Gair Bach o Gyngor - December 2023

Gair o Gyngor December 2023

Issue 10

Staff Cyngor Gwynedd

DERWEN STAFF SHINE ON THE SMALL SCREEN

“Gair bach”

from the editor

Welcome to another edition of Gair Bach o Gyngor.

As you can see on the cover, staff from the Derwen Service have been very busy renovating a location for children with disabilities. On pages 8 and 9 we hear from the staff members who starred on Prosiect Pum Mil programme.

On pages 4 and 5 we read about an exciting care plan that the Council has to recruit and develop staff to the Care sector. We will read about the experience of one member of staff who is part of Gwynedd Council's Occupational Therapists scheme.

On page 6 we can read about how one of the stars of the Wales football team has shown support for one of the Council's Services.

With Christmas approaching, it can be a very challenging time when facing a cost of living crisis. On pages 12 and 13 we meet the team that visits the residents of the county to provide support with living costs.

We have many other interesting stories for you to read, I hope you enjoy reading them.

We want to hear about your and your colleagues' successes. Perhaps a project has received praise or you have introduced something new in the workplace. Big or small, we want to hear about them.

Remember if you would like to contribute to the next issue you can get in touch by e-mailing cyfathrebumewnol@gwynedd.llyw.cymru or phoning 01286 679341.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the magazine in 2023. Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ffion Did you know that 60% of the British population are on Facebook? Here in Gwynedd we are no different and that is why, following discussions with staff a Facebook group has been created specifically for ALL Cyngor Gwynedd staff.

This is an opportunity for all of us to receive information about the Council straight away - on your phone, iPad or computer. If you would like to join the group, search for "Staff Cyngor Gwynedd" on Facebook .

WINNER OF THE 2024 CALENDAR COMPETITION Congratulations to Aled Carrington Rees who has won this year’s calendar competition with his picture of the Dinorwig goat. The winning photograph will appear on the Council’s official calendar for 2024.

Aled said: "I was fascinated to see a goat in Snowdonia, with the majestic background of Yr Wyddfa. It was a stunningly beautiful day, and I felt lucky to see such a rare and magical moment. I quickly grabbed my camera and took the photo, knowing I only had a few seconds to capture the essence of this shy and iconic animal. I enjoy exploring Snowdonia on foot and by bike and my camera is always ready to capture the special beautiful views I come across. I am grateful to everyone who voted for me and appreciated my photo."

Celebrating Occupational Therapists

Richard

At the beginning of November, Occupational Therapy week was held. The week is an opportunity to celebrate Occupational Therapists and all the work they do in our local communities. Gwynedd Council has an exciting care scheme to recruit and develop staff for the Care sector. The scheme means that trainees have the opportunity to study for a degree with a professional qualification part time; with time to attend university and study time alongside being able to continue in their job.

Often the costs of attending university or college and the time investment means that it is not an option that people can consider and this scheme negates some of these obstacles with Gwynedd benefiting from a source of local Occupational Therapists.

One member of staff who is part of the Council's Occupational Therapists scheme is Richard Cashman.

Let’s take the opportunity to ask Richard about his experience as a trainee on the scheme.

How have you reached where you are today?

My journey to get to where I am now has been a varied one. From my professional football coaching role over in America, to a classroom assistant in primary and secondary schools, a support worker, coordinating a Health and Well-being project over in Antur Waunfawr and a sports teacher. Over the past four years, I have been on a journey in the health and well-being field with the Learning Disability team at Gwynedd Council.

All of these experiences have played a central role in my development, giving me a variety of skills to use throughout my career. These experiences have taught me the value of flexibility, patience, taking positive risks and putting the people I support at the heart of everything I do.

What is your work background?

My first experience of the care sector was about seven years ago when I had the privilege of working with a young man over in Anglesey. This experience left a big mark on me personally and professionally.

Within that role I began to recognise the positive impact a collaborative and supportive team can have on an individual's life.

During that period I had my first contact with Occupational Therapists and an opportunity to learn more about the role. I began to become aware of the transformative potential this type of work could have on someone's life. I saw first hand how the collaboration empowered individuals to gain more independence and participate in more purposeful occupations.

After this, my interest in the role grew, but I was not aware of how and where to start pursuing a career in the field. As I gained more experience in care, I came across a great opportunity after I rejoined the Council and the Learning Disability Team full time. I came across the occupational therapy trainee scheme.

How has the trainee scheme helped you?

The trainee scheme has not only opened doors for me but also offered a unique platform for professionals to work towards a new career. At the moment, I am in my first year, having just finished an 8 week placement with the Blind Veterans in Llandudno. This means I have another 3 and a half years left on the course.

My placement with Blind Veterans has been extremely positive. Working with the veterans in this setting has allowed me to see first-hand the amazing impact of Occupational Therapy on visually impaired individuals. The support and guidance from experienced staff has been key in my professional growth, and I have had the privilege of the opportunity to develop my skills further. This placement has been a great help towards my understanding of the role of Occupational Therapy in enriching the lives of those who face unique challenges, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity. And to be honest, none of this will be possible without the trainee scheme.

What does the scheme mean to you?

The trainee scheme has been an amazing opportunity for me to combine academic studies with practical, real-world experience as a Well-being Officer within the Learning Disabilities team. I really enjoy the learning journey, and being surrounded by other learners on the course with a diverse range of experiences is great.

This combination of academic and practical experiences allows me to bridge theory with practical application. It is a process that deepens my understanding of the role of Occupational Therapy and underlines its vital importance in trying to improve the lives of individuals.

The ongoing support from the Training Department has been and continues to be amazing. Not having to sacrifice my income while aiming for a new career has eased a significant burden. Furthermore, being part of a Whatsapp group with fellow members of the scheme who are also council staff has been an excellent resource for sharing information, seeking advice and exchanging good practice.

These elements have made my experience with the scheme worthwhile and I am very grateful for the opportunity. I would recommend this scheme to anyone considering a career in Occupational Therapy or any other career out there. The combination of support, financial flexibility, and a supportive community of professionals has made this journey a very positive one.

For more information about development and job opportunities in the care sector here in Gwynedd: call Gill or Elen 07384876908 e-mail gofalu@gwynedd.llyw.cymru go to www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/GalwGofalwyr

WALES FOOTBALLER SUPPORTS DEMENTIA ACTIF Nathan Broadhead is a familiar name to football fans. Nathan who plays as a striker for Wales and Ipswich Town was born in Bangor and has recently shown his support for one of the Council's services which supports people with dementia.

Nathan has donated his shirt from the Wales v Gibraltar match which took place at Cae Ras, Wrexham in October to Dementia Actif Gwynedd.

Gwynedd's Dementia Actif Team is passionate about raising awareness, reducing stigma and breaking down barriers surrounding Dementia.

The team aims to support people who have been affected by dementia, and to help make it easier to talk about Dementia which will in turn support people to live as well as possible with the disease.

Nathan

This is not the first time that Nathan has shown his support as he supported fundraising efforts for Dementia Actif earlier in the year by becoming the proud owner of the latest Bangor Comrades shirt. The Bangor Comrades were formed in 2018 as an informal group of Bangor supporters on social media who wanted to keep the spirit and history of the game alive in the city. The group is working to promote community activities especially those related to well-being and mental health support. They have already collected £1,270 to support Dementia Actif Gwynedd.

Emma Quaeck, Dementia Actif Gwynedd Co-ordinator said: "The team and members of Dementia Actif Gwynedd would like to thank everyone from Bangor Comrades for the incredible effort to raise the amazing sum of £1,270 - we are overwhelmed by the generosity.

The money will go towards organising a special event for unpaid carers who care for loved ones living with dementia.

“We know that unpaid carers and family members do a great job in challenging circumstances and we would like to show our appreciation by providing an event that will give them some time and enjoyment. Thank you very much once again."

Lia from Dementia Actif Gwynedd with Moira Owen (unpaid carer) and Pete Jones (from Bangor Comrades)

RAISING MONEY IN MEMORY OF ALISON

Ruth, Arwel, Huw, Miriam & Guto

Earlier this year we received the extremely sad news of the shockingly sudden passing of our friend and colleague Alison Evans. Alison was a Procurement Adviser at the Central Procurement Service.

Alison's family, friends and colleagues decided to take part in a walk during the Summer in a location where Alison enjoyed spending time. The journey began in Llangollen visiting the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct before walking back and completing the walk in Llangollen.

The group walked ten miles over three and a half hours so it was important to give the feet a rest in the Chapel Tea Room before completing the journey.

Although it rained heavily on the way down to Llangollen, the sun came out and everyone enjoyed the day in a location that was very close to Alison's heart.

Congratulations to the crew for raising £1,000 for the Stroke Association.

DERWEN STAFF SHINE ON THE SMALL SCREEN

Karen a Demi (middle) with the transformation crew

Some familiar faces starred on the small screen recently as the Prosiect Pum Mil crew visited Pwllheli. It was Caban Heli that received attention as Trystan and Emma helped the Derwen team to transform an old sailing club into a suitable centre for the children who use their services. Two members of staff who took part in the programme were Karen Parry Davies and Demi Davies. Here’s an opportunity to ask them both about the experience of being part of one of S4C's most popular programmes.

Can you explain a bit about the Derwen Service?

We are an integrated team that works with disabled and poorly children and young people between the ages of 0 and 18 in Gwynedd. We provide information, assessments, intervention and support to children and young people with ongoing needs as a result of disability or illness.

We also aim to support families, carers and the wider community in order to promote health and well-being, develop skills and carry out various activities to ensure positive developments and outcomes for the service users and their families.

How did it feel to take part in the Five Thousand Project?

Amazing. Thrilling. There are no words to describe it to be honest. A once in a lifetime experience – for real! Also a feeling of great satisfaction, that we manage to create a provision that is extremely valuable to the team and also to the wider community.

How did you feel about being in front of a camera?

Demi: Terrible!! Karen not too fond of the camera (she says!!) but made a lot of effort to look like a 'super-model' for the audience!!!

Karen: Demi was quiet - will have to get a camera more often I've never seen her so quiet!!

How long did it take to transform Caban Heli?

A lot of preparation work was done in the weeks leading up to the big weekend but the majority of the work was done over a period of three days.

What difference did the transformation make to the lives of the children you support and to you as staff?

The satisfaction the children get from the different resources is incredible. Having the opportunity to be part of Prosiect Pum Mil has enabled us to have a safe haven for the children we support, as well as the staff. Using Caban Heli regularly has enabled us as staff to build new relationships, communicate and collaborate more effectively in order to be able to focus and ensure that the children, young people and their families receive a safe and quality service.

Having a safe haven has enabled us to maintain a variety of group activities which develop the children's social skills and socialising opportunities which did not happen so often before.

What is your favorite part of Caban Heli?

Karen: Outside! Although it is very difficult to appoint one location as every part has completely amazed me.

Demi: There is no favorite part – everywhere!!! But if I have to choose, for me it would be the dark sensory room, the children love relaxing and having a little break from the excitement of life (and me too!!) in there.

How was the support from the local community?

We can’t thank the local community and businesses enough for helping us. We would be here forever trying to name them all! We owe a lot to the community everyone gave up their free time to complete the work on a short timescale.

Also, the generosity of people in regards to giving us discounts and stuff for free has been amazing, we never expected so much from people. Not only in our community, but what has shocked us the most is the support we have received from the wider community.

A crew came from Wrexham to help and they gave us free gifts, we couldn’t believe it!

Our hope now is to establish the place as a resource for the local community, eventhough there are a few loop holes to jump through, we are hoping things will be in place by the beginning of the year. Once again we would like to add our appreciation to everyone involved with the project from start to finish.

You can watch Prosiect Pum Mil: Caban Heli by following this link: BBC iPlayer - Prosiect Pum Mil - Prosiect Pum Mil: Caban Heli, Pwllheli

To learn more about Derwen, go to: Gwefan: Tîm Integredig Plant Anabl Facebook: Derwen

GWENNO RECEIVES RECOGNITION Huge congratulations to Gwenno Angharad Williams that was one of five that reached the shortlist for Valuable Partners award, Careers Wales. Gwenno, who works as a Marketing and Careers Development Officer in the Children and Family Support Department was nominated in the Outstanding Personal Contribution category.

The awards are a way for Careers Wales to ackowledge and thank those who have collaborated with them.The awards seremony in Cardiff was a chance to celebrate all businesses that were on the short list before annoucing the winner.

Gwenno has received a nomination for: • Showing exceptional commitment to support activities in schools • Showing willingness to try new ideas • Encouraging others from their organisation to participate • Take concrete steps to promote their relationship with Careers Wales and schools.

Gwenno

Gwenno said: “I am extremely grateful to have been nominated in the Career Wales Valuable Partner Awards. It is nice to spend time with young people, to be able to give them advice and plant ideas for their career paths. When we were at School I remember getting support from various employers and I think that seeing your options is very important. It is very nice to return to Schools and that the pupils remember you and to see that they have taken your advice.

We were working late one night, and happened to be at a Careers Wales event in Pontio, when I received an email from a young lady that solidifies exactly why we do this work. After doing a mock interview session with him and having an information session on work experience, on his own initiative this young lady had decided to get in touch to arrange work experience in one of our residential homes. He noted that without these sessions he would never have had the motivation to go for it - and that, in my opinion, says it all!"

Staff Success We are keen to celebrate your successes as a member of the Council's staff.

Have you or your colleague recently gained a qualification?

Like Gwenno, you may have received recognition from an external body.

Please contact CyfathrebuMewnol@gwynedd.llyw.cymru so that we can celebrate your efforts.

COST OF LIVING SUPPORT Services across the Council have responded to the cost of living crisis.

Let's meet some of the staff members who visit the residents of the county to hold cost of living support sessions.

“Hello, I'm Victoria and I work on the Supporting People Programme in the Leadership Team as a Wellbeing Champion. I travel all over Gwynedd to help people with the cost of living crisis. I organize events and attend other events to ensure that I reach more places in order to help more people. I can help people with a number of things but whatever I can't do, I can refer you to the appropriate service.

You are welcome to contact me by e-mailing croesocynnes@gwynedd.llyw.cymru.”

“"I'm Meilyr, and I work for Gwynedd Council's Energy Service in the Housing and Property Department. I am interested in anything that saves energy and money. I search through the things that are available to the people of Gwynedd all the time, and love to pass that information on. Over winter I visit several places in the county, otherwise I am on the other end of the phone dealing with inquiries.

You are welcome to contact me by e-mailing: tloditanwydd@gwynedd.llyw.cymru or phoning 01286 679589.”

“Hello, I'm Ffion Haf. I work for Gwynedd Council's Energy Service in the Housing and Property Department. I enjoy going around Gwynedd to give Energy Living Costs support to the residents of Gwynedd. If you need a chat, please contact me. I'm more than willing to listen and try to help you in any way possible.

You can contact me by e-mailing: tloditanwydd@gwynedd.llyw.cymru or phoning 01286 679589.”

"I'm Carol, and I work for Gwynedd Council's Energy Service in the Housing and Property Department. I aim to ensure that the people of Gwynedd are aware of the help available to them with fuel costs and living costs in general. I work closely with other Officers within the Council as well as organisations that help with living costs and can refer you to them.

I visit several places in the county, sharing information and offer 1:1 support. I am also available on the phone to deal with your inquiries on a daily basis. Contact me by email tloditanwydd@gwynedd.llyw.cymru or by calling 01286 679589.”

"Hello, we are Llinos and Mari, we both work in the Family Information Service in the Children's Department as Family Information Officers. We are here to help and guide families to obtain information about financial help to pay for childcare, a list of childcare providers in Gwynedd, support services available, promoting activities and any additional information for families.

You can contact us by e-mailing GGTGwyneddFIS@gwynedd.llyw.cymru or phoning 07976 623816.”

Support with Cost of Living Remember about the specific section on Help with Living Costs on the Council's website.

All kinds of information are here for example: advice on benefits information about energy in the home contact details of other organisations that can help.

Remember to go over to the website to ensure you receive all the help, support and practical advice available. Go to the website by scanning the code on the right side of the page or by following this link: Cymorth Costau Byw (llyw.cymru).

If you would like more information about what the Council is doing to help people with the cost of living, contact: Chloe Roberts - Inclusion and Tackling Poverty Co-ordinator ChloeRoberts@gwynedd.llyw.cymru / croesocynnes@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

Re-launch of Staff Coaching Scheme Here are Nia Gwynn Meacher and Ffion Bryn Jones from the Learning and Organisational Development Service to explain more about the scheme.

What is Coaching?

Coaching is a way of giving people time to think. It is a very effective development method which assists individuals to reflect, identify and achieve their objectives.

Its main aim is to provide support to improve performance and is usually based on a specific task or objective. The Learning and Organisational Development Service coordinates the internal coaches, it is a voluntary and completely confidential scheme.

Ffion discussing the coaching scheme with Laura

Is it a Training method?

While coaching is learning a skill or transferring knowledge directly from an expert in the field, coaching is an evolving approach that is timely and specific. It seeks to empower individuals to identify answers to their queries for themselves.

Who would be my coach?

The Council's facilitators have received professional training before holding sessions. They are not necessarily an expert in the field of the person who is bein coached.

What is usually discussed during coaching sessions?

Identify objectives, gain clarity and focus for career development Reflect on practice and gain insights into new ways of working Identify plans for self-development More motivation to act and to tackle challenges Develop self awareness and improve interpersonal communication skills Where will my Coaching sessions be held?

Depending on your preference, they can be held face to face in a suitable location, or over TEAMS. Sut mae gwneud cais am gymhelliant?

You will need to complete the application form that is available on the team’s intranet and sent it to Cymhelliant@gwynedd.llyw.cymru. If you don’t have access to the intranet pleas e-mail Cymhelliant@gwynedd.llyw.cymru. Ffion and Nia will arrange a chat with you in order to ensure that coaching is the right option for you. Following this, a coach will be chosen and the coaching can start.

Here’s feedback from Council staff members who have received coaching: “I see so much value in the sessions. The coach knew how to challenge me and helped me discover how I feel about my work and to feel more confident in the workplace."

“I feel more positive after the coaching sessions because I have set myself realistic objectives and targets to work towards”.

CALENDAR COMPETITION 2024 Here are a few of the photod which reached the shortlist this year.

Llynoedd Cregennen, Martin Evans

Castell Dolbadarn, Ruth Evans

Camfa Tre Ceiri, Nia Jane Owen- Midwood

Rhaeadr Llyn Dinas, Tomos Wyn Jones