Category: Featured

We are looking for an enthusiastic and keen Home to School Transport Operations Officer to join our existing team to ensure that the our Education and Social Care Transport network is operated effectively and efficiently, within the resources available.

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As part of the role you’ll be asked to:

• Maintain accurate records and summary lists of all transport contracts.
• Maintain up to date records of transport operator licences, vehicles and drivers used for Council hired transport.
• Maintain a record of all contract irregularities, and take appropriate action against poor performance in line with current guidance.
• Plan and contribute to the monitoring of passenger transport contracts
• Contribute to the planning of safe and efficient Education, Social care and Public Transport services.
• Receive and process requests for transport.
• Assist with the process for determining is a child is eligible for home to school and college transport.

Working from our Abbey Road Depot on Wrexham Industrial Estate this post is suitable for an enthusiastic and hardworking individual with experience of working in a demanding and busy environment and experience in a similar role would be an advantage.

The successful candidate will possess an extensive local knowledge of the county and the understanding of the need for delivering excellent customer service.

Closing date for applications is 18 March.

Interested? Then apply here.

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Safety. Cyber security. Fraud. Finance. Resources. And a thousand other things.

Like any large organisation, Wrexham Council faces a lot of pressures and risks – which we need to manage carefully.

Because if something goes wrong, it can have a big impact on our services…and the people who use them.

So we need to make sure we know what the main pressures and risks are, and that we’re doing enough to prevent or minimise their impact.

Maybe this is where you could come in?

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An unbiased mind

We’re looking for four independent members of the public to be part of our Governance and Audit Committee.

It meets several times a year, and helps ensure the council has good risk management, reporting and audit and governance processes.

Members of the public who sit on the committee (called ‘lay members’) must be non-political, and are paid for their time.

It might not sound very exciting at first glance, but it’s interesting work and very rewarding.

The committee helps ensure the council is taking a sensible approach and doing things properly – which is very important for local people who rely on its services.

The key thing is to have an unbiased mind and an independent attitude. You need to be able to weigh-up facts and evidence in a practical way, and be good at challenging things.

If you think you might be a good fit, please get in touch.

Find out more and apply…

Towards the end of last year, we launched our Food Waste Survey to help us learn more about our resident’s food waste habits. The survey had a great response; you gave us some really useful information, and we’ve taken all of your comments on board.

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Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “The Food Waste Survey has been incredibly useful in helping us to understand the different reasons why residents do or do not recycle food waste in Wrexham, so we really thank everyone who took the time to complete it for us.

“Your comments were really appreciated, and they’ve allowed us to see some areas where you’ve needed more information to get the most out of the food waste recycling service. So, with that in mind, we’ve come up with a list of handy tips to cover some of the problems you’ve faced.”

Here are some pointers that will hopefully make things a little bit easier for you:

• We offer free caddy liners

A number of residents who responded to the survey indicated they were unaware that free caddy liners are available as part of the Wrexham service.

You can get our free caddy liners by simply tying an empty liner to your caddy handle on your collection day and the recycling crew will leave you a new roll.

Or, if you prefer, you can collect the free caddy liners (as well as replacement blue sacks) at a variety of locations in Wrexham, including a number of convenience stores, estate offices, libraries and recycling centres. Click here to see the extensive list.

https://www.wrecsam.gov.uk/service/beth-syn-mynd-ir-bincynwysyddion-ailgylchu/bagiau-cadi-bwyd-sachau-ailgylchu-am-ddim

• Don’t overfill your liner

A common problem seems to be caddy liners splitting, and one of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to make sure you don’t overfill them.

Another useful tip is to carry your food waste outside in your kitchen caddy once you’re ready to transfer it to the bigger kerbside caddy. This helps to prevent splitting and spillages.

• Order new caddies easily online

Some people told us how they’ve moved in to new properties that don’t have food caddies, so they haven’t been able to recycle food waste.

We offer free replacement caddies, so if your new home doesn’t have a kitchen or kerbside caddy, don’t sweat it – you just need to order a new one.

You can request a new food caddy easily on our website, where you can also order new recycling boxes if you need them.

https://myaccount.wrexham.gov.uk/en/service/New_and_replacement_bin_or_boxes

• You don’t have to use the Wrexham Council provided caddies

Several residents expressed how they don’t like the look of our grey kitchen caddy, but it’s not compulsory to use our version.

If you prefer you can buy your own caddy that fits in better with your colour scheme.

Or, you could always keep it under your kitchen sink and only bring it onto the counter when you are peeling vegetables etc. J

• New habits work

Something that became apparent, from what you’ve told us, is how starting new habits has helped you when recycling your leftovers.

For example, when emptying the kids lunchboxes at the end of the day try scraping any uneaten stale crusts straight into the caddy as part of your routine.

Whatever pattern you get into, new habits do seem to work!

• Try to stay on top of which foods can be recycled

We know there can be a lot to remember, but staying on top of what can go in your food caddy really helps us out.

Some of these things include:

• Fruit and veg – raw and cooked
• Meat and fish – raw and cooked
• Bones and egg shells
• Rice, pasta, cereal and noodles
• Bread, cakes, pastries and biscuits
• Tea bags and coffee grounds
• Cheese, eggs and yogurts
• Beans, nuts, pulses and seeds
• Uneaten food from your plate

Take a look at this for more info…

https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/service/what-goes-my-binsrecycling-containers

https://www.wrecsam.gov.uk/service/beth-syn-mynd-ir-bincynwysyddion-ailgylchu

• Stinky food caddies in the summer

Yep, we know in warmer months food caddies can sometimes get a bit whiffy, but there are some things you can do to help avoid this.

Try some of these things:

• Empty the liner more frequently in warmer weather
• Sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda in the bottom of the caddy
• Wipe up any drips straight away
• Keep the kitchen caddy out of direct sunlight
• Clean/disinfect the caddy regularly
• And very importantly, keep the lid closed

Thanks again to everyone who took part in the Food Waste Survey, it’s really appreciated.

For more info on recycling in Wrexham, please visit wrexham.gov.uk/recycling

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If you’re in town tomorrow why not pop into Tŷ Pawb and find out about recycling your food waste?

Staff will be on hand with tips about this and safely storing food to avoid waste.

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Lots of us are using caddies for all our food waste and it’s turned into compost that’s used in our parks and also free to residents at our Household Recycling Centres.

They’ll be handing out free caddie liners and spaghetti measures. And if you need a new blue bag you can also pick one of those up.

Caddie Liners and bags are also available at a number of pick up sites across the county borough and you can find them here.

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Our Food Waste Survey launched towards the end of last year, and we’re pleased to say there was a brilliant response with many residents taking part to help us learn about people’s food waste habits in Wrexham.

Over 1,850 responses in total😃

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Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We’re delighted and thankful that so many residents took part in the Food Waste Survey. There were over 1,700 responses to the full survey, plus a further 150 of the shorter surveys were completed at the recycling centres, which is fantastic.

“We’ve now collated all the information and read through your comments – from which there are some really promising ideas. We really appreciate having such an overwhelming response which will help us to further develop and improve the food waste service we provide in Wrexham.”

What you told us

Here are some of the things you told us in the Food Waste Survey…

Why we recycle food and how it gets wasted

The primary motivation for recycling food waste in Wrexham (with over 70% of responders listing this as a reason) is to save money. A number of these people also went on to tell us how their life experiences had led them to try and not be wasteful.

The main reason why food gets wasted in the household was food going off before the use by dates or best before dates (47%), followed by not everyone eating all of their meals (just under 35%).

It was also interesting to note that just under 85% respondents indicated that they only throw away ‘a bit’ or ‘a little food’ each week from their household.

Our food waste collection service

This area of the questionnaire gave us an insight into our residents ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ about the food waste collection service in Wrexham.

Some interesting things to note were:

• Over 80% of respondents already use the food waste collection service. The largest motivator being that ‘it’s a service provided by the Council that’s there to be utilised’ (80%), followed closely by how ‘it’s the right thing to do’ (78%), and then ‘to do my bit for the environment’ (75%).
• Over 80% of the respondents asked to rate the food waste service thought it was either ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.
• Suggestions for improvements included working with some collection crews to take more care on collection day, and looking at providing better quality caddy liners.
• Around 15% of respondents indicated that they don’t use the food waste service, with the top reason for this being issues with unwanted pests (43%), followed by householders not wanting a food caddy in the kitchen (39%). Similarly, 51% of those who used the service at some point, but then stopped cited unwanted smells/odours/pests as the reason.
• There were positive comments about the service, but also areas that need some attention. For instance, some people felt greater promotion was needed around how the crews will leave a roll of liners if you tie a caddy liner around the handle of the kerbside caddy on your collection day, as they were unaware of this.
• Residents emphasised how they like the system of tying a liner to the handle of their caddy to indicate they need more liners, but also that collecting the liners from pick-up points in Wrexham has a place too. It was pointed out on several occasions that some individuals would not be able to access a pick-up point due to working hours or mobility issues.

Pick up caddy liners and blue sacks from these locations in Wrexham!

• Many of you have suggested new potential pick-up points that you would like to see in Wrexham, and we can now start approaching these locations to see if they will distribute the free caddy liners and blue sacks for us.
• Some respondents (44%) would like to know more about what happens to the food waste once it is collected and for this information to be promoted more through educational settings.

Thanks again to everyone who took part in the Food Waste Survey, it’s really appreciated.

Keep an eye out for our food waste tips over the coming days too!

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Today is International Women’s Day and we’re working with our partners to highlight that “ONLY” is not an excuse for inappropriate behaviour because there is no excuse and to call it out whenever they come across it.

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Whether it’s with friends or your own sub-conscious, one word always appears to excuse inappropriate behaviour. “ONLY”.

• I “ONLY” pinched her bum
• I “ONLY” wolf whistled at her
• I “ONLY” commented on her body
• I “ONLY” pressed against her
• I “ONLY” walked behind her
• I “ONLY” raped her

Sound familiar?

“ONLY” shouldn’t be in any of the above because there is no excuse for any actions that causes fear, alarm or distress. Violence and abuse against women and girls in all forms is wrong.

Inspector Claire McGrady of North Wales Police, said, “ONLY” is something we come across all the time and for many it’s normal to excuse their behaviour in this way. We’re keen to encourage everyone to call it out and to raise awareness of the harm, fear and distress it causes.

“It’s certainly not OK. It’s also very disrespectful and women deserve and expect better.”

Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said, “Whether it’s happening on a night out, in the workplace or college it needs to be addressed and men have a responsibility to face up to the consequences of their actions and those of others.

“They should call it out or find out how they themselves can be more respectful to women.”

Attitudes that condone and normalise abusive behaviour are part of our culture. From sexist jokes and “banter” through to harassment and rape.

The campaign encourages men to call out this behaviour wherever they are.

Calling out others on their behaviour is not about humiliating or shaming them, or getting into a fight. It’s about educating and encouraging a change in attitudes.

We should only call out disrespectful/harmful behaviours and attitudes in a way that is safe for everyone involved.

If you are concerned about your own behaviour, another man’s behaviour or want to help women feel safer check out https://gov.wales/call-out-only and follow the links.

You can also get advice on how to find out more and how to be a better ally to women to make them feel safe.

The “Call Out Only is a Wales wide campaign by the Welsh Government that we’re supporting as part of the Safer Streets Campaign here in Wrexham.

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