County launches energy efficiency scheme

Denbighshire County 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.

Now  the county council has worked with partners A&M Energy Solutions, 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.

Councillor David Smith, Denbighshire’s 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 the 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 Penley Branch) or 01948 83 0824.

Citizens Advice Denbighshire will be offering energy, debt and benefit advice. They can be contacted directly on 01745 814336 (Denbigh), 01745 334 568 (Rhyl), 01824 703483.

Ambulance service hailed for good practice

TWO Welsh Ambulance Service initiatives that help patients in need of mental health care and end of life care have been recognised as examples of good practice.

The Trust’s Mental Health Pathway and End of Life Care Project have both been listed on the Social Care Institute of Excellence’s website.

It comes after submissions were invited to highlight work that has raised awareness and improved implementation of the Mental Capacity Act.

Clinical Support Officer Edward O’Brian, said: “It’s fantastic for the Trust to be recognised nationally and for these initiatives to be published on the Social Care Institute of Excellence’s website.

“A simple pathway has been designed by the Trust to improve the quality and clinical appropriateness of care provided to mental health patients that access the ambulance service.

“The primary aim of the pathway is to better assist those who need an urgent mental health assessment.

“A further aim is to prevent those whose care needs are of a less urgent nature being left waiting for hours in Emergency Departments and then subsequently being discharged.

“When a paramedic is on scene with a patient they can ring the Mental Health Crisis Team and a joint decision is then made as to the best course of action for that patient which would lead to one of three possible outcomes.

“The first would be to leave them at home with signposting to relevant services and the second would be to convey them to the Emergency Department if an underlying medical condition is suspected.

“The third would be a situation in which the patient is deemed to be in need of urgent mental health support. In this case they would be taken directly to a mental health facility.”

The End of Life Care Project aims to prevent unnecessary and unwanted hospital admissions for patients receiving end of life care that access the ambulance service.

Edward, who is also the Trust’s End of Life Care Lead, said that 999 is often accessed for end of life care patients who are suffering from an increase in their symptoms.

He said: “Prior to the Trust making these changes ambulance clinicians have often had to convey these patients to hospital in order to manage their symptoms when they would much rather be at home with their families.

“The Trust has introduced mandatory training in recognition and management of specific symptoms that are often seen in end of life care.

“Clinicians can now provide further treatment by using additional medications within patients’ own homes, thus preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.

“By controlling these symptoms at home patients can then remain at home which is often their preferred place of care.”

Glyn Valley Tramway work on track

* Mark Isherwood with Ben Williams and Will Appleton.

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has praised progress on work to restore the Glyn Valley Tramway to its former glory after visiting the site.  

Anwyl Construction of Deeside recently started a five-day track clearance, operating between Hand Lane Bridge and Levers Bridge (Ty Ririd Cutting).

With this work undertaken the Glyn Valley Tramway Trust (GVTT) will be in a position to lay approximately 700m of ballast and lay the foundations

Mr Isherwood, who has long supported the GVTT in their work to restore the tramway, was among those who visited the site to witness the work get underway.  

He said: “Reinstating the railway will be a major boost to tourism in Chirk and the surrounding area. I have worked with the Trust for a number of years as they have strived to turn their dream of steam trains running here once again into a reality and I would like to congratulate them on all they have achieved to date. I look forward to visiting in the future to see further progress.”  

Denbighshire "one of best councils in Wales"

Denbighshire County 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 compared with other councils.

The bulletin shows that Denbighshire was amongst the top five 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 five 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 31^st 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."

* Denbighshire County Council has announced that school meals are to remain at £1.90 for another year.

The service has kept the price for a two-course school meal at the same price for the last four years. 

The council says this has been made possible through managing to maintain the uptake of  meals by providing "popular nutritious menus and making meal times fun with regular theme days in primary schools and varying the food offer in secondary schools across the county."

The School Meals Service is now also working in Partnership with Denbighshire Leisure Services with the aim of promoting healthy eating and healthy living to children across Denbighshire and will be running joint promotions throughout the new school academic year.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Lead Member for Finance, Corporate Plan and Performance, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer families school meals for their children at the same price as last year.  The meals are excellent value and the menus created with nutrition in mind and will help children and young people to be better prepared for their afternoon lessons.”

Ambulance service backs campaign to cut road death toll

* The Welsh Ambulance Service’s Road Safety Champion

and clinical team leader Dermot O’Leary taking part in

a mock road traffic collision exercise along

with other emergency service partners.

THE WELSH Ambulance Service is backing a European day of action to reduce the number of people killed in road accidents.

European road safety network TISPOL has launched a campaign in the hope that September 21 will be the first European Day Without A Road Death.

Project EDWARD calls on all road users to reflect on their behaviour and attitude in a bid to reduce the number of serious accidents.

Clinical Team Leader Dermot O’Leary has witnessed first-hand the impact that road traffic collisions (RTCs) have on patients, their families and members of the emergency services who attend them.

Last year 105 people were killed on the roads of Wales, while a further 1,081 were seriously injured.

Dermot said the emergence of technology and the use of devices such as mobile phones and sat navs has led to an increase in potential distractions for road users.

He added that drug driving was also on the rise, which can seriously impair a driver’s reactions.

Dermot said: “People don’t realise just how dangerous RTCs are. In a collision your weight increases between 30 and 60 times.

“Despite it being against the law you still see a lot of people driving with a phone in their hand and hands free is not really any better, as you can’t do two things at once.

“The unfortunate thing these days is we’re seeing a huge increase in so-called legal highs and the use of recreational drugs and people think that it’s okay to get behind the wheel.

“The cost that people don’t see is the emotional cost. You’ve got the emotional cost to the family because they’ve lost a loved one and you’ve got the emotional cost to the people who attend the RTC.

“One thing I always say to people is if they could be in my shoes, crawl into a crashed car and look into the face of somebody and think ‘Am I going to be able to save you?’ then they might think drink or drug driving is an issue.”

Dermot, who is based in Rhyl, takes part in Deadly Impacts Roadshows along with other emergency service partners to teach college students about the dangers of the 'Fatal Five' - excessive speed, anti-social driving, no sea tbelts, drink or drug-driving and using a mobile phone whilst driving. 

Dermot said: “Part of the problem you’ve got with the age group 15 to 24 is that road traffic death is the biggest killer.

“The kind of cars they drive in aren’t the latest ones with side impact protection and multiple airbags, they’re the older cars as it’s the first ones they can afford to drive.

“I cover what happens to their body in a collision and show them the sorts of injuries you can receive.

“We follow that up with a session whereby I’ll then show them the equipment I’ll use like tubes and cannulas.

“We put someone in a Kendrick Extrication Device so they can feel what it’s like to be extricated. It’s the closest thing to feeling it that we can give them.”

Dermot has pledged his support to Project EDWARD a nd is calling on people across Wales to take heed of the safety messages issued by the emergency services in order to prevent road deaths.

He said: “At the end of the day if you stick to speed limits, you wear your belt, you don’t drink drive, you don’t drug drive, you’re not fiddling with your mobile phone and have 100 per cent concentration then in theory you don’t have a collision.

“That’s the idea behind a day without a road death, it’s about getting everyone across Europe to wake up to that.”

* You can join the Trust in making TISPOL’s pledge to help reduce risk and improve safety on road journeys by visiting the Project EDWARD website.

Nominations sought for Clwydian Range award

Nominations from Llangollen are being sought for this year's Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB Award.

Every year the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) selects an individual or group whose contribution to the landscape and communities of the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB have been outstanding.  

The award, which is held annually, invites nominations from  businesses/individuals that operate within the AONB and provide a good quality service sustainably, along with enhancing the AONB.   

Previous winners of the award include The Raven Inn, Llanarmon yn Ial, Michael Skuse, Rod Waterfield, Woodlands Skill Centre, Bodfari, and Richard Jones, Countryside Skills.
 
Nominations should include a brief explanation as to why you think the business/individual should be considered for  the award.

They can be emailed to: karen.holthofer@denbighshire.gov.uk, or posted to: Karen Holthofer,
AONB Communications Officer, Information Centre, Loggerheads Country Park, Ruthin Road,
Denbighshire CH7 5LH by September 13.

The award will be presented at the AONB Partnership Meeting due to be held on Friday October 21.

Woman killed on Horseshoe Pass is named

* Cassie Dulson.

North Wales Police has confirmed that the woman who sadly died following the collision on the Horseshoe Pass on Monday September 5 has been named as Cassandra Jayne Dulson, also fondly known as Cassie.

She was 24-years-old and came from the Ruabon area of Wrexham.

The family say that Cassie was dearly loved and will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her.

Cassie’s family are being supported by North Wales Police and officers continue to appeal for witnesses to contact them on 101 quoting reference number U134728.