Lead Organisation: Denbighshire County Council
This local community engagement about social care was carried out by Practice Solutions in Denbigh. The engagement took place during lockdown so face to face interaction was limited but 126 people took part through an online survey, interviews over the phone and email. This included 96 local citizens and 30 professionals/community leaders.
Key findings
Well-being and preventative services: A very broad range of services supports people’s well-being in the community, including from the public sector, third sector and the community itself. There was a good range of community services regularly used by residents including shops and supermarkets, walking groups, library and GP services.
Community support and resilience: The importance of friends and neighbours in providing day to day support such as shopping, and alleviating loneliness and isolation – especially during the pandemic – was highlighted. Several respondents commented positively on how there is a strong sense of community in the town, with many people actively supporting each other.
Welsh language: There was a strong feeling about the importance of being able to access services relating to care and support in language of choice. Many in the survey, respondents and those interviewed, identified that there was a lack of Welsh speaking staff in services. This was particularly important to families whose relatives accessed care and support, especially in care homes.
Access to healthcare: There was a general consensus that the healthcare provision in Denbigh was good and accessible. Both the Infirmary and GP surgeries were well used and well thought of by residents. The infirmary is also well thought of although some residents felt there was insufficient low level medical support available there. There are current plans in place to update the infirmary so it can deliver more local services.