Engage and influence

This network meets regularly to discuss developments and opportunities for partnership working. There is an associated bulletin which signposts children’s services, events and opportunities known to the network. It is open to all groups/organisations working with children, young people and families. You can enquire about joining by emailing Julie Edwards at jedwards@interlinkrct.org.uk.

A new mental health forum has been established to cover Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf county boroughs. This regional forum meets to discuss developments and opportunities for community and voluntary organisations to collaborate to improve mental health and wellbeing services. Community and voluntary organisations lead the forum, which we, Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend Association for Voluntary Organisations also support. If you’re a community or voluntary body and want to know more, please email sthomas@interlinkrct.org.uk.

The regional mental health website provides information on:

• Mental health support services. It has a directory of services commissioned by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTUHB) to offer community support across the three county boroughs.
• Self-help zone. There is a handy area of useful resources to help support your emotional health and wellbeing.
• Our stories. There is a collection of stories from real people who have accessed community services to support their mental health.

Rhondda Cynon Taf mental health information
We provide information, advice and support. This includes promoting a breadth of mental health activities and opportunities for community and voluntary organisations in Rhondda Cynon Taf. If you want this information or need any other support relating to mental health and wellbeing, please email sthomas@interlinkrct.org.uk. You can also access this website’s wellbeing pages and Connect RCT for support.

Mental health network bulletins

See our archive of mental health bulletins.

This network is for supporting people who help and manage volunteers with any training or advice they may need. It connects you to our services so you can recruit volunteers and get the most out of them while providing them with a rewarding experience. To learn more about the network or to join, email volunteering@interlinkrct.org.uk.

We facilitate this voluntary sector network. It’s open to community and voluntary sector colleagues, while being a platform for promoting local and regional voluntary sector services. It engages the sector on strategic developments in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT), and the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board area.

The network is a collective of voluntary organisations and community groups who work in the field of health, social care and wellbeing in RCT. By sharing information and involving organisations in consultations and reviews, it is a voice for voluntary organisations. Also, it encourages partnership working.

Network members have:

• email briefings with regular news on funding opportunities, training, conferences, good practice and consultations on policy and strategy
• invites to events and discussion groups, including networking and presentations on current issues
• the chance to respond to consultations about health, social care and wellbeing
• the chance to act as voluntary sector representatives on planning and strategic groups

Join

Become a member by emailing amorris@interlinkrct.org.uk

Bulletins

See our archive of wellbeing coordinator bulletins.

• An Act of Kindness at Christmas, 25/11/20 

• Campaigning and lobbying techniques
• Devolution and Powers
• Getting your message heard
• How to submit evidence and give oral evidence
• Local authority plans and strategies
• Local government information
• Local government scrutiny
• Launching a petition, a how-to guide
• Making legislation
• Planning a campaign
• The Senedd Commission
• The Welsh Parliament and the Welsh Government
• Towns and community councils
• Who represents me?

• Consensus building
• Community participation and engagement methods
• Compacts
• Networks
• Public law remedies, challenging decisions made by public bodies
• Wales’ International Development Network

• Accessible formats and languages
• Communications and marketing plan
• Creating effective marketing and publicity materials
• Effective press releases
• Guide to raising awareness, growing a network and promotion strategy
• New and social media in the voluntary sector
• Preparing newsletters
• The annual report
• Website development and maintenance
• Working with the media

• Climate change as part of sustainable development
• Climate change and vulnerable groups
• Climate change and environmental justice
• Climate change and energy
• Climate change and housing
• Climate change and livelihoods
• Climate change and health
• Climate change and transport
• Community action to tackle climate change
• Introducing climate change
• Reduce your organisation or group’s carbon footprint
• Take local community level action on climate change
• Where to go for help on action on climate change
• Why climate change issues are important for the third sector

The Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act (FGA) has transformed community and voluntary sector work. It promotes working more sustainably through five ways of getting things done, which are:

• long-term planning
• acting earlier to prevent later problems
• looking at the whole picture and integrating things better
• involving people
• working together

The Cwm Taf Public Service Board (PSB) has a responsibility to ensure public bodies and the third sector work together to plan and address important local issues. This is to benefit local people and communities. The PSB works on a shared Wellbeing Plan to identify how they will do this, and we help involve the community and voluntary sector to shape and deliver the plan.

Our Cwm Taf’s website shows who does what, and gives more information about this partnership.

The Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act helps to support people to have better health and social care. It is outlined in the Area or Regional (SSWB) Plan, which the Social Services and Wellbeing Partnership Board are responsible for. It focuses on involving people and communities, and acting early to prevent problems worsening.

Influence and partnership work is built on people listening to and respecting each other. The better we understand, listen and work together, the bigger the difference we can make.