Consider a career in local care

A recruitment campaign has been launched to encourage more people to consider a career in social care in Denbighshire.

Over recent times, the Council has seen an increase in the number of social care vacancies, especially during Covid when demand for social care increased.

Now a campaign called Gwnewch i bobl wenu/ Make people smile has been launched to raise the profile of careers in social care and to advertise the current vacancies that exist in the county.

This campaign will include a mix of advertising on public transport, banners in community locations, adverts in the local media, social media activity and branding on some of the Council’s vehicles. The Council will also be out and about in locations hosting recruitment roadshows and workshops.

The Council has also revamped its information on the Council’s website and has included case studies as videos, in an attempt to encourage more people into the profession. A frequently asked questions section has also been provided to provide answers to some of the most regular questions received.

Nicola Stubbins, Corporate Director – Communities, said: “This campaign is very much about selling the benefits of working for the Council and for starting a career in social care.

“Working in social care and making a real difference every day is a true privilege and our teams do make people smile every single day. It’s in their DNA to want to help people live as independently as possible, but having the care and support they need in a variety of settings.

“Qualifications are not always needed and there are plenty of opportunities to learn new skills and complete qualifications through the workplace.  The Council has put in place a programme of support for all employees and there are significant benefits to working for the Council. They include family friendly policies and a flexible approach to shift patterns.

“What’s needed more than anything is the ability to make people smile, to have empathy and to have a caring nature. The rest will fall into place”.

Anyone interested in a career in social care should visit the website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/care-jobs

We also have some videos from people who work in our care sector.

Here is Catherine's story >>>

There are other videos to watch on our website - they're well worth looking at if you're thinking of applying for a role with us.

Countdown to election

Final preparations are being made ahead of the county council and town, city and community council elections taking place on Thursday, 5 May.

Eligible residents should have received their polling cards with details of the location of their polling stations. People can vote between the hours of 7am and 10pm.

Once polling stations are closed, the election boxes will be transferred to the counting centre where the voting papers will be verified overnight.

The counting for the elections will begin on Friday, 6^th May at 9am with the county council elections; this will be followed by the votes for the town, city and community councils elections.

All election results will be published on: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/elections

If you have any enquiries, please contact the Electoral team, on 01824 706000.

Conflict in Ukraine: How you can help

The current conflict in Ukraine is heart-breaking with thousands of people forced to leave their homes fearing for the safety of their families and the humanitarian crisis is growing with large numbers of people needing urgent help.

The Council has started to work with partner organisations to support those impacted by the conflict and families have now started to arrive to live with Host households. The Denbighshire UK Resettlement Team are working with all involved to support resettlement over the coming months.

If you are interested in becoming a Host household, you can find more information here >>> https://www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine

Any local volunteer groups or individuals that wish to offer other kinds of support can contact us by emailing ukresettlement@denbighshire.gov.uk

Welsh Government are also asking businesses for help.

Please find below a link for any business or organisation that can offer help with the following:

• Large scale accommodation for refugees and their families, such as hotels and holiday parks
• transport, such as coaches and minibuses (you may not need to provide drivers) to take people to their new homes
• supplies, such as clothes, toiletries and sanitary products
• language lessons
• employment and training
• translators and interpreters 

https://gov.wales/register-business-or-organisation-help-ukrainian-refugees-coming-wales

As a Council, we will continue do everything in our power to help those who need it during this ongoing crisis.

Preparing to welcome Wales to Denbighshire

The Council is gearing up to welcome Eisteddfod yr Urdd to Denbighshire.

Work has already started on creating the Maes on the outskirts of Denbigh and the Council has been working closely with event organisers to ensure the Eisteddfod is a huge success.

The Eisteddfod was due to be held in Denbighshire in 2020, but was delayed twice due to Covid restrictions.

Now plans are in full swing to prepare the Maes, ready for the event - 30 May to 4 June.

The Council will have a marquee on the Maes and will have activities for the whole family. Children can come in and get involved in creating works of art using local materials with artist Mari Gwent. Art works created by local school children as part of a project leading up to the Eisteddfod will also be on display.

There will be a taste of the coast coming to the country as we have planned to have a sand pit for our younger visitors. There will also be a wild flower meadow created to promote the work we are doing around climate change and being more environmentally friendly.

Our studio space will be used by local schools as a practice stage, so it’s a great opportunity to hear our talented children and young people in action. There will also be other activities hosted in the studio during the week, including musical items, storytelling sessions and silent discos. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts for more information.

The Council will also be promoting the county as a great place to visit, with the focus on promoting things to do in the county, highlighting the attractions available and we’ll have a BMX track for children as part of our efforts to promote leisure activities in the county.

The Council is delighted to be one of the main sponsors of the event, including the primary and secondary schools shows on the Wednesday and Thursday. These will provide a great opportunity for our children and young people to perform on a national stage.

Come and see us during the week. You can find us next to the main entrance.

 

Urdd:Ni yw y Byd

To get your free tickets go to urdd.cymru/tocynnau.

Urdd: Fi di Fi

To get your free tickets go to urdd.cymru/tocynnau.

Dates for free caravan/campervan weight check and security advice

Denbighshire and Conwy Trading Standards are offering free caravan weighing and advice sessions.

Residents who are going on holiday in a touring or motor caravan can make sure they are not overloading their vehicle or caravan and putting themselves at risk.

The free caravan weighing and advice sessions are available for Denbighshire and Conwy residents, and for those in other local authority areas if they are able to travel to the location. 

This is an advice session and no action will be taken if overloading or other issues are found, but we will work with you to reduce the load.

The free weight checks will take place at the Weighbridge on the A525 between Rhuddlan and St Asaph on the following dates and times:

• Friday, 6 May (9.30am – 2pm)
• Saturday, 21 May (8am to 1pm)
• Friday, 17 June (9.30am - 2pm)
• Friday, 15 July (9.30am - 2pm)
• Saturday, 30 July (8am - 1pm)
• Friday, 12 August (9.30am - 2pm)
• Friday, 26 August (9.30am – 2pm)
• Saturday, 10 September (8am – 1pm)
• Friday, 23 September (9.30am – 2pm)

Emlyn Jones, the Council’s Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services, said: “We are encouraging touring and motor caravan owners to take advantage of these free weighing and advice sessions being held by Denbighshire’s Trading Standards team in conjunction with colleagues from Conwy. 

“It is important to make sure you are not overloading your vehicle or caravan, and therefore protecting yourself and others.”

You don’t need an appointment, you can attend during the listed times on the dates mentioned and find out if you are within the legal weights for your vehicle. The weighbridge can be found on the Rhuddlan to St Asaph A525 road, approximately ¾ of a mile from Rhuddlan, located in the layby, there will be signs indicating the weighbridge is in operation.

If you have any questions regarding the above please contact either Denbighshire Trading Standards on mailto:tradingstandards@denbighshire.gov.uk or visit their Facebook page, likewise contact Conwy Trading Standards on trading.standards@conwy.gov.uk.

Public open spaces commuted sums update

A Commuted Sum is a payment by developers to a local authority when it is not appropriate to provide the required outdoor open space during a development. The funds are held specifically for the enhancement of open spaces and play areas and are often used for the same town or community council from where they came. However, in some circumstances, the funds can be used for nearby towns or community councils in Denbighshire.

During the last round of Commuted Sums, advertised from November 2021 until the end of January 2022 there was £223,421 available across 14 towns and villages in Denbighshire. The fund received 15 applications from the eligible locations totalling £238,167 and from these allocations were made to 13 of the projects submitted, to the value of £204,929.

Details of projects allocated funding from the latest round of Public Open Spaces Commuted Sums Funding can be seen below.

Project Applicant	Project Description	Amount Awarded
Denbighshire County Council – Street Scene	Improve safety surfaces at Clos Deganwy Play Area, Bodelwyddan	£3,779
Bodfari Community Council	Hannah Jane Smith Park upgrade	£1,237
Denbighshire County Council – Street Scene	Upgrade of play equipment at Weirglodd	£18,348
Llangollen Parks Community Group	Improvements at Pengwern Park	£1,339
Tremeirchion, Cwm and Waen Community Council	Update the Dyffryn Teg Park in Rhuallt	£1,237
Rhuddlan Allotment Society	Provision for more accessible grassed paths in the allotments	£5,210
Rhuddlan Town Council	Provisions for the external storage container installation, additional outdoor children's gym equipment, external toilets, resurfacing of car park, access road and provision of disabled parking bays	£66,066
Rhyl Rugby Club	Complete the spectator safety fencing around the playing surface	£7,580
Denbighshire County Council – Street Scene	Upgrades and security improvements at the Botanical Gardens, Rhyl	£12,370
Star Park Play Area	Play area refurbishment	£61,765
Ruthin Rugby Club	Contribution towards changing rooms upgrade	£10,000
St. Asaph City Council	Environmental Improvements, City wide	£7,999
Denbighshire County Council – Street Scene	Cae Winifred play equipment enhancement	£7,999

The next round of Open Spaces Commuted Sums will be announced in Autumn 2022. Should you wish to know more about the type of projects that the fund can support or would like to be informed directly of Open Spaces Commuted Sums funding in Denbighshire, please contact communitydevelopment@denbighshire.gov.uk.

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