The frontline heroes helping to provide our vital services
THOUSANDS of Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council staff are still delivering key frontline services to residents.
Some workers have moved out of their family homes, where their family members are shielding, to ensure they are still able to provide vital services such as social care and collecting’ recycling and waste, while some staff have been redeployed from other areas to help keep essential functions running.
Refuse collections, along with other kerbside collections such as green waste, nappies and food waste, are also continuing at present, despite the many challenges faced.
The adult social care and children’s services departments, together with staff from education and other services, also continue to provide vital support to families, the elderly and most vulnerable throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 600 community meals are still being delivered daily across RCT. Council staff are also providing a number of other essential services during this time, including childcare for key workers, meals for the vulnerable and housing the homeless.
These unprecedented times have called for true community spirit and in RCT, it truly is a community effort with more than 900 volunteers coming forward to join the frontline heroes, third sector organisations and community groups.
Many residents have shown their gratitude by placing “thank you” messages on their refuse bins and recycling bags for the crews to see.
This small gesture is helping the teams and the council is encouraging residents to give a little cheer or show their thanks to keep staff morale up and let them know their efforts are appreciated.
Jerry Brown, the council’s area manager for refuse in the Taff area, said: “All of our kerbside collection teams are deeply touched by the messages they are receiving from our residents each day.
“Our crews also have families, and it is a deeply worrying time for us all. But to know what we are doing professionally is being appreciated, really does make a difference to us.”
Father-of-two, Mr Brown, 57, of Pontypridd, has worked for the council for 38 years and says he has never experienced anything like this in all of his working life.
He said: “My working day starts at 6.30am as it is my job to make sure all our vehicles are ready to go out onto the roads when the crews arrive. We have 22 vehicles in total, collecting everything from nappies, recycling, refuse and food waste.”
Mr Brown, married to Paula and dad to Dean and Liam, has seen many changes in the job in the past three decades, including the introduction of various recycling collections as well as refuse collections but the public outpouring of gratitude is something that is touching him and the the street care teams.
He said: “Our residents are recycling even more than normal as everyone is at home. At present, we are continuing with our collections and the public are amazing towards us. Everyone is being so kind, they are even leaving us lovely drawings and messages of thanks attached to their bags and bins.
“This means so much to us at this time. We are displaying these messages in our vans and back at the depot and it is giving everyone the boost they need at this time.
“I am very proud of all that my teams are doing at such a difficult time. Please follow the advice to Stay Home, Protect the NHS and Saves Lives.”
Residents are being asked to help keep themselves and our crews safe, by washing their wheelie bins and caddy handles before and after collections and to ensure they are maintaining social distance guidelines by giving the teams a supportive cheer/message from two metres away.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, RCT council’s cabinet member for environment, leisure and heritage services, said: “These are unprecedented times which are affecting one of our lives.
“Despite all of this, we still have our council frontline staff doing their best to provide a service to the public and I send each and every one of them my heartfelt thanks and gratitude.
“While it is absolutely right that we give welldeserved praise to NHS staff and care workers, as well as all of those frontline workers in the private sector providing vital services, it is also important every that the work of frontline council employees is also recognised.”
All council staff classed as key workers are out and about in our communities and are adhering to the Government’s social distancing guidelines.
For latest updates about the services affected by coronavirus, visit www. rctcbc.gov.uk/PublicHealthRCT or, for recycling and waste updates, visit
www.rctcbc.gov.uk/ CVRecycling