Cardiff Council launch doorstep crime hotline

Posted by Now Cardiff on Oct 1, 2012

A new rapid response hotline has been launched in Cardiff as part of the Council’s pledge to clamp down on doorstep crime and rogue trader activity.

The helpline has been specifically designed to provide support and reassurance to victims and potential victims of door step crimes and to make it easier for residents to report issues and concerns to Cardiff Council.

It follows last month’s announcement that the council is getting tough on this type of criminality through a range of enforcement and awareness raising activities.

Cardiff’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Ashley Govier, said: “A key reason why we started our campaign was to help raise awareness about door step crimes and to inform residents about how we can help because we know that for various reasons these crimes continue to go unreported.

“Now that we have launched a dedicated rapid response helpline we hope that this will encourage people to come forward and report issues to us, however insignificant they may seem.

“Put simply, the more information we have to go on, the better we can target our resources to put a stop to this type of criminality once and for all and support those who have been affected by it.

Keen to point out that the campaign is already proving effective, Councillor Lynda Thorne, who is responsible for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, added: “Within 48 hours of us launching our campaign, one Cardiff resident got in touch after seeing a feature about it in the local paper. Thanks to their information we have now been able to launch an investigation and provide support and advice to the victim.

“For me, this underlines the importance of why this helpline is so important because it sometimes takes courage and strength and to stand up to criminals like these so the least we can do it make it as easy as possible for residents to report matters to us.”

Cardiff Council’s Rapid Response Door Step Crime Helpline can be contacted on 0845 601 2 600. Calls are charged at local rate.

Please call this number if:

• If you feel pressurised, worried or concerned;
• You feel you have been or may have been a victim of door step crime – or feel that somebody else might have been:
• Or if you notice suspicious activity in your area.

Council’s scrutiny committee considers families first procurement

Posted by Now Cardiff on Sep 10, 2012

Cardiff Council’s Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee will consider how important changes to funding for projects supporting vulnerable families and young people in the city, will be communicated to those already receiving services.

Members of the committee will focus on the commissioning of services under the Welsh Government’s “Families First” project, set to take place in April 2013, which will replace the current ‘Cymorth’ funding which supports deprived young people across Wales.

The report will be presented at the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 11 September 2012.

Families First is a Welsh Government initiative promoting the development of effective multi-agency systems and support for families across Wales, particularly those living in poverty, with a clear emphasis on prevention and early intervention.

Scrutiny members will consider the type of services that Families First will fund and the arrangements being put in place to inform people of the changes that will affect them.

Cllr Siobhan Corria, Chair of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee said: “My main concern is for the families and young people who are currently receiving services through Cymorth funding, and how they will be given information about if and how the transition from Cymorth to Families First will affect them.

“We are only six months away from the introduction of Families First and as a Scrutiny Committee we are keen to look into the planned communication arrangements, and find out how we as elected community champions can best support the communication.”

The Committee will also explore in more detail both the Commissioners’ intentions in delivering outcomes based on strategic needs, and their plans for supporting and informing both providers and service users through the remainder of the procurement exercise and into the new Families First funding regime.

This includes looking into how and when service users will be informed about the transition of services from Cymorth to Families First funding, and about the new services coming on line to replace the former Cymorth-funded services. The committee will also consider how needs were identified, and evidence of the link between needs and the services that have been commissioned, plus a broad outline of the next steps and timescales ahead of the implementation in April 2013.

Cardiff gets multi-million pound schools’ investment

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 13, 2011

Around £180m of approved investment has been committed to school buildings in Cardiff in recent years as part of the Council’s aspiration of developing viable and successful schools across the city.

A report detailing the past achievements and the existing financial model in the Schools Organisation Plan will be received by the Executive next week as it considers a future funding strategy in preparation for the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools investment programme.

In tackling issues such as surplus places, school building repair backlogs and the increase in demand for Welsh-medium provision the Council has committed significant investment as part of its vision to offer good quality learning opportunities in order to raise standards of achievement at fit for purpose, local schools for local children. This is illustrated by:

• £7m for 10 new nursery units (five granted and five being progressed) including investment in primary provision also
• £3.9m for three new Welsh-medium primary schools, including investment to Bryn Celyn Primary
• £7.9m for two existing Welsh-medium primary schools transferring to new build premises
• £14m for the award winning state-of-the-art new special school, Ty Gwyn, in Caerau
• £17m for amalgamations of 10 sets of infant and junior schools into all-through primaries (six complete and four underway)
• £6.5m for four new Integrated Children’s Centre facilities (two complete and two underway)
• £12.2m investment at the two existing Welsh-medium secondary schools,  Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, including new Special Educational Needs (SEN) facilities, technology and teaching blocks as well as upgraded sports facilities
• Planning permission has been submitted for the construction of two new secondary schools – St Teilo’s (which is being relocated to new premises) and the new high school in the east of the city, while there are plans for the refurbishment of the existing St Teilo’s premises to create the city’s third Welsh-medium secondary school. The St Teilo’s plan also includes investment in Cardiff High School and Llanishen High School. The total amount of investment committed to these projects is £63.6m.

The report outlines how the Council has been the body driving investment in Cardiff’s school buildings with 70 per cent of funding to date being provided by the Council and 30 per cent being provided by the Welsh Government. However, for future schemes the majority of funding will need to be provided by the Welsh Government.

The Council is awaiting the outcome of its bid for 21st Century Schools Band A funding to continue its investment programme in schools in Cardiff where it is hoped that investment from the Welsh Government over the entire programme will at least match the investment delivered by the Council. The report also highlights a planned consultation with head-teacher representatives on Cardiff’s School Budget Forum which could enable some £6 million of investment in schools IT to transform the learning environment for the 21st century.

Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “We have accomplished a great deal over the last few years as part of our vision of creating 21st Century schools across the city. The level of investment in schools is evidence of this Council’s strong commitment to education in the city.

“We are keen to keep the ball rolling and ensure that the excellent progress we have made is continued. 21st Century Schools funding from the Welsh Government will be key to ensuring we can make further progress with our plans to provide all children and young people in the city with the best opportunities to achieve their potential.”

Major step forward for Ysgol Treganna

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 11, 2011

Plans to transfer Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna to new build premises have taken a major step forward.

Cardiff Council’s Executive will receive a report next week to inform them that no objections were received to the statutory notice to transfer the school as a three form of entry school with nursery into new build premises on Sanatorium Road and to close Ysgol Tan-Yr-Eos with pupils transferring to the enlarged Ysgol Treganna on the new site.

The notice was published on May 9 and the statutory objection period lasted one month.

Officers are now seeking Executive approval to implement the proposal from September 1, 2013.

The proposal was developed to address the increase in demand for Welsh-medium primary places in this part of the city. No existing English-medium provision will be closed or reduced in capacity as a result of this plan.

Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “This is a major step forward in our plans to transfer Ysgol Treganna into a brand new, state-of-the-art building.

A new three form of entry school will alleviate the overcrowding issues at the existing schools and provide children with a fit for purpose learning environment.”