July 2020

Carers Wales is delighted to announce a new series of online events to support the emotional well-being and mental health of unpaid carers in Wales.

A High Court judge has quashed a decision by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council to implement proposals for a wide-ranging re-organisation of primary, secondary and sixth-form education in the Pontypridd area.

STAFF at an award-winning Welsh care provider are (August 2020) offering free advice to the elderly on avoiding scams and fraudsters during the current climate.

This year marks the start of the journey towards the next examination of government’s progress in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

If you are a patient waiting to see a consultant, specialist nurse or therapist, at Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB you can now access your appointment via a secure video link without having to leave your home.

The Council has begun a series of improvements to bus stops at 30 locations on the B4275/A4054 route between Aberaman and Abercynon, utilising full funding from Welsh Government.

THANKS TO YOU ALL for turning social media Steelhouse NHS Hero blue over the weekend. We've loved seeing the pics of you all in your SH2020 shirts and we thought we should show you ours. 

Today (28 July 2020) a consultation has been launched seeking your views on proposed changes to the Highway Code. 

The review is being held by the Department for Transport, to improve safety for vulnerable road users, particularly the groups of:

‘Exhausted’ staff try to recover from summer term, but few anticipate opportunity to switch off and relax

The two Rhondda Cynon Taf recipients of The Diana Award 2020 have been inundated with messages of goodwill and support from family members, politicians, teachers and celebrities.

Foxglove puppets have kindly offered one lucky winner the chance to win a bespoke puppet.  The puppet can be of you, a family member, friend or even your pet! You can enter the raffle on Just Giving and one entry is only £5 https://rb.gy/wtseqj

Parents in Wales are being urged to claim Child Benefit, even if they have not yet been able to register the birth of their new-borns, to ensure they don’t miss out.

Velindre University NHS Trust will hold its first virtual Board meeting in public on Thursday 30 July.

Tax credits customers have just one week left to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about changes to their circumstances or income before the deadline on 31 July 2020.

Homes created under permitted development rights (PDR) conversions offer worse residential environments than those converted under normal planning permission, research for the Government has found.

HE WELSH MINISTERS (THE NEATH TO ABERGAVENNY TRUNK ROAD (A465) (ABERGAVENNY TO HIRWAUN DUALLING AND SLIP ROADS) AND EAST OF ABERCYNON TO EAST

Thank you to RCT residents who have kept up their amazing recycling efforts during these unprecedented times.

The Council are continuing to collect tonnes of recycling every week and the Streetcare team have gone above and beyond to ensure that collections have continued.

RHONDDA CYNON TAFF COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL

(CWMDARE ROAD, ABERDARE) (VARIATION AND WAITING RESTRICTIONS) ORDER 2020

Our general secretary Kate Ashbrook considers life for the Open Spaces Society during the lockdown.

As lockdown began, I foolishly thought we would have time to catch up with all those long-deferred jobs.  I was wrong: we have been busier than ever.

Officers forced entry to a house on East Road in Tylorstown after neighbours reported suspicious activity and a distinctive smell coming from the property.

Bedrooms in the end of terrace house were being used to grow and dry approximately 100 plants at the address.

The Home Office has published guidance on the anti-social behaviour case review – also known as the “Community Trigger”.

• Hirwaun Post Office finalist in Better for Customers category at the Post Office’s ‘We’re Stronger Together’ regional awards for Northern Ireland and Wales
• Awards recognise efforts made by postmasters across the region to keep branches open during Covid-19 pandemic and serving their

Andrew Davies, 52, of Aberaman, was sentenced to nine years in prison for the manslaughter of Luke Williams at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court today (Friday, 17 July, 2020).

Parents and carers have received a letter from the Education and Inclusion Service Director explaining the local ‘back to school’ plan for the 2020/21 academic year – with schools across Rhondda Cynon Taf opening for a phased return from September 3. 

Big Butterfly Count 2020 launches today: Has nature helped you through the last few months? It’s time to return the favour says Chris Packham

A Welsh charity that provides second-hand furniture and electrical goods to those in need is readying itself for a huge spike in demand due to domestic abuse during lockdown.

Local Policing Inspector Jon Duckham and Leader of the Merthyr Borough Council Kevin O'Neill united in the quest to tackle illegal off road biking across Merthyr Borough.

When I wear a mask in public:

Please find links below to updated (to 30 June) stats for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).

Prior to the start of Coronavirus, over 1 in 4 children in Wales were living in poverty.

Resp

A 20 year-old man from Mountain Ash was jailed for causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving last week.
Ethan Roberts, of Jeffrey Street, was jailed for six months at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, 10 July, 2020.

The Welsh Government’s National Procurement Service has started the procurement of a new framework agreement for the provision of solicitors services to the Welsh public sector.

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A WALES home care provider says care roles represent jobs for life in economically uncertain times and with the threat of a recession following in the aftermath of COVID-19 (July, 2020).

The Leader of the Council has made a statement about the intention to re-open the next stage of the Council’s library services – extending to three further branches on Thursday, July 16.

Police in Aberdare seized lock knives from a man who they stopped on the A4059 in the early hours of this morning.
Officers were patrolling when they noticed a car veering across the centre line of the A4059 so they pulled the driver over.

The Council Leader has made a statement in relation to the reopening of children’s play areas in Rhondda Cynon Taf, following the First Minister’s announcement earlier today.

UK’s leading stroke charity warns research faces long-term threat due to coronavirus pandemic

The Welsh Education Minister has today confirmed th

Welsh law means that a landlord who is unlicensed cannot lawfully serve an eviction notice on tenants, the Court of Appeal has found.

A new ‘bedtime’ MRI scanning service for young children is reducing the need for general anaesthetic and dramatically cutting waiting times at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

The Council’s Library Service is extending its new ‘Order and Collect’ service to include three more of its branches, with effect from Thursday, July 16.

RHONDDA CYNON TAFF COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL

(VARIOUS ROADS, MOUNTAIN ASH)

(TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS) ORDER 2020

A Ton Pentre man who was called up to help in the Army’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has returned to his day job.

A DARING duo of Welsh Ambulance Service staff are taking the high road and walking the length of Wales – all for charity.

Responding to comments by the Welsh Government Health Minister regarding Covid-19 test result delays, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister Angela Burns MS said:

People in Cwm Taf Morgannwg are now able to order sexual health testing kits online and carry out the tests in the privacy of their own home.

As a consultant hepatologist at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, my day job before Covid-19 often involved many face-to-face patient reviews, ambulatory unit hot clinics (where patients can access same-day care), endoscopies and multidisciplinary teams.

Cabinet Members have received an update on the changes made to help residents maintain social distancing within popular public spaces – including markings and signage within Town Centres and parks.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has successfully appointed a new Chief Executive.

More than 60 kilos of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin with a street value of an estimated £6 million and £25,000 in cash has been seized in police raids across southern Wales after a massive breakthrough by UK law enforcement agencies took down a bespoke encrypted global communication service u

Below is part of a press release put out by the Labour-controlled Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, what would seem unusual is the wording in some parts of the report.

 “WelTAG 1 study on options to extend public transport from Aberdare Station to Hirwaun”

THE WELSH MINISTERS (THE NEATH TO ABERGAVENNY TRUNK ROAD (A465) (ABERGAVENNY TO HIRWAUN DUALLING AND SLIP ROADS) AND EAST OF ABERCYNON TO EAST OF DOWLAIS TRUNK ROAD (A4060) AND CARDIFF TO GLAN CONWY TRUNK ROAD (A470) (CONNECTING ROADS) (DOWLAIS TOP TO HIRWAUN)) (SUPPLEMENTARY) (NO.1) COMPULSORY P

RHONDDA CYNON TAFF COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL

(FOOTPATH 18 ABERDARE)

(TEMPORARY CLOSURE) ORDER 2020

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding tax credits customers that they need to tell HMRC about any changes in their circumstances or income by 31 July. 

The Labour-led Welsh Government’s £500 bonus for care, health, and other key workers – which was announced two months ago today – has still yet to be paid to a single person.

Commenting, Janet Finch-Saunders – the Shadow Minister for Social Care – said: