Latest News from Bridgend County Borough Council, 30 December 2023

Highways team on hand throughout Storm Gerrit

The Council’s Highways team have been working throughout the week to keep roads across the county borough open and clear of debris.

Crews have worked around the clock to check culverts and drains and no incidents of flooding have been reported.

With the worst of the weather now over and the flood warnings lifted, they are currently conducting another check to minimise the risk of any consequential problems.

Please visit the council’s website to read more about winter weather preparations.

 

Update on Waste and Recycling collections

Kier have informed the council that there may be some delays to upcoming waste and recycling collections due to the large volume of Christmas waste and issues with some vehicles.

For any missed collections, residents are advised to leave out their waste and recycling for it to be collected as soon as possible.

As a reminder:

  • Collections due the week commencing Monday 25 December 2023 (Christmas Day) are scheduled to be collected two days later than usual.
  • Collections due the week commencing Monday 1 January 2024 (New Years Day) are scheduled to be collected one day later than usual.

Residents can also put out one extra bag for their first refuse collection after Christmas.

The council apologises for any inconvenience caused.

 

Inspectors praise ‘shared ethos’ of child protection arrangements in Bridgend County Borough

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet have been presented with the findings of a recent Joint Inspectorate Review of Child Protection Arrangements in Bridgend County Borough.

Inspectors praised the shared ethos of the multi-agency partnership which includes Bridgend County Borough Council, South Wales Police and Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board.

The joint inspection, which took place between 12 and 16 June 2023, was conducted by Care Inspectorate Wales, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, Estyn, and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

The findings of the report highlight many examples of positive practice including:

  • Professionals identifying children in need of help and protection and reporting their concerns accordingly to enable accurate, early decision-making.
  • Schools across Bridgend County Borough working well with a wide range of services to support children and families.
  • Good multi-agency attendance and participation in child protection meetings arranged under the Wales Safeguarding Procedures.
  • Actual and potential risks are identified well with proportionate actions taken to protect children.

The report also notes some areas for improvement and work has already started to address challenges around information sharing between agencies at the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, gaps in recording and supervision and inconsistencies with quality of care and support protection plans.

The Deputy Leader Cllr Jane Gebbie, who is also the Cabinet Member for Social Services and Health, said: “I welcome the findings of this report as it offers an independent insight into the work of each organisation as well as the effectiveness of our efforts as a multi-agency partnership.

“I’d like to thank all of our staff and stakeholders for their hard work as we continue to make excellent progress in relation to our safeguarding arrangements and we already have some significant plans in place as a partnership to address many of the improvements mentioned in the report.

“We continue to work with all of our partners as well as the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board to deliver ongoing improvements which will help to ensure that we offer the best service possible. I look forward to providing further updates in the new year.”

 

Apply now: Halo Sport Foundation to support stars of the future

Local athletes can follow in the footsteps of their Olympic and Paralympic heroes by applying for support from the Halo Sport Foundation.

Applications close on Tuesday 20 February 2024 and the foundation offers crucial support such as the offer of free membership at Halo’s sport and leisure facilities.

The foundation is open to several sports including triathlon, swimming, shooting, gymnastics, para table tennis, judo, deaf rugby, rugby, waterpolo, netball, basketball, taekwondo, athletics, rowing, surfing, canoeing, squash and tennis. Other sports that are recognised by Sport Wales will also be considered.

Application forms and more information about the eligibility criteria can be found on the Halo Sport Foundation website.

 

Year 10 learners welcomed into The Seren Network

Earlier this month, 226 learners from secondary schools in the county borough came together for a Seren Network welcome event.

The fully funded Welsh Government initiative is dedicated to supporting Wales’ most able state-educated learners to fulfil their academic potential – allowing students to access leading universities and succeed on highly selective degree programmes.

International rugby player, Sam Costelow made a guest appearance to chat with learners as well as the Mayor, Cllr Williams Kendell, the Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Jon-Paul Blundell, and the Director of Education and Family Support, Lindsay Harvey.

Please visit Welsh Government’s website to read more about the Seren programme.

 

Reminder: Nominations still open for Mayor’s Citizenship Awards 2024 

Residents are reminded that nominations for the council’s Mayor’s Citizenship Awards 2024 are still open.

The awards are an annual opportunity to celebrate the achievements of individuals, groups and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to life in Bridgend County Borough.

Nominees must live or work locally and have shown the kind of values that are so important to local communities. They might have:

  • Raised an outstanding amount for charity
  • Performed an act of great bravery
  • Regularly gone the extra mile for others
  • Put the local area on the map
  • Achieved something really special over the past 18 months

Please visit the council’s website for more information about the awards and to find out how to make a nomination.

Nominations will close on Friday 12 January 2024.