Fair minimum wage deal for care staff demanded

* Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales.

A major campaign has been launched to ensure qualified staff who work in care homes and domiciliary care in Wales are paid a minimum of £20,000 a year.

Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, said they had been condemned to low pay for many years because of the “morally bankrupt” formulas used by local authorities and health boards to calculate the fees for social care.

According to Mr Kreft, the "heroic" response of care workers in saving lives during the coronavirus pandemic had highlighted their true value and it was high time it was recognised by the authorities who commissioned publicly funded social care.

It was, he said, a “national disgrace” that the 2020 Fair Pay campaign was necessary but he hoped it would shame the councils and the health boards into taking action to finally ensure that qualified care workers could be paid properly after a quarter of a century of a mismanaged market which has seen social care being treated as a “Cinderella service”.

As a result, the frontline workforce had been "left behind".

The Welsh Government had shown the way earlier this year when they announced a one-off £500 bonus payment for social care staff.

It was very welcome recognition and now local authorities and health boards should follow suit by updating their funding formulas so that qualified care workers received at least £20,000 a year as a bare minimum.

All those who worked in social care deserved at least the Real Living Wage.

One of Mr Kreft’s fears was that the NHS will effectively poach social care staff to cope with the extra demands caused by the second surge of the virus which was already underway.

Pay rates in the NHS were historically higher than those available in care homes and domiciliary care because their funding in relative terms was a lot more generous.

He is calling for an assurance from the seven health boards in Wales that they will not be recruiting additional staff from care homes and domiciliary care by offering them more money to work for them than they allowed care providers to pay.

Mr Kreft said: “Social care staff have risen magnificently to the immense challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the public understand better than ever that these people do have important skills and are vital to their communities across Wales.

“They are an army of heroes and should be viewed as a value rather than a cost to society.

“It is high time that when local authorities and health board commission publicly funded social care services that the formulas they use finally recognise their true value and enable providers to pay frontline staff a minimum of £20,000 a year from April 1 next year.

“Existing formulas that use the basic living wage as their benchmark are unacceptable, particularly given what the sector has achieved this year and the support the sector has from the public.

“We know from the first wave of the pandemic that the NHS does not have enough staff  to run the rainbow hospitals in Wales so the only place that they can go and get people with those sorts of skills is the care sector and the care sector is critically endangered. 

“There’s evidence from when the Dragon’s Heart Hospital Cardiff during the first wave that they were offering significantly higher rates of pay than what providers -which were commissioned by local authorities and local health boards - were able to pay. 

“Currently, many of the formulas used to commission publicly funded social care services are predicated on paying at or just above the legal minimum wage to a significant number of people which flies in the face of the traditional Welsh qualities of fairness and equality.

“As a result, we have a system that is self-perpetuating that has created a morally bankrupt vicious circle.

“The evidence that commissioners effectively set rates of pay is irrefutable.

“In normal times, between 60% and 70% of a care home’s income goes straight out in wages while it’s 80% in domiciliary care – but the percentage has been even higher  during the pandemic.

“If we lose skilled social care staff to the NHS then the result of that could be that homes could have to temporarily close down and send their residents to the field hospitals which would be counterproductive for everybody concerned as it would pile even more pressure on the beleaguered health service.

“I am therefore calling for an urgent assurance that the NHS will immediately refrain from recruiting anybody from social care by paying them higher wages. It wouldn’t take long for care home closures to fill hospital beds at the field hospitals

“After all their heroic work during the pandemic, you surely cannot deny that people who work in care homes and those who provide care in people’s own homes deserve a bare minimum of £20,800 a year for a full time equivalent member of staff for a 40 hour seek on £10 an hour .

“Money in care workers’ pockets is spent in their local communities which is a vital part of the foundation economy of Wales.

“The responsibility for making this happen clearly rests with the 22 local authorities and the seven health boards in Wales.

“The tension between a means tested social care service provided by local authorities and the NHS, free at the point of delivery has been exacerbated by unelected health boards without a democratic mandate from the community they serve.

“The social care workers in these very communities are in fact a foundation block of the healthcare system in Wales.

“We have long endured a tapestry of social care services across Wales which were not only underfunded but also promoted inequality. That tapestry has been held together by social care workers and is now threadbare.

“The time for action is now and we must shield social care and save lives this winter and into the future.”

Llangollen Town Council elects a new Mayor

* New Mayor, Cllr Austin Cheminais in his role

as Town Crier.

Llangollen Town Council held its annual meeting on Tuesday. 

The meeting, which usually takes place in May, was much delayed because of Covid-19 and was held online.

During the meeting Councillor Austin Cheminais was unanimously elected and sworn in as Llangollen’s new Mayor, with Councillor Melvyn Mile being elected as Deputy Mayor.

Cllr Cheminais has been the official Town Crier for a number of years and is also closely associated with Santa Claus through his chairmanship of the local Christmas Festival Committee. 

* New Deputy Mayor, Cllr Melvyn Mile.

He thanked outgoing Mayor Cllr Jon Haddy for his hard work on behalf of the Town Council and the residents of Llangollen during his term of office.

Cllr Cheminais thanked fellow members for their support.

He said: "It is a privilege to serve as the Town’s Mayor and I will never lose focus on putting our community first, and will work hard for what we are all incredibly passionate about - Llangollen.”

Seized criminals' cash will benefit local crimebusters

 

* PCC Arfon Jones with Sacha Hatchett, Assistant Chief Constable of North Wales Police and Ashley Rogers, chairman for PACT .

A £60,000 fund will give “power to the people” to decide who receives cash seized from criminals in North Wales.

The Your Community Your Choice scheme was launched to reward local crime busters across the region and North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones is urging community groups to bid for a share of the pot.

Up for grabs are three grants of up to £2,500 for groups in each of the six counties of North Wales and three grants of up to £5,000 for organisations working in three or more counties.

This is the eighth year of the scheme which is organised by the police and crime commissioner in conjunction with North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).

Over that period a total of £310,000 has been awarded to 106 projects working to support the priorities in the commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan which sets out a blueprint for policing North Wales.

Entries close on Friday, December 11, with the Your Community, Your Choice entry form available on the North Wales Police website with a link to it on the Police Commissioner’s website.

A shortlist of applicants will be chosen by a special panel with the winners being decided by a public vote.

The cash for the awards comes partly from money seized by the courts through the Proceeds of Crime Act with the rest from the Police Commissioner’s Fund.

Commissioner Jones, a former police inspector, said: “These awards are important because they involve the community and the communities decide where the money can best be spent. It gives power to the people.

“A lot of what we fund is aimed at providing something for young people to get involved with in their spare time rather than being tempted to commit crime or indulge in anti-social behaviour.

“We want to support communities so they are able to take responsibility for their own areas.

“Smaller community groups like them can do a great deal to make communities safer, reduce crime and reduce re-offending, It also sends a good message to the communities because it shows we are listening to them.”

His message was backed by Assistant Chief Constable Sacha Hatchett who said: “This is the eighth year of the scheme and it has been a great success because it gives the public and local communities the chance to have a stake in how local issues are addressed and how we together tackle crime and disorder.

“I get particular satisfaction that part of the funding comes from the proceeds of crime, so that money is taken out of the pockets of criminals and their ill-gotten gains by the courts and is put back into community initiatives.

“It’s turning bad money into good and it’s making a real difference because it is local people who recognise and understand their local issues and how to solve them.

“Policing is part of the community and the community is part of policing and this scheme is a positive way of building trust in policing.

“It’s great to see those relationships flourish because without the community we won’t know what’s going on, without the community we won’t get vital intelligence, and we won’t solve crimes.”

PACT chairman Ashley Rogers added: “Your community your choice is a really valuable way of supporting communities and putting the choice of which projects are supported in their hands.

“It’s a very democratic process which is why I think it’s been such a long running  and successful scheme.

“At a time when community groups are struggling for funding, I was delighted that the Police and Crime Commissioner and the force increased the size of the funding pot by 50%.

“It’s lovely project to be involved with and you can directly see the benefits from the funding in strengthening our resilient communities.”

* Completed applications must be returned by e-mail to yourcommunityyourchoice@nthwales.pnn.police.uk by 5pm on the closing date of Friday, December 11. For more information go to the commissioner’s website www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk  or the PACT website www.pactnorthwales.co.uk

 

MP welcomes Prime Minister's green blueprint

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes (pictured) has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of a ten-point plan for a "green industrial revolution" which aims to create and support up to 250,000 British jobs.

Covering clean energy, transport, nature and innovative technologies, the blueprint sets out to allow the UK to eradicate its contribution to climate change by 2050, particularly crucial in the run up to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow next year.

The plan – which is part of the PM’s mission to "level up" across the country - will use £12 billion of government investment to create and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs in the UK, and spur over three times as much private sector investment by 2030.

At the centre of the plan are the UK’s industrial heartlands, including Wales.

The Prime Minister’s ten points, which are built around the UK’s strengths, are:

1. Offshore wind: Producing enough offshore wind to power every home, quadrupling how much we produce to 40GW by 2030, supporting up to 60,000 jobs.

2. Hydrogen: Working with industry aiming to generate 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for industry, transport, power and homes, developing the first town heated entirely by hydrogen by the end of the decade.

3. Nuclear: Advancing nuclear as a clean energy source, across large scale nuclear and developing the next generation of small and advanced reactors, which could support 10,000 jobs.

4. Electric vehicles: Backing our world-leading car manufacturing bases including in the West Midlands, North East and North Wales to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, and transforming our national infrastructure to better support electric vehicles.

5.Public transport, cycling and walking: Making cycling and walking more attractive ways to travel and investing in zero-emission public transport of the future.

6. Jet Zero and greener maritime: Supporting difficult-to-decarbonise industries to become greener through research projects for zero-emission planes and ships.

7. Homes and public buildings: Making our homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient, whilst creating 50,000 jobs by 2030, and a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028.

8. Carbon capture: Becoming a world-leader in technology to capture and store harmful emissions away from the atmosphere, with a target to remove 10MT of carbon dioxide by 2030, equivalent to all emissions of the industrial Humber today.

9. Nature: Protecting and restoring our natural environment, planting 30,000 hectares of trees every year, whilst creating and retaining thousands of jobs.

10. Innovation and finance: Developing the cutting-edge technologies needed to reach these new energy ambitions and make the City of London the global centre of green finance.

Simon Baynes MP said: “The Prime Minister’s announcement is hugely ambitious and will turbo-charge a green industrial revolution across Wales and the UK.

“With its established offshore wind, nuclear and electric vehicle industries, Wales is exceptionally well-placed to drive forward decarbonisation of energy, industry and domestic heating and be a centre for innovation in green technology like carbon capture."

Latest Citizens Advice column

Here is the latest advice column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice

Q: I’d like some advice on keeping my energy bills down please. I work in admin for a big corporation. We’ve been working from home since lockdown, and have been told we’ll not be back in the office before January at the earliest. Now the weather has turned, I’m freezing sitting here all day in front of my computer! I’m worried if I turn the heating up my bills are going to go through the roof!

A: I’m sorry this is causing you to worry. However, fortunately, there’s lots you can do to keep bills down.

Firstly, see if you can get a better deal by changing your energy supplier. However, as well as comparing prices, it’s a good idea to check the customer service record of a company before switching. Citizens Advice has a price comparison tool on our website, and our star rating assesses the customer service records of the 40 biggest companies.

There are also little, everyday things that can help, such as making sure televisions and other devices are switched off and not left on standby; washing clothes on a lower temperature; and only filling the kettle with the water you need.

You’re right in another way about bills going through the roof - and the walls. One way of cutting costs in the long term is to invest in good insulation - or ask your landlord to do so.

If your pay is close to the national minimum wage, the extra costs of working from home could be counted as a pay cut and bring you below the legal level. Talk to your manager or HR department, or your union rep if that feels more comfortable.

Finally, your employer should pay for any costs connected to your health and safety - such as a suitable chair for work at a computer. It’s also worth taking a look at your employer’s expenses policy, you may be able to claim for a number of other things, such as printer ink or telephone line rental.

 

Free after three parking returns for the festive period

* Market Street car park is one of those which will be free after three.

Denbighshire County Council’s festive free parking scheme is returning between November 21 and December 31.

To encourage more people to use their local high street for shopping in the run up to Christmas and New Year, free parking will be available in Council-run town centre car parks from 3pm every day.

The Free After Three initiative will be available in the following car parks:

Llangollen:   Hall Street; Market Street; Mill Street

Corwen:        Green Lane

Denbigh:       Multi-Storey; Crown Lane; Factory Ward; Post Office Lane,

Prestatyn:    Lower High Street; Railway station

Rhuddlan:    Parliament Street

Rhyl:             Central; Morley Road; Queen Street; Sky Tower; West Kinmel Street, Rhyl Railway; Rhyl Library (disabled bays only)

Ruthin:         Crispin Yard; Dog Lane; Park Road; Rhos Street; St Peter's Square; Troed y Rhiw

Morfa Hall private car park, Rhyl, is not included in the initiative.

As well as the Free After Three scheme, the Council continues to offer two hours free parking at any time during the day until December 31 at the following car parks, Vale Street, Denbigh; East Street Llangollen; King’s Avenue, Prestatyn; Market Street, Ruthin; Bowling Green, St Asaph and Town Hall Car Park, Rhyl.

Cllr Brian Jones, the Council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said, said: “The Free After Three parking initiative has been established now for a number of years and complements our #LoveLiveLocal campaign to encourage more people to use our high streets for their festive shopping. We understand it has been a difficult time for businesses and we are encouraging shoppers to use this opportunity. There are a wealth of independent shops and businesses county-wide that offer a wide range of goods and services.

“We also want to remind residents of the two hour free parking scheme we introduced in the summer to help businesses struggling with the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak. With our two free parking initiatives, we hope more people will come into our towns to see what they have to offer. I’m sure they won’t be disappointed.”

Senedd elections to go ahead on May 6, despite pandemic

 

Plans to ensure the people of Wales can vote safely at the 2021 Senedd elections, and that they take place as planned on 6 May 2021, have been set out by the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford (pictured).

The 2021 Senedd elections are already set to be historic - they are the first elections to be subject to laws made in Wales, and for the first time, 16 and 17 year olds as well as qualifying foreign citizens, will have the democratic right to vote.

However, the Coronavirus pandemic has created significant challenges to maintaining the safety and integrity of the election.

The First Minister established the Elections Planning Group in June to consider the impact of Coronavirus and in particular, what legislative adjustments might need to be made as a result.

The group has agreed on a number of measures to increase flexibility and resilience of election operations, reflecting public health advice on how best to protect the safety and wellbeing of all involved.

These include:

• Measures to encourage vulnerable voters and others to consider applying for a postal vote and to apply early if possible;
• To provide greater flexibility around the nomination of candidates, as well as postal and proxy voting;
• Measures to ensure the safe operation of polling stations and count venues. The Welsh Government will do everything that it is appropriate to support Returning Officers to make the necessary arrangements;
• Ensuring Coronavirus regulations do not inhibit voting.

The Welsh Government is also making contingency plans in the event that the Coronavirus pandemic presents such a serious threat to public health that it is not safe to hold the election in May next year.

Preparations are underway for a draft Bill to enable the Llywydd, the Senedd’s Presiding Officer, to postpone the election for up to six months, if that becomes necessary. This would enable Ministers to introduce the required legislation before the Senedd in January, if the situation after Christmas indicates that this is likely to be needed as a last resort.

Addressing the Senedd, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Let me take this opportunity to once again state that this Government’s clear intention is that the next Senedd election should be held on 6 May 2021. We are also determined to do everything in our power to ensure people can vote when the election takes place.

“I believe we must pursue every option for enabling people to exercise their democratic right in the face of Coronavirus.

“Much communications activity is planned to encourage postal voting, and everything will be done to make polling stations covid secure.”

The First Minister added: “I would like to thank the members of the Elections Planning Group for their work to help us prepare for next year’s Senedd elections.

“This has been a remarkable year and a remarkable Fifth Senedd. Let us work together to ensure that the people of Wales, including those newly enfranchised, can exercise their democratic right safely.”