Latest Citizens Advice column

Here is the column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice:

Q: I’ve just been offered a new job and now I need to tell my current employer. The new company wants me to start as soon as possible. The problem is, we’re already a bit short-staffed where I am now and I don’t know how soon I’ll be allowed to leave. How should I bring all this up with my boss?

A: Congratulations on your new role. It can feel awkward telling your current employer you’re moving on. The time between telling your employer you’ve found a new position and you actually leaving is known as your notice period. 

If you’ve been in your current job for less than a month, you won’t have to give any notice period (unless your contract says otherwise). If it’s more than a month, you’ll have to give at least one week’s notice. Your contract should make it clear exactly how long is expected. 

If you don’t have a contract, and your employer has no written record of you agreeing to a notice period, you should give at least one week’s notice. 

It’s worth waiting until your new employer has confirmed your employment, for example by giving you a start date before handing in your resignation. It’s then best to resign in writing (email is fine), so that you have a record of the date you told your employer. On the Citizens Advice website we have a page on handing in your notice with tips on how to write this letter. 

You can work a longer notice than the one in your contract, if you wanagree it with your employer. If you’re keen to move on sooner rather than later, it may also be possible to negotiate a shorter notice period than your contract says. If you want to go down this route, it can be useful to reassure your current employer that you will tackle any urgent work before finishing. 

Fixed-term contracts are a bit different, as you won’t need to give notice if you intend to leave on the last day of contract. Leaving early would usually mean giving at least one week’s notice, unless your contract says otherwise. 

Don’t forget about your holiday days during your notice period. If you have unused paid holiday you should speak to your employer about either taking these during the notice period or being paid for them. 

Finally, sometimes people can change their mind about moving jobs or find their circumstances alter. If this happens to you, you should speak to your current employer to see what the options are and if you can stay in your current role. 

Everyone’s situation is different, but if you face any challenges with an existing or potential employer, contact Citizens Advice for advice: Freephone number 0808 278 7933 or visit our website pages about what to do when you’re leaving a job.

Thinking of becoming a councillor?

Denbighshire County Council is hosting an information event aimed at residents thinking of becoming a  councillor.

The next county council elections will take place on Thursday, May 5 on the same day as the city, town and community council elections.

Council representatives will be on hand to provide information on the role of the county councillor, how the council works, the issues county councillors will face after the elections, the nomination and election process and the support available to councillors once elected.

The event will be held on Zoom starting at 6pm on Tuesday, March 1 and will last for approximately an hour.

If you would like to attend please email democratic@denbighshire.gov.uk or telephone (01824) 712589 / 712575.

* For further information about any aspects of the elections process, please visit:

www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/your-council/voting-and-elections/be-a-councillor.aspx or call 01824 706000.

  

Llangollen Railway offers passes for local residents

If you live in an LL20 or LL21 postcode you can now apply for an annual residents pass to use at Llangollen Railway.

The passes cost £50 for an adult or senior and £25 for a child and offer free travel on A, B or C timetables only. They are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

The passes are not valid for special events, galas, Santa Specials, evening events or charter trains.

If you would like to apply for a residents pass you need to visit Llangollen Railway Office on Platform 2, Llangollen Station.Passes offer free travel on A, B or C timetables only.  

Current office hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday – 9am until 5pm.  The office is closed for lunch between 1pm and 1.30pm.

The railway says you will need to bring:

• Proof of Address – current utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 3 months or current driving licence

Old passes cannot be accepted as proof of address.

• Passport sized photograph for each pass

A new photograph is required as this cannot be taken off any old pass.

• Payment

We can accept cash, credit/debit cards – not American Express. 

* For further information, telephone Llangollen Railway office on 01978 860979 or email: info@llangollen-railway.co.uk.

Support available for residents looking for work

Residents struggling to secure a job can apply for free support through the county council's Working Denbighshire team.

Working Denbighshire has been in place since 2018 to help tackle poverty through employment.

The service aims to support individuals by providing access to a network of services to provide career opportunities and develop resilient communities around the county.

Over 300 Working Denbighshire participants have already secured a job through the scheme and over 100 participants have already completed a placement of their choice.

Some of the more typical elements of support Working Denbighshire provides are:

* Job searches, CV writing, interview skills/ techniques and completing job applications

* Confidence building, motivational and wellbeing support

* Support in finding work and volunteering placements as well as training opportunities

* Training to learn new skills and gain qualifications

* Funding to help support with courses, transport, clothing or anything else which may be holding you back (subject to approval).

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Denbighshire’s Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “This proactive approach to improve employment gaps has been put in place to tackle poverty throughout the county.”

“It is important that we continue to support our people’s future and provide them with the best possible opportunities.”

“By removing barriers and providing this service of support, we are providing individuals with a greater chance of obtaining a job in their chosen career. I would encourage anyone struggling to secure a job to sign up to this service and make great use of the benefits being offered.”

The service has organised free events in libraries across the county to give anyone interested an opportunity to speak with a Working Denbighshire mentor face to face.

* Events will take place on Wednesday 23^rd February, Thursday 3^rd March and Friday 11^th March. To find an event near you, visit – https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/jobs-and-employees/working-denbighshire/working-denbighshire.aspx or to apply for support fill out the Working Denbighshire referral form via  https://working.denbighshire.gov.uk/

Special activities mark Dee Valley Wellness Week

* Fire on the mountain – outdoor skills expert Jamie Corry with Sally Lloyd-Davies, of South Denbighshire Community Partnership.

A chance to channel your inner Bear Grylls with activities like breadmaking over an open fire is part of a Wellbeing Week designed to help people in the Dee Valley chill out after the trials and tribulations of the pandemic.

The free six-day event features everything from bushcraft to knitting with sessions to boost mental wellbeing as well as countryside skills, cookery and crafts and is being staged in Corwen and Llangollen from Monday, February 28.

The packed programme has been put together by South Denbighshire Community Partnership (SDCP) and will be based at venues in Corwen and Llangollen.

Alongside Knit and Knatter, pampering and cooking demonstrations there will be Nature for Health activities, Emotional Resilience coaching, exercise sessions and bread-making, which takes place at the Pengwern Centre in Llangollen.

But this is breadmaking with a difference and comes courtesy of outdoors expert Jamie Corry, who runs the Wild Bushcraft Company, a glamping and outdoor activities centre at The Forge, near Corwen, in the shadow of Moel Fodig, a 3,500-year-old hillfort.

He said: “It’s not like regular breadmaking – this is bannock bread, unleavened dough twisted around a stick and cooked over an open fire.

“The air in the bread when you knead it makes it expand when it’s cooked – it’s delicious and very easy but first you have to make your fire with sparks from a flint and the bark from silver birch which is full of volatile oils and soon catches light.”

The breadmaking will be at the Pengwern Centre in Llangollen Centre and Scot Jamie Corry is also in charge of the sessions on countryside skills and axe-throwing but there are also less physical activities on offer.

SDCP Community Health and Wellbeing Officer Jess Horner said: “We have put this varied programme together to provide opportunities to try new things all of which aim to improve wellbeing.

“We want to trial a number of activities and get feedback on how successful and worthwhile they are with a view to offering them in future.

“Many people have found life very difficult in the pandemic and this is an opportunity for the community to come together as part of our National Lottery community fund funded ‘ Your place or Ours‘ and Betsi Cadwaladar Health Board funded ‘ICAN’ projects to help improve people’s wellbeing”

The wellbeing week has secured match funding from Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) as part of their ‘Winter of wellbeing’  initiative and on the first day of the wellbeing week SDCP will be hosting a drop-in financial wellbeing event at Canolfan Ni Corwen in partnership with Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council, Citizens Advice Denbighshire and many other organisations.

* To access the full timetable of wellbeing week activities please visit  https://www.facebook.com/sdcpartnership and to book directly you can visit SDCP’s Eventbrite page http://sdcp.eventbrite.com/ or contact SDCP on 01490 266044.

This week's work on 2020 project

Work planned for the week ahead on the town's 2020 project is: 

• Move the two-way traffic lights ready for the next phase of works on Castle Street
• The following work will take place on the west side of Castle Street from Parade Street, heading north:
  • install kerbs
  • prepare and install paving
  • trial holes on Bridge Street (west side) and excavate for kerbs
  • prepare and install paving outside of the Town Hall (if the scaffolding has been removed) 

A483 viaduct now open again, says Traffic Wales

Traffic Wales North & Mid-Wales announced on Twitter at 1.17pm today that the A483/A5 viaduct was now open again.

The stretch of road was closed overnight due to high winds causing a 15-mile diversion through Llangollen which brought traffic gridlock to the town.