December 2022
Well, it’s been a while since my last blog, but that does not mean nothing has been happening. Lots of exciting projects are underway and we plan to bring you more information about them as soon as that is available.
In the meantime, I wanted to share this completed project with you which shows great team working between our Flying Start officers in social services and our IT team. This project has really made a difference to the young people and their parents/carers in the Holywell and Greenfield areas.
Flying Start project
Flying Start facilities offer eligible parents free quality childcare for two to three year olds, parenting support, an enhanced health visitor service and help for early language development. They help families to look after their children’s health and well-being. This includes parenting and language development programmes, clinic facilities for babies and children and crèche facilities.
Flying Start has four centres in Flintshire – Connah’s Quay, Aston, Flint and, from 2020, Holywell.
All but one of these centres were client facing. Prior to 2020, the team working in Holywell, Bagillt and Holway was based in the Greenfield Business Centre and, as it was a business centre, no children were permitted to enter, so all activities had to take place in other venues.
The Council received funding from Welsh Government to refurbish the Holywell Youth and Community Centre and were able to take over the centre completely.
However, the building, due to its age, did not have any internet or wifi facilities and, with the onset of the pandemic, it seemed as if this would be delayed. However, the grant funding needed to be spent within a certain time.
The Flintshire IT team worked extremely hard to make internet access a reality. They liaised remotely with partner organisations, including BT, and worked in difficult conditions, due to the COVID restrictions, to ensure that all the cabling and infrastructure, including new circuits and networking, wifi and telephony, was put in place.
The centre was also renovated and redecorated and is now the work place of 16 people and home to childcare facilities all in one place. The centre is also at the heart of the Holywell community and within easy reach for parents.
This project was achieved as part of the Council’s Digital Strategy and specifically, the Digital Partnership theme which aims to improve and develop digital systems and technologies that will connect people and places.
The Digital Partnership theme supports:
- The delivery of more convenient services
- Information sharing across organisations
- Better value for money
- New, better ways of working
We also have a number of “hubs” on our website which bring together useful information to help and support our residents – take a look at our most recent “Cost of Living” Hub here.
Best wishes,
Cllr Billy Mullin,
Cabinet Member for Governance and Corporate Services including Health and Safety and Human Resources