Investments continue during difficult financial times

The Council continues to invest in major projects, with over £200 million either spent or planned for projects county-wide, as well as protecting key services during difficult financial times.

Councillors met last month to consider the latest position with the budget and to hear about the investment that has taken place.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance and Assets, said: “The vast majority (82%) of the savings made so far have been efficiency or other measures which have not negatively had an impact on services to the public and that has been down to careful planning and making savings through working more efficiently.

At the same time as dealing with a funding cut, the Council set priorities to protect and invest in important service areas such as schools, social care and the roads and has continued to achieve this throughout the budget process.

Some of the headline investments:

• £96.8 m for schools
• £18.4 m for roads
• £21.5 m for social care
• £16.1 m for floods and coastal defence
• £26.8 for  economic development and regeneration
• £6.7 m for leisure and libraries
• £9.3 m on other key projects.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “We are on schedule to deliver all of the savings identified for this financial year and are proposing a further set of cuts for the following 12 months.

“However, our approach is to trim down on services through being more efficient, identifying budgets that are historically underspent and cutting our cloth accordingly.

“We are committed to protecting key services as much as possibly can and identifying savings through looking at all aspects of our services. This way of working provides confidence that the Council is working to protect public money through investing in those areas needed and saving costs through careful planning and monitoring.”

In-house care review consultation reminder

We launched a formal consultation on the future of our in-house social care services on 16^th October 2015, and the consultation will be open until 17^th January 2016. We would like to encourage as many people as possible to submit their views on the proposals, and to provide any other ideas they have about potential alternative proposals.

The Council currently owns and runs three residential care homes for older people (all of which provide some facility for day care) and one day care centre for adults. We started an exercise to look at the future of these services in March 2014, when the Performance Scrutiny Committee requested that an Elected Members’ Task & Finish group be established to “examine value for money options for delivering high quality social care services in the County”.

The review was requested for two main reasons. First, the Council needs to respond to changing expectations about what modern social services should look like in future. Second, the Council needs to focus its limited resources towards the areas of highest demand, because of the ongoing requirement to deliver financial savings.

As part of the initial “listening and engagement phase” of our review, discussions have taken place with people using our in-house care services and their families. These discussions helped to shape the development of the options now being consulted on.

It is evident from all our discussions so far that the support provided by all our council-run services is greatly valued. It also became apparent that many residents in our three residential care homes would be adversely affected if they were asked to leave their homes now. As a result, our Cabinet agreed that, whatever decisions are made about any future changes, no individual service user will be asked to move from their current home unless a suitable alternative is identified where their needs can be met.

We know this is an unsettling and stressful time for everyone who would be affected by any future changes, and we apologise for any distress this may cause. However, despite the support that clearly exists for our existing services, there are several reasons why we need to consider change:

• Public expectations are changing, and research shows that people generally don’t want to live in residential care homes when they are older. Most people either want to be supported to stay at home, or to live in an extra care housing development which provides 24 hour on-site care that can adapt to their changing needs.
• As public expectations are changing, the demand for “traditional” social care services (like residential and day care) is falling every year in Denbighshire. Also, the demand for Extra Care Housing in Denbighshire is greater than the available supply. There are currently three Extra Care Housing developments in Denbighshire (in Rhyl; Prestatyn; and Ruthin). All three schemes were filled immediately after opening, and have had a waiting list ever since. There is a very high demand for additional Extra Care Housing in the Ruthin area particularly.
• It is more expensive for the council to run its own care services than it is to buy them from the independent sector. We know this because about 95% of adult social care services in Denbighshire are already provided by the independent sector. It becomes even more expensive for us to run our own services as demand falls and the number of vacancies in our residential homes and day centres increase.

As a result of these changes, we expect that the number of standard residential care homes in Denbighshire (and across Wales) will continue to reduce over time. However, we expect that they will be replaced by modern Extra Care Housing schemes and more specialist nursing and/or mental health care homes (where demand is increasing).

There are 4 separate consultations currently taking place, one for each of the following:

• Hafan Deg day care centre in Rhyl
• Dolwen residential care home and day care centre in Denbigh
• Awelon residential care home and day care centre in Ruthin
• Cysgod y Gaer residential care home and day care centre in Corwen

The preferred options:

The current preferred options for each of our existing in-house services are:

Awelon, Ruthin:  At a future agreed date, we would stop new admissions and work with the individuals and their families at their own pace to explore, wherever appropriate, suitable alternatives.  We would then enter into a partnership with the owner of Llys Awelon to develop additional Extra Care apartments on the site. The aspiration is for the site to have 50 extra care flats and a new community facility for wider use, although this may take several years to achieve. The Council wishes to emphasise that no current resident in Awelon will be required to move if it would be unsafe for them to do so. 

Cysgod y Gaer, Corwen: To enter into a partnership with relevant stakeholders (including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the third sector) to develop the site into a ‘support hub’, offering both residential and extra care type facilities, as well as an outreach domiciliary care and support service to the tenants of local Sheltered Housing Schemes and the wider population of Edeyrnion and the surrounding area. This would ensure that the individuals living in Cysgod y Gaer currently can continue doing so through retaining beds at the location, but also develops services that support independence and improved outcomes for others in the local area.

Dolwen, Denbigh:  The suggestion is for the Council to enter into a partnership with an external organisation and transfer the whole service (residential and day care) to them. The new provider would be required to register with the Care & Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) to provide care to support older people with more complex mental health needs such as dementia. 

Hafan Deg, Rhyl:  The suggestion is for the Council to enter into a partnership with an external organisation and transfer the building to them.  The building could then be used as a base to provide traditional day care services and early intervention activities for older people that reduce social isolation, support independence and promote resilience.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Social Care, said: “People’s expectations about how they want to live their lives as they get older is changing.  People rightly want (and demand) control over their own lives and the freedom to choose how to live it.  Most people tell us that they do not want to live in a residential care home when they get older.  They say that they would prefer to live in their own home and be supported to be as independent as possible for as long as possible. That is why we are carrying out a review of our in-house care provision, in response to the changing needs of the public. We also recognise the need to consult widely on the proposals and now we urge people who may have a view on the proposals to get involved in this formal consultation”.

How to get involved in the consultation:

The consultation will run until Sunday, January 17.  To get involved please visit the Council’s website, where you can find background information and the consultation response form.  Alternatively you can contact the Customer Connections Team on 01824 708090, by e-mail ssdcomments@denbighshire.gov.uk or by sending comments to the Customer Connections Team, Denbighshire County Council , Russell House, Churton Road,Rhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 3DP.

We have already held 6 public consultation meetings (in Ruthin, Rhyl and Corwen) during November, but there is still an opportunity to attend a further two public which will take place on 14^th January 2016 in meetings will take place at Eirianfa Community Centre, Denbigh (2.30pm-4pm and 6pm-7.30pm).

Please contact the Customer Connection Team on 01824 70 80 90 to let them know that you plan to attend in order that we can ensure that we have sufficient resources for those meetings.

Message from the Chief Executive

Primary Schools Review in the Ruthin area - by Mohammed Mehmet, Chief Executive

One of the Council’s top priorities is to improve the educational outcomes for all children and young people in the County. We want every young person to achieve their full potential and we want every school to be able to offer the best possible environment to help achieve those outcomes. It is because of this commitment that we have seen significant improvement in Denbighshire’s schools over the past few years and it is for that reason that the Council, with support from Welsh Government, has committed to invest £90m to improve the quality of school buildings and facilities across the County.

A good education is, fundamentally, about the quality of leadership, learning and teaching and we are very focussed on those in our County. But there’s more to a good education service than that. Local authorities have a legal duty to ensure that there are enough school places in their area so that no child is without a place. Equally, they have a duty to ensure there aren’t too many surplus places so that the available resources are spent on actual children rather than vacant places. Local authorities must ensure that where the quality of the school estate is poor and deteriorating then action is taken to improve that estate. We have to make sure that the funding of places is as fair as possible and that the cost of educating a child in one school is not unacceptably different from another. Leaving things as they are, when change is necessary, is a dereliction of those duties.

Furthermore, ignoring these problems would prevent a local authority from attracting capital investment because the Welsh Government, correctly, will not invest scarce resources in those local authority areas. It is in this context that the Ruthin Area Primary Schools Review is taking place.

At the start of the review in 2013, across the Ruthin area, there were 11 primary schools providing a good education and offering 1,218 places. However, the current number of children in these schools is 925 and this is projected to be no more than 952 by 2020. That means nearly one in every four places, currently provided and paid for, are surplus to what’s needed. This, in itself, is sufficient reason to reduce the number of places and the number of schools in the Ruthin area.

In addition, the state of the school buildings in the Ruthin area is unacceptable. For example, currently nearly 60% of places at Ysgol Pen Barras in Ruthin are taught in mobile classrooms.  In Ysgol Carreg Emlyn, at their Clocaenog and Cyffylliog sites, and at Ysgol Llanfair there are no proper dining areas and many pupils have to have their lunch back in their classrooms. It currently costs £7,725 to educate a child in a small school like Ysgol Llanbedr compared to the average of £3,819 in a Denbighshire school.

This situation is unsustainable and needs to change. The quality of education in the Ruthin area schools is good but there are too many surplus places, the children in them deserve much better facilities, fit for the 21^st century and the funding per pupil must be fairer. The right solution in Ruthin is a smaller number of primary schools, much improved buildings and facilities and a pattern of provision that meets the linguistic, faith and secular needs of its communities. That’s at the heart of what the Council is trying to achieve through its package of proposals.

The council is preparing to invest £15m to improve school provision in the Ruthin area. Denbighshire County Council had set out its detailed proposals in a public document in 2013 and we have been consulting on these proposals for the last two years. The process hasn’t been smooth and perhaps it shouldn’t be. School reviews are highly emotive and the Council should be challenged and held to account. We know that even when people agree with our analysis they might disagree with some of the specific proposals, but our residents should be assured that the Council’s only ambition, agenda and motives are to improve outcomes for every child and young person and provide sustainable schooling for the future.

Park for free and spend locally this Christmas

Don’t forget the Council‘s "Free After 3" parking scheme is running again this year to help support town centres and businesses in the run up to Christmas and New Year.  The scheme provides free parking in all Council operated pay & display car parks in town centres after 3pm on a daily basis.

The scheme will operate until the 31st December 2015. Car parks included in the initiative are:

Corwen - Green Lane

Denbigh - Multi-storey; Crown Lane; Factory Ward; Post Office Lane; Vale Street

Llangollen - East Street; Hall Street; Market Street; Mill Street

Prestatyn - Lower High Street; Kings Avenue; Railway Station (Coronation Gardens)

Rhuddlan - Parliament Street

Rhyl - Children's Village (Underground); Morfa Hall; Morley Road; Sky Tower; West Kinmel Street

Ruthin - Crispin Yard (Cae Ddol); Dog Lane; Market Street; Park Road; Rhos Street; St Peter's Square; Troed y Rhiw

St Asaph - Bowling Green 

Citizens Advice Denbighshire is offering Pension Wise appointments to help people plan for their future

Citizens Advice Denbighshire is delivering Pension Wise appointments across Denbighshire, giving people access to free and impartial pension guidance in their local area.

Following pension reforms on April 6, people approaching retirement have greater freedom over how they can use their pension pots. People will be able to take a lump sum, take out an annuity or a mixture of both. Pension Wise is a new Government service designed to help people make sense of their pension options, and empower them to make the right choices for them.

Citizens Advice are delivering free face to face Pension Wise sessions which are available to book now and will be delivered at a location local to the user. The 45 minute appointments will be tailored to the individual, taking into account the value of their pension and their plans for retirement.

A Pension Wise appointment may help you if you are approaching retirement or are 50 or over and have a defined contribution pension. Guidance appointments are also available on the telephone, delivered by the Pensions Advisory Service. People can also get information and general guidance online at www.pensionwise.gov.uk.

To book a face to face appointment, call the Pension Wise team in Denbigh on 01745 818081.

Users from outside the Denbighshire delivery area or who prefer to use the telephone guidance service should call 0300 330 1001.

Rent Smart Cymru

Do you rent out a property in Wales?

Landlords and agents are now required by law to be registered or licenced.

A new law has been introduced in Wales which applies to all landlords and agents of private residential property. If you own, rent out, manage and/or live in a rented property then this law will impact on you.

To find out more and to apply

Visit www.rentsmart.gov.wales

or call 03000 133344

Thank you for your Small Business Saturday support

The Council would like to say a big thank you to businesses and City, Town and Community Councils in Denbighshire for supporting the Small Business Saturday campaign on December 5^th.

We decided to support this national campaign to encourage people to shop local and to sample the wealth of goods and services available from businesses right across the county.

Businesses put up posters to promote the day and banners were placed around the county, as well as lots of activity in the press and on social media.

A huge thank you to residents for also supporting local businesses.

School Meals Service launches its new website

Menus are now available to parents/guardians and children at each primary and secondary school and published on the new website.

Denbighshire's award winning School Meals Service provides healthy food and best value for money by offering a variety of freshly cooked two course lunches which are both delicious and nutritious.

Featuring favourite dishes popular with children, typical menu choices include Welsh Beef burger in a bun, curries and traditional roast dinners along with a daily vegetarian choice.  All meals are accompanied by potatoes, pasta or rice and fresh, seasonal vegetables and salad.  A wide variety of desserts is also offered.

A nutritious School dinner has been proven to increase concentration in the afternoon and our award winning School Catering Service has frozen the price of primary school meals for the 5^th year in a row through increasing/maintaining uptake and not compromising the quality.   This means that children will still be able to receive a nutritious, hot two course meal for only £1.90.

Why not take a look.

Rhyl's New One Stop Shop - Now Open!

The Council opened Rhyl’s brand new One Stop Shop to the public, 9^th November, offering a wide range of services in one building.

Customer are now able to:  

• Pay for council goods and services using new modern facilities
• Request/apply for services and find information using the new Council online computer suite
• Hire the use of a new modern meeting room
• Seek advice and support from the local policing team
• Borrow and return library goods, and make copies and print documents
• Visit the museum

On December 7th, Benefits, Council Tax and Business Rates staff moved into the building to provide customers with specialist advice.  Customers will now be able to access more council services in one building, and not have to visit several different Council buildings in one day.  

Council changes the way it buys goods and services

The Council is introducing a new electronic procurement system (eProcurement). It will be a legal requirement for the Council (and all other Wales public sector organisations) by 2018, but it will also provide benefits for both us as the buyer, and you as the supplier, in terms of efficiencies and cost savings. As a current supplier, in order to continue doing business with the council you will need to register on the new system.

Once registered, your business will be able to receive a number of benefits including:

• enables you to receive and respond to requests for quotations and tender opportunities
• enables you to receive electronic purchase orders from us, and allows you to invoice us electronically which will enable quicker payment
• saves you money - with no more printing and postage costs
• allows you to keep all your details up to date (e.g. what type of goods/services/works you provide, what geographic areas you cover, etc.) which will ensure you get notified of relevant, upcoming contracts

There is no charge for registration. In order to register please visit the Denbighshire County Council website.  Here you will find instructions and a handy supplier registration guide on what to do next. You will also find a link here to the Proactis Supplier Portal.

Digital Denbighshire

Explore technology for your business

Click here to browse some video clips and find out how businesses in Denbighshire are using technology to their benefit.  You will also find the latest information on Superfast Broadband:

• When can you get it?
• Check whether Superfast Cymru is available in your area yet
• What can you do with a fast connection?

Answers to all these questions and more on our website by clicking the above link.

Still not sure?

Contact the Superfast team for information on how to get connected, your broadband speed and more. 

For further updates and information why not follow the Economic & Business Development Team on:

	On twitter - @ebddcc
	Our blog – econdevdcc.wordpress.com
	or email us at - econ.dev@denbighshire.gov.uk to sign up to our mailing list for funding, training and events notifications.

 

School Admissions

If you have a child who will turn 3 before 1st September 2016, you will be able to apply after Christmas for a Nursery place starting in September 2016.  Details on how to apply will be available on the council website www.denbighshire.gov.uk/education and from every primary school in Denbighshire.  Remember, if you apply after the deadline, there may not be any places left in your preferred school when we come to consider your application, so make sure you submit yours by 26th February.

 

Cefndy

Denbighshire County Council owned factory Cefndy Healthcare & Manufacturing (which provides meaningful training and employment to 35 people who are disabled and/or who have a chronic work limiting health condition) was visited by Rt Hon David Jones & Dr James Davies MPs for Clwyd West and Vale of Clwyd today.  The politicians’ visit was to see new machinery introduced & funded by Denbighshire’s recent capital investment. Despite the challenging financial times facing the Local Authority, Denbighshire have displayed confidence in Cefndy by capital investment of £500k to enable the organisation to improve and replace vital machinery.  The investment will also help improve the performance and viability of the business.

The visit also enabled the MPs to learn about the impending cuts to Dept of Work & Pensions Work Choice Funding in April 2017.  Work Choice is an employment programme that supports people with disabilities and long term health issues who face real barriers when it comes to finding and keeping work.

Deborah Holmes-Langstone, Service Manager of Cefndy said:

“Cefndy has faced and continues to face challenging times but its business model is robust and its staff totally committed to its future; Denbighshire County Council’s support has come at the right time and will enable Cefndy to rise above the challenges and become more efficient as the old machinery was over 30 years old”.

Rt Hon David Jones MP said:

“It is clear that Cefndy brings much to the local economy by ensuring people with work limiting health conditions can have meaningful work.  I and my colleague will do all we can to support the vital contribution Cefndy makes”.

 

From left to right:

• Cllr Hugh Irving, Lead Member for Customers and Communities
• Mark Dixon, Economic and Business Development Officer
• Nick Bowles, Cefndy Operations Manager (at rear of Cllr Bobby Feeley)
• Cllr Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Social Care, Adult and Children's Services
• Rt Hon David Jones, MP for Clwyd West
• Dr James Davies, MP for Vale of Clwyd
• Deborah Holmes-Langstone, Cefndy Service Manager

Statement on schools funding in Denbighshire

Following a meeting to consider the latest proposals to deliver a balanced budget for 2016/17, political group leaders will be making a recommendation to the full council  in January to invest more money than planned in schools next year.

As a consequence of the better than expected revenue settlement from Welsh Government the council will provide additional funding of £853k directly to schools and will deliver the required national level of financial protection to school budgets.  

The council will also be continuing to invest in Welsh Government major capital improvement programme for schools with planned expenditure  of over £50m in the next three years.