being taken away from us.
“It was scary but we had more control over the decisions that were being made. One of our key advantages as a business is the amount of time we are both willing to invest in our customers to find them the materials that they really want. We will go out of our way to find the best price or style options to fit perfectly into a project.”
The business launched in June 2015 and it quickly became apparent that further investment was needed to acquire stone and brick cutting machinery so that they could fulfil orders in-house.
They applied for a business grant from Denbighshire County Council at the start of this year and were delighted when it was accepted.
“It was an expensive type of business to start and we didn’t have anything behind us except for an initial start-up loan,” said Julie.
“We needed to get more machinery and the grant was specifically for that.
“It enabled us to take a step forward to do the work our clients were asking for and grow our business. As a result, we’re now working with a Warrington-based company that delivers hotel refurbishments internationally and have fulfilled orders in Guernsey and Jersey. We’re also working with a high-end kitchen supplier, undertaking work in the Devon area.
“Our work is nationwide and our name is getting out there but there’s more work to do. We’ve not pushed too hard as we need to get our staff fully trained up but it already seems to be working. We’re looking forward to the future.”
Kirsty Davies, Business Support and Networking Officer for Denbighshire County Council, said its grant scheme had helped many local firms grow at a faster rate than they might otherwise have done without financial support.
“Small businesses face so many hurdles in the early days, particularly in relation to equipment and premises – both of which require considerable investment.
“Our grant scheme helps to alleviate some of these and allow businesses to grow confidently, boosting the economy and creating new jobs.
“It’s very rewarding to see this investment transpire into lucrative business contracts and achieve everything it is designed to do.”
To find out how to apply for a Business Development Grant go to our website or call 01824 706896.
Red-hot jam firm celebrates the fruits of its labours with stockist milestone
A pair of entrepreneurs who put on face masks and protective clothing to make their fiery chilli jam are celebrating a major milestone - netting their 150th stockist.
Dominic Haynes and Llyr Jones, who launched the Dangerous Food Company less than three years ago when they were both made redundant from an Irish dairy, are now supplying their unique brand of chilli jams to restaurants, farm shops and delicatessens across the UK – and even as far away as Alphen in Holland.
They say an £2,300 grant from the Council has fuelled their rapid growth, including recent expansion into the luxury goats’ cheese market, and helped them to meet customer demand more readily through the purchase of a walk-in fridge.
And as the St Asaph-based enterprise prepares to unveil a new, top-secret product ahead of the Hamper Llangollen food festival on October 19 and 20, the duo are have signed up their 150th outlet – the soon-to-be opened Frankie’s Farm Shop in Dyserth.
“We are finally at the stage where we know it’s working,” said Dominic, 33, who lives in St Asaph.
“We’ve done it all debt-free and it’s just grown and grown. There have been some initial dark days, like every business, but now everything is falling into place. It’s now all about expansion and doing things quicker.
“In order for a business to grow you have to outlay money but if half the cost can be taken away it means you feel more confident and safer about expanding and you can grow more quickly and make the business more successful.
“Already, with just the two of us on the ground, we’ve acquired a small part of the food market and we want to spread our products further and further afield.
“We have customers in London and the Scottish borders but there are more than 2,000 farm shops and delis nationally so the next step is to push these. Our aim is to reach as many as possible.”
The duo, who’ve been friends for 11 years, started making fiery chilli chutneys suitable for meat, cheese and barbecues in January 2013, combining hot chillies with traditional British fruits to enhance the flavour.
Dominic, who graduated from Nottingham University with a degree in product design, was renowned for his culinary skills among friends and family and created no fewer than 38 versions of what is now the firm’s original product, Red Chilli and Lime Jam, in his home kitchen before deciding on his final ‘wow factor’ recipe.
“I’ve always been pretty good in the kitchen. Everybody knew me for cooking really spicy food at uni and used to complain about the smell,” he said.
In the early days, the friends decided to sell some of the jam at a weekend food event and were stunned when all 600 jars flew off the stall. The very next day, the pair found out they were being made redundant from their sales jobs which gave them the incentive to sell the jams full-time.
By May 2014, the businessmen had developed three jam products; their original Red Chilli and Lime Jam, Habanero Chilli with Sun-ripened Mango Jam, which scooped two stars in the Great Taste Awards in 2015, and Jalapeno Chilli and Apple Jam, and had moved production out of Dominic’s modest home kitchen to premises at Patchwork Pate in Ruthin.
More flavours followed including the fiery Ghost Chilli Jam containing one of the world’s hottest chillies and requiring protective eye gear during production.
In August last year, they branched out and sourced a luxurious goats’ cheese product from Holland to offer under their brand which has been well-received in the gourmet food market – and has led to a coveted stockist contract across the Channel for their jams. And thanks to a business grant provided by Denbighshire County Council at the start of 2016, they were able to purchase a purpose-built outdoor storage facility which enabled them to quadruple their order capacity and expand.
“We’d taken on some big wholesalers and the fridge meant we were able to store the products with ease,” said Dominic, who attended Blessed Edward Jones Catholic High School in Rhyl while growing up. The grant made our growth manageable and easier. For any business like ours, January and February is quiet and to outlay that kind of money ourselves would have carried much more risk. We are still working 50 or 60 hours a week. Llyr and his partner recently had their first child, Molly, eight weeks ago. The amount of work we need to do made any paternity leave tricky but we were able to work these hours when we wanted to so there’s a degree of flexibility.”
Kirsty Davies, Business Support and Networking Officer for Denbighshire County Council, said: “It’s incredibly rewarding to watch local businesses succeed, especially so soon after launching.
"Our business grant scheme is designed to encourage new businesses to take those first steps towards expansion and ultimately create new jobs and support development of the local economy, which is a council priority.
“Many small businesses face hurdles on the path to growth including a lack of resources or facilities and this project helps to mitigate some of these, allowing innovation and talent to flourish uninhibited."
To find out how to apply for a Business Development Grant go to our website.
Features
Gaol staff launch children’s book
Staff at Ruthin Gaol recently held a launch to celebrate the children's book they have created and recently had published.
‘Tales of the Gaol’ is available in Welsh and English and tells a story of Chocolate and Vanilla, two mice who live in Ruthin Gaol with the prisoners and kitchen workers.
The book was written by Heritage Assistant Margaret and illustrated by Lynne (aka ‘the mice’, pictured). Another team member, Iwan Davies, digitized the illustrations and John Myddleton translated the book into Welsh.
The team can usually be found greeting visitors and giving guided tours at the Gaol, so the book creation was something they wanted to do for all the families and children they meet.
Margaret says “Children love visiting the Gaol so we wanted to create something they could take away with them and enjoy, and also help their reading skills. It was a team effort - most of us are ex-teachers in our second careers and this is something we were really excited to do”.
Lynne added “The launch was great fun, the younger children really loved the costumes, we had a few giggles with the grown-ups… and the odd cheese joke!”
Manager Emma Bunbury says “The book is on sale at the Gaol and has been very popular, especially with younger audiences as a night time story book. We're hoping to be able to sell them online at some point as they also make a nice gift and at £2.95 they seem good value. The team here at the Gaol work so hard and really enjoy welcoming people to ‘prison life’. They have lots of creative ideas and it’s great to see their book on sale at the Gaol….now we just need to persuade them to create a Volume 2!”
Free Driving Assessments for the over 60’s
Drivers aged 60 and over can have a free driving assessment carried out as part of the North Wales Older Driver Development Scheme, which is run by Flintshire County Council. Most people should be able to carry on driving - more safely - by adapting their driving habits following the advice of a driving professional.
Flintshire County Council administer the scheme on a regional basis. Their Road Safety Unit address has changed to Alltami Depot, Mold Road, Alltami , Flintshire CH7 6LJ
You can find out more information about this and other road safety tips on our website.
Little Terns thrive on Denbighshire’s Coastline
One of the rarest seabirds in the UK is continuing to thrive on the edge of Prestatyn despite the population plummeting elsewhere around the country. Another good season saw an increase to 141 breeding little tern pairs, the highest known to be recorded at the site. Recent surveys have shown stocks of small fish such as sandeel, favoured by Little Tern chicks, are relatively abundant off the Denbighshire coast. This has certainly helped the terns in rearing their chicks this year with a total of 170 fledglings, this being highest number since 2010.
The role of Denbighshire's Countryside Service and a band of dedicated volunteers is crucial to the success of this nationally important bird colony. The 2016 season has seen Gronant placed in second place across the UK for both little tern breeding pairs and fledgling success. This achievement is tribute to the hard work put in towards the protection scheme by conservationists and volunteers over the last 40 years, in maintaining electric fencing, chasing off predators and in public engagement activities. There are no barriers to participation in the protection scheme and volunteers from all backgrounds arrive in numbers from across the region.
Without this dedication the colony would disappear and breeding Little Terns would be lost from the Welsh shoreline.
The Little Tern is so much more than a black and white seabird. Every year these plucky individuals fly 4,000 miles from the West Coast of Africa to rear their young on the outskirts of Prestatyn. Local residents are proud of this fact and they have become an iconic species and which is good for tourism.
A healthy Little Tern Population relies on a healthy sand dune system and this is certainly the case on much of Denbighshire’s Coastline. The dunes running east from Prestatyn are protected by being designated a Special Protection Area and Denbighshire County Council and partners actively manage the area for its outstanding biodiversity and recreational interest. The dunes also provide a natural sea defence and which is so important in these times of unpredictable and changing weather patterns.
Understanding Little Tern behaviour is crucial in helping them to reach a sustainable breeding population. We are a long way off but funding through a five-year EU LIFE+ Nature Little Tern Recovery project has already reaped rewards. Hugh Irving, Lead Member for Communities, explains ‘we are in a very exciting era of understanding the habits of Little Terns. A colour ringing programme through LIFE+ funding has transformed how we can gain information, now by just looking through a telescope we can know instantly where the bird is from and how old it is.
Gronant Dunes is a fantastic place to go to visit with its extensive sand dunes and important wildlife. The Little Tern is certainly the star of the show and, following the launch by volunteers of the North Wales Little Tern Group this year, there is an even greater commitment to ensuring these plucky seabirds have a secure future.
Councillor Hugh Irving, Lead Member for Volunteering Strategy said: I was delighted to learn of the success of this year’s Little Tern project. This initiative is a shining example of how much can be achieved by a combination of the County Council’s expertise and a working group of dedicated volunteers.
“On my visits to the site this Summer one could only be impressed by the commitment of the volunteer wardens at the reserve not just overseeing and protecting the nesting area but also encouraging and explaining to passing members of the public the activities of the group .
This commitment is making a huge contribution towards the preservation of this important species as well as providing research opportunities into their breeding habits and migratory flight paths from West Africa and the volunteers deserve a huge thank you for their efforts.
“I would encourage anyone with some time to spare to look at the volunteering opportunities that exist with the County Council.”
RNLI lifeguards finish their daily safety service on the beaches of Denbighshire
Lifeguards have lowered the flags and packed their equipment away for the final time this year at Prestatyn and Rhyl beaches.
It has been the first year the RNLI lifeguard service, which is provided in partnership with Denbighshire County Council, has operated in the county. There have been good numbers of visitors to the area’s beaches meaning a busy few months for the RNLI lifeguard team. As well as a number of water rescues, the lifeguards also dealt with a high number of first aid incidents and provided safety advice and assistance to thousands of beachgoers.
Incidents responded to by RNLI lifeguards included rescuing five young children from the water at Prestatyn beach last week and treating a diabetic woman drifting in and out of consciousness, also at Prestatyn.
RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor Matt Jessop said: ‘We are really pleased to be working with Denbighshire County Borough Council to provide a safety service on the beaches Rhyl and Prestatyn.
‘We have also built a strong partnership and have worked closely with our colleagues at Rhyl RNLI lifeboat station throughout the season.
‘I would also like to thank all the lifeguards who provided a first class safety service on the county’s beaches this summer. They have shown commitment and dedication to both their ongoing training and their work on the beaches. The majority of our lifeguards’ work is preventative so as well as the rescues and incidents they were involved in, they will have stopped many more potentially dangerous incidents before they occurred. There will be no red and yellow flags flying at these beaches until next year, which means there’s no lifeguard service operating.
‘People visiting the beaches after this can help keep themselves safe by taking note of the safety signage at the entrance to the beach, asking for advice at Rhyl RNLI lifeboat station, going with a friend or telling someone on the shore where they are going, at the same time always being aware of the conditions and their own capabilities in the water.’ Peter Rooney, RNLI Lifeguard Manager, added: ‘Autumn sees big spring tides and bigger swell around the coast. People walking on the coast should always check the tide times before setting out and carry a means of communication. The bigger swells mean more unpredictable rip currents in the water so people should take extra care and always consider their safety. ‘‘The RNLI’s advice is not to enter the water if you see someone in trouble but rather to call 999 and ask for the coastguard.’
Councillor Hugh Irving, Acting Lead Member for Tourism and Leisure at Denbighshire County Council, said: “Denbighshire County Council has been delighted to work in partnership with the RNLI over the summer to provide a lifeguard service in both Rhyl and Prestatyn.
‘We have been impressed with their enthusiasm and professionalism during what has been a difficult summer in terms of beach incidents across the UK. Visitors and residents alike are reassured by the presence of the RNLI lifeguard team and we are pleased to say that the beaches of Denbighshire have been a safer place as a result.’
A host of information and advice on various aspects of water safety is available at their website.
Christmas @Cafe R
Don't fancy cooking this Christmas> Then why not let someone else do all the hard work for you and visit Café R. Booking advised to avoid disappointment.
News
Council remains one of the best performing Welsh authorities
The Council continues to be one of the best performing councils in Wales.
Figures compiled by the Local Government Data Unit compare the performance of councils across Wales on a range of issues. The results for 2015/16 show that Denbighshire performed in the top half for the majority of activities it was assessed against, when compared with other councils.
The bulletin shows that Denbighshire was amongst the top 5 authorities for:
- Percentage of highways and land of a high or acceptable level of cleanliness (Denbighshire was the best performer at 100%). The Council also achieved top quartile performance for the percentage of reported fly-tipping incidents cleared within 5 working days
- Average number of days taken to deliver a Disabled Facilities Grant (Denbighshire was the best performing Council at 133 days), this is a substantial improvement on the 2014/15 performance (178 days)
- Percentage of adult protection referrals where the risk was managed (Denbighshire was the best performer at 100%)
- Formerly looked after children who are in contact with the authority at age 19 (Denbighshire was top with 100%)
- Formerly looked after children who are in suitable accommodation at age 19 (Denbighshire was top with 100%)
- Formerly looked after children known to be engaged in education, training or employment at age 19 (80%)
- Third lowest number of average days/shifts per full time employee lost due to sickness (8.47 days/shifts)
- Percentage of pupils assessed receiving a Teacher Assessment in Welsh (first language) at the end of Key Stage 3 (21.27%)
- Percentage of private sector dwellings (vacant for more than 6 months) returned to occupation (24.61%)
- Percentage of children looked after (on 31st March) who have had 3 or more placements during the year (8%)
- Percentage of reviews (looked after children) carried out within statutory timescales (96.33%)
- Percentage of municipal waste collected that was reused, recycled, composted or treated biologically (62.42%)
Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, with responsibility for business performance, said: “This report makes very pleasing reading and reflects the commitment and dedication of both staff and councillors for Denbighshire to be a continuing high performing authority, providing the best quality services to its residents and its communities.
“The headlines speak for themselves and we are proud of our achievements. However, we recognise that there is always room for further improvement and we will not become complacent as we work to continue to be as good as we can possibly be in all areas of our work”.
Supporting People Day 2016
On 12th September, Denbighshire Supporting People stakeholders gathered at Rhyl Town Hall for the annual Supporting People (SP) Day. The day was an opportunity for anyone with an interest in SP to share information and ideas, learn about SP projects and other related services and developments, and meet other people in the broad field of housing related support.
A full hall took part in workshops on areas such as early intervention, and development of better housing and support services for young people, as well as listening to talks on Universal Credit, the new benefit cap, and the ‘prisoner pathway’. The day was also an opportunity for people to have their say on SP’s Local Commissioning Plan 2017-18.
Joint working praised at the Senedd
A ground-breaking partnership between the Council and Citizens Advice Denbighshire has been hailed as an example of good working practice during a session at the Welsh Assembly Senedd.
Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Denbighshire, Lesley Powell addressed the Senedd to mark the launch of Fairness For All, a national report which looks at the relationship with local authorities and partner agencies.
Five years ago, Citizen Advice Denbighshire and the Council forged a closer working relationship and arranged regular meetings to discuss council tax debt collection, with the aim of producing more positive outcomes for clients.
Since that time, the organisations have put a referral system in place for those needing money advice.
Lesley Powell said: “I was delighted to be given an opportunity to address the Senedd about the good work going on between Citizens Advice and Denbighshire County Council.
“Five years ago, Citizen Advice Denbighshire started a series of on-going meetings with the Council to discuss council tax debt collection.
“The Council’s team recognises the vulnerability of some clients at an early stage in the process and withholds action to recover unpaid council tax. The benefit of this way of working is that the team is more aware of local issues and has a better working relationship with existing debtors.
“The Council is also prepared to introduce payment options which provide clients with a greater opportunity to manage their money better, one example being a weekly payment option. This is a great help and provides some peace of mind for those individuals worried about how they are going to meet the next payment.
“I’m delighted that our joint working has resulted in such a positive outcome”.
Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: “Over recent years we have really strengthened our working relationship with Citizens Advice in Denbighshire, with the aim of supporting clients who may find difficulty in paying their Council tax.
“From the outset, we have worked to remove barriers, gain a greater understanding of how both organisations operate and develop a closer working relationship. Key to its success was the fact it had been initiated and led by senior management in both organisations.
“Having recognition at a national level is a testament to the great amount of work that has gone on to help residents”.
Celebrating Talking Points in Denbighshire
A series of events have been held across Denbighshire to celebrate the success of Talking Points.
The celebrations were held in Prestatyn and Llangollen and were an opportunity to meet some of the organisations involved and to hear presentations on a wide range of issues relating to health and social care.
Talking Points have been set up in Denbighshire in response to the implementation of the Social Services and Well-being Act. This is a new law that will radically transform the way social services are delivered in Wales to meet the needs of individuals and make services sustainable for the future. The Act gives people a stronger voice and real control over the support they need to remove barriers to their wellbeing. It focuses on earlier intervention; increasing preventative services within the community and helping people maintain their independence. To help people to do this they need easy access to information and advice about what is available in their area.
In Denbighshire, Talking Points have been set up by staff in Community Support Services (incorporating social care for adults) to offer people a different way to find out what help might be available in their community to support their health and well-being.
Working with partner organisations we aim to respond faster and in a more personally tailored way to people, rather than a more traditional ‘one size fits all’ approach. Under this new model, if citizens are able to visit their GP they will be expected, in general, to attend a Talking Points rather than be visited at home.
If someone needs help with daily life please ask them to come along to a Talking Point or phone the Single Point of Access on 0300 456 1000 to make an appointment
For more information please contact Jason Haycocks the Talking Point Coordinator on 07733 111392 or e-mail: jason.haycocks@denbighshire.gov.uk
Insulation scheme funds cosy homes
The Council is launching its biggest energy efficiency initiative to date, with over 5,000 homes in the county identified as needing improved insulation.
Hundreds of homes across the county have already received insulation improvements as part of a previous scheme, with the Council attracting over £5 million to improve the energy performance of houses in Denbighshire, with hundreds of homes improved in West Rhyl, Prestatyn and Upper Denbigh. Through working with partners, the Council has improved the energy efficiency of almost 1,000 homes in the county, offered direct advice and assistance to 109 homes, hosted five community events and supported care agencies to access funding to provide support services.
Now the Council has worked with partners A&M Energy, Citizens Advice Denbighshire and the North Wales Energy Advice Centre to develop Denbighshire Cosy Homes, to fund the installation of loft and cavity wall insulation for all suitable homes in Denbighshire.
Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership to promote this scheme and encourage more properties to have better insulation.
“People could get loft and cavity wall insulation installed in their homes for free, even if they rent the property. Insulating the house will make the house warmer in winter, cooler in summer and reduce fuel bills and carbon dioxide emissions. The improvements could save up to £500 per year off your fuel bills”.
“All houses will be contacted directly by post to inform them of their suitability and surveyors from A&M will visit the area and contact the households directly to organise for the survey”.
A Freephone advice service is being offered by North Wales Energy Advice Centre: 0800 954 0658. If you wish to contact A&M prior to the initiative contact them directly on 0800 318 867 (select Penly Branch) or 01948 83 0824.
Citizens Advice Denbighshire will also be offering households advice on how to further reduce energy bills through supplier switching, tariff checking, fuel debt and also welfare and benefits advice. They can be contacted directly on 01745 814336 (Denbigh), 01745 334 568 (Rhyl), 01824 703483.
Thank you for your patience during the recent bus situation
The Council would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding as the Council responded to the closure of GHA Coaches this summer.
Members of Denbighshire’s Cabinet have endorsed the action taken by the Council’s Passenger Transport team to restore school bus and public bus services in the wake of the collapse of GHA Coaches Ltd in July.
The Company closed on July 13th and the Council’s Passenger Transport team worked around the clock to restore school transport services by finding alternative providers at short notice.
Significant effort was also made to ensure that all communities served by a bus continued to benefit from some form of service in the days and weeks that followed.
Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: “I must pay tribute to the team for pulling out all the stops to sort out school buses for the following day and to get the public bus service up and operating as quickly as possible.
“These were certainly testing times and the superb effort of staff meant that disruption to services was kept to an absolute minimum. The public was also extremely supportive and we thank them for their understanding and patience”.