11/07/23

Here's your Tuesday update, covering; £300,000 funding received for the ‘Let's Go Net Zero' project; Search begins for new parks trainees; Update on new jobs at Cardiff Council and increasing and enhancing Additional Learning Needs in Cardiff.

New funding to accelerate Cardiff Council carbon cutting

A £300,000 fund to support Cardiff's journey towards becoming carbon neutral and help further embed climate change awareness in decisions taken by Cardiff Council, has been announced.

The funding from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), for the ‘Let's Go Net Zero' project will be used to accelerate the behaviour change within Cardiff Council that has already seen:

• emissions from council buildings fall from 40,000 tonnes in 2014/15 to just over 18,000 tonnes in 21/22 (excluding leisure centres);
• the start of a process to transition its fleet of vehicles to electric;
• the development of a new socially responsible procurement strategy;
• the development of highly energy-efficient sustainable new council homes.
• 50,000 new trees planted.
• multiple sustainable drainage schemes introduced.
• the development of a network of fully segregated cycleways.
• work commence on the delivery of a new, low carbon District Heat Network.
• a 9MW solar farm delivered at Lamby Way.

The funding will increase staff capacity to help ensure that low-carbon thinking is built into the day-to-day behaviour of council employees and the wider public sector, as well as the Council's decision-making, and investment strategies.

More here:https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/31753.html

Search begins for the next Cardiff Parks Trainees

The search has begun for the next candidates to join the growing number of gardeners working in some of Cardiff's most prestigious and much-loved parks who have graduated from traineeships.

Five successful candidates will be recruited to the traineeship schemes currently advertised on the Cardiff Council website, and will spend the next four years with Bute Park, Roath Park and Victoria Park as well as hundred of other parks and green spaces across Cardiff as their office.

Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: "Joining the award-winning Cardiff Parks Traineeship scheme really can be life-changing. Not only do our trainees get the chance to gain formal qualifications, they can also learn ‘on the job' from the experienced and friendly team, many of who came through the scheme themselves - all while earning a competitive wage."

More here:https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/31749.html

More than 1,000 people secured a role working for Cardiff Council via its in-house recruitment agency, Cardiff Works, last year.

Cardiff Works provides temporary roles across a range of services within the authority and last year saw a 40 per cent increase in the number of individuals moving into placements via its pool, compared to the previous year.

The agency has supported directorates across the Council to recruit to a range of priority sector roles such as hostel support workers, HGV drivers and social care positions while at the same time, achieving excellent outcomes for people seeking work.

Following a full review in 2020, a number of changes have been made to Cardiff Works to ensure a better experience for both the candidate and the recruiting service within the Council, including digitalisation, streamlining processes, greater accessibility and greater visibility in the community.

 As a result, the average time taken for a candidate to be accepted into the Cardiff Works pool has improved from the previous 40 days to now being 48 hours, there has been a significant increase in the number of BME applicants applying and successfully entering the Cardiff Works pool from 7% in June 2021 to 37 % in March 2023 and overall, there has been a 12% increase in the number placements provided via Cardiff Works.

More here:https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/31743.html

Comprehensive proposals to enhance and increase Additional Learning Needs provision in Cardiff could see more than 200 new places provided city-wide.

A report outlining plans for primary, secondary and special schools, acknowledges the growing population of learners with complex learning needs, autism spectrum conditions and emotional health and wellbeing needs and aims to address the increased demand for specialist placements across Cardiff.

The report makes key recommendations for consideration of the Council's Cabinet, including conducting public consultations on a range of plans which would allow designated placements to be increased by the following;

• 60 primary-age placements for learners with complex learning needs and/ or autism spectrum conditions
• 64 primary-age placements for learners with emotional health and wellbeing needs
• 142 secondary-age and post-16 placements for learners with emotional health and wellbeing needs.