Local Authority Staff

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Housing and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:30 pm on 3 February 2021.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 2:30, 3 February 2021

We work very closely indeed, and I've worked very closely with my colleague Jane Hutt on this, in harnessing the council for voluntary service arrangements right through Wales. We've directed people in large numbers through the council for voluntary service as each locality has it set up in order to enhance that. All local authorities in Wales have used volunteers to do things such as organise services out of their community hubs—so, shopping, prescription fetching, various other things. When we had the food box scheme running, at the beginning of the pandemic, for example, a large number of volunteers were used in assisting with the food box distribution, and a number of people have helped with their community hubs.

I'm disappointed to hear that you've had some people who've had a poor experience of being harnessed in that way, and if you've got specifics you want to have a look at, I'm very happy to look at lessons learned. But I'm also very happy to say that, combined with my colleague Jane Hutt, we've been able to mobilise thousands and thousands of people across Wales, to assist with the effort. Also, very many community councils have played a good role here. Community councils have organised very local volunteer teams to do things like make sure that people are not isolated at home, and that they have some companionship, even if that's just over a garden fence, or from the road. We're very proud of the way that Wales has pulled together to assist people who may have otherwise been isolated. But if you have specific instances you're concerned about, then it would be really good to know the detail of those.