OVER one hundred newly recruited Flintshire volunteers are starting to undergo training to help them to tackle the problems faced by vulnerable Flintshire residents in the wake of Coronavirus.

In a move to support the work done by Flintshire’s Social Care Staff, Flintshire County Council and Flintshire’s County Voluntary Council (FLVC), the County’s Voluntary Council (CVC), (which is co-ordinating the volunteer effort in the area) are working together to make sure their newly formed army of well-wishers are equipped to give help where it’s most needed.

Through partnership working between the local authority, the local voluntary council and the local community, volunteers are being offered training that will help them carry out tasks that will support the work being done by Social Care staff based within Flintshire.

As all organisations are under immense pressure, the training package, developed by Flintshire County Council Safeguarding Lead Jackie Goundrey, FLVC’s Millie Boswell and Social Care Consultants Ltd, will help to ensure that those who are vulnerable receive the care they need through a combined workforce of skilled care staff and trained volunteers.

Volunteers offering their time to support Flintshire’s Social Services in this way will need to provide evidence of current DBS clearance and provide references regarding their suitability for these vital roles.

Ann Woods, Chief Officer of FLVC, said: "As the County Voluntary Council we are continuing to help to link the many hundreds of offers of support from volunteers with the support needs of Flintshire residents.

"By working closely with the Local Authority, North Wales Police and Health Board colleagues, we can help streamline access to voluntary support to ensure we develop safe practice, maximise efficiency and conserve the energy of all involved.

"The response from the community has been incredible."

Many voluntary roles have been developed by newly formed community groups including such tasks as preparing and delivering meals, shopping for essentials, collecting and delivering prescriptions and offering over the phone support to those in need, as the effects of the COVID-19 virus leaves a great number of unable to leave their homes.

Flintshire Local Voluntary Council, in line with all other CVCs that join under the umbrella of Third Sector Support Wales, can offer support regarding the governance and funding of this activity and can help to link offers of support with requests for help from Statutory partners.

FLVC have also been supporting newly-formed groups with basic safeguarding awareness, preparing volunteers with the right tools to protect the most vulnerable.

The response from people wanting help as this crisis has unfolded has resulted in a huge surge in new volunteers throughout Wales, as well as the rest of the UK, with hundreds of thousands of people signing up to do their bit.

Anyone wanting to volunteer can do so by registering on the Volunteering Wales website – volunteering-wales.net. Once registered, those wishing to volunteer in Flintshire, should join the opportunity entitled “Covid-19 Volunteering in Flintshire”.

To date, over 200 individuals have done this. If you don’t have access to the internet, you can telephone FLVC on 01352 744000 to register your interest in volunteering.

The Volunteering Wales website also supports any organisation needing volunteers by allowing them to post opportunities that local people can apply for.

Anyone wishing to volunteer directly with the NHS in North Wales should apply via https://www.bcugetinvolved.wales/volunteers.

If you are aware of anyone in need of the type of support mentioned in this article, ask them to contact Flintshire’s Single Point of Access on 03000 858 858.