Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

Closing date for responses is 28th April 2010. For more information go to the Welsh Assembly Government website.

The Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas has outlined proposals to improve the lives of carers with the publishing of the proposed Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure. For more information please visit the Welsh Assembly Government website.

The Framework of Services for Older People will promote the development of the appropriate range of local services working together to respond to the needs and the preferences of older people and their carers. These services should help them to continue or return to live at home or in a homely environment as independently as possible. Independence means either caring for oneself as much as possible or when practical assistance is required, it is based on the older person’s own choices and aspirations.  This applies equally to those people who fund their own care as well as those whose care is funded by the local authority or NHS. For more information go to the WCVA website.

CaféZecta3 is a newly opened cafe based in the Primary Care Resource Centre in Baglan. We trade as a social enterprise, which means that all of our profits go back into the community through Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Services to help improve services to your community, your friends and you. As well as serving fresh home-made soup, sandwiches, filled jacket potatoes, panini’s, baguettes, and salads, we offer hot daily breakfast and lunch specials to eat in or takeaway. We are happy to take pre-orders for breakfast and lunch for collection from the Café. If you work close by and don’t have the time to collect your lunch from us we are happy to deliver free of charge to you if you work within a 5 mile radius of the Café.

Whether you are planning a business meeting or family celebration we offer affordable buffets either on-site at the Primary Care Resource Centre in the Café, at a venue of your choice. Buffets start from as little as £3.50, are delivered free of charge within a 20 mile radius of the Cafe and we don’t charge for the crockery or condiments. To help reduce packaging and paper waste we only use reusable crockery, platters, and cutlery and cloth napkins for buffets. We believe passionately in buying and using Fair Trade and local produce. The majority of our fresh ingredients (including meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables and bread) come from local suppliers within a 5 mile radius of the Café.

In support of Fair Trade fortnight, which runs from 22nd February to the 7th March, we are offering ‘Naughty but Nice’ afternoon tea – at a special promotional price of £3.95 per person which will include a selection of home-made cakes, including freshly baked Welsh cakes and buttermilk fruit scones served with clotted cream and raspberry preserve – all served with a selection of Fair Trade coffee, traditional and specialty teas. And if feel like you would like to try something naughtier try our ‘Naughty and even Nicer’ afternoon tea which also includes a selection of finger sandwiches and savory scones made with Welsh cheese. Come along with a couple of friends – book in advance and we will have your afternoon tea ready for your arrival and if more than 4 of you want to reserve a table together you will receive a 10% discount off your total bill!!

The vote for Wales’s Favourite Fair Trade Cuppa also runs until February 24th so come and try us out and if you like our tea log onto their website and vote for your community café – CaféZecta3

If you want to book a table or find out more about speak to Wayne or Jackie at CaféZecta3 on 07814235364 or drop in on us in the Primary Care Resource Centre, Moor Road, Baglan SA12 7BJ. The Buffet menu is available for download.

Healthy Living Roadshow – Neath Port Talbot
Come join Health Challenge Neath Port Talbot at one the following locations for a free lifestyle assessment and healthy living advice

Monday 18th January – Port Talbot Civic Centre (square)
Tuesday 19th January – Angel Square, Neath
Wednesday 20th January – Neath Port Talbot Hospital
Thursday 21st January – Tesco, Pontardawe
Friday 22nd January – Morrisons, Port Talbot

Welsh Public Sector Partners (WPSPs) have launched a new website portal to help Welsh public and voluntary services improve efficiency and quality of service for citizens. www.goodpracticewales.com allows users to search over 1,000 abstract and case study examples of good practice, and access additional learning materials from across the public sector in Wales.

The portal provides a single point of access to a wide range of examples of good practice available across public services in Wales. The portal will be further enhanced over the months ahead and shows just what public services can achieve when working together. The cost for establishing the portal is £59 – which shows that innovation and improvement need not be about spending vast sums of money!

“Through partnership working the Welsh Public Sector Partners have pooled resources and developed Good Practice Wales. Our aim is to break down geographical and organisational boundaries and provide anyone seeking information on good practice one central point of contact. Our intention is to help Welsh Public Services improve efficiency and quality of service for citizens.” Wayne Jepson, from the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare (NLIAH)

WPSPs is made up of eight Welsh Public Sector organisations: the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare (NLIAH); Excellence Wales; Public Service Management Wales; Partnership Support Unit; Social Services Improvement Agency; Welsh Audit Office; Welsh Assembly Government and the Welsh Local Government Association.

Do you want to feel better about yourself, Less stressed, Feel healthier, Fitter and more confident? A New FREE group is meeting between 1.oo-3.oo pm every Thursday starting 14th January. All welcome. It will be a fun course, where you will gain advice, support and learn new ideas. For more information contact YWCA, 23 Depot Road, Cwmafan on 01639 894184.

Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced that women in Wales will have access to two cycles of IVF treatment free on the NHS from April next year.
Source: Welsh Assembly Government Website

A DVD promoting health and social care as the pathway to a life changing career for young people has been launched in Neath Port Talbot. The promotional film has been produced by the Council’s Training and Development Section in partnership with Neath Port Talbot College, the Neath Port Talbot 14-19 Network and the Regional Social Care in Partnership. For more information go to the Neath Port Talbot Council website.  Source: Neath Port Talbot CBC

A new Swine Flu bulletin has been released which summarises all the important information you need to know for getting the right advice and support during the pandemic. It is available for download and highlights the role volunteers and the Third Sector can provide services and disseminate information to a broad section of the community.