Information about Services
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A Guide for Parents, Carers and Families of People with
Learning Disabilities
(Click on the picture above to view the content of the guide)
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The guide includes sections on the following:
Introduction to Council Services
Advocacy and Legal Advice
Benefits and Financial Advice
Carers Support
Child Protection
Communication
Counselling
Education and Training
Employment and Work Experience
Health
Home and Housing
Protection of Vulnerable Adults
Short Breaks and Holidays
Sport and Leisure
Support Organisations
Transport and Travel
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A Guide to Services for People with a Physical Disability
(Click on the picture above to view the content of the guide)
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The guide includes sections on the following:
Social Care Services
Support for Carers
Health Services and Support Groups
Counselling
Help in the Home
Financial Help, Advice and Support
Housing
Education, Employment and Training
Getting out and about
Sport, Leisure and Holidays
Your Rights
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A Guide to Services for People with a Visual Impairment
(Click on the picture above to view the content of the guide)
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The Toy Library is a service that lends toys, as a public library does with books. It started as part of the Surestart government initiative and is a free service.
Toy librarians are available to assist parents/carers with choosing toys that are best suited to the age and developmental stage of their child, allowing a range of toys to be tried out without buying them. Toys included in the library are selected to promote children’s development and to make learning fun. A wide range of sensory toys has recently been purchased for disabled children, for example, sensation blocks, switch lights and an animal sound pack. These sensory toys are situated at the Rhydyfelin toy library, but can be requested at the other locations.
The Toy Library operates from these three fixed bases:
Rhondda – Ynyscynon Early Years Centre
Cynon – Hirwaun Primary School
Taf – Rhydyfelin Integrated Children’s Centre
Toys can be borrowed by families or carers living in Rhondda Cynon Taf, by toddler groups, parent support groups, playgroups, nurseries and by professionals who work with children.
A CD-ROM that contains a catalogue of the toys can be requested from the Toy Library. Alternatively, you can search for many of the toys on the Toy Library website at:
For more information about the toy library, please contact:
Jayne Bergin or Rachel Bosanko on 01443 424908
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Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council's Children's Information Service provides free, impartial information and advice to families, carers and professionals about childcare services and resources that are available to children within the county.
The service provides a free phone helpline for anyone seeking information about childcare and services, which is open between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and between 9.00am and 4.30pm on Friday. An answerphone is available to leave messages after hours. The number is as follows:
FREEPHONE: 0800 180 4151
The service provides information about play groups, summer play schemes, parent support groups, out of school clubs, day nurseries and child minders in your area. An extremely useful free information pack, containing booklets such as ‘Choosing Childcare’ and ‘Over the top behaviours in the under tens’, can be requested by calling the free phone helpline. The ‘Choosing Childcare’ booklet and other leaflets can also be downloaded directly from the website at :
The children’s information service also provides information about tax credits for childcare (included in the information pack) and services offered by local and national support organisations for children and young people. They produce a newsletter twice a year, the latest of which can be viewed on their website.
To find out more about what is available in your area or to request a free information pack, please call the freephone helpline, visit the website by clicking on the heading above or email the Children’s Information Service at:
childinfoserv@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk
Click here to Search for Childcare in RCT
Playgroups
Registered Education Providers
Day Nurseries
Parent and Toddler groups
Childminders
Play Schemes
Out of School Groups
Click the above picture to view the 'Choosing Childcare' booklet
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Youth Information Service
Rhondda Cynon Taf’s Youth Information Team (YIT) offers a free service to all young people aged 11 to 25 years. The YIT offer young people the opportunity to access the most accurate and up to date information available, in the most appropriate formats, arming young people with the information, knowledge and support they need to make informed decisions and life choices.
The YIT aim to provide high quality, responsive and accessible services / facilities. The service covers all topics that interest young people, and can include a spectrum of activities such as:
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Independent, specialist careers advice and guidance and student support and counselling services.
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Personal support and advice where and when needed and in appropriate formats, with clear ground rules on confidentiality.
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Advice on health, housing benefits and other issues provided in accessible and welcoming settings.
Activities may be delivered through youth centres or through the YIT in other structures, or using electronic and other media.
For further information or to access this service, please contact Bethan Jones as follows:
Telephone: 01443 744000
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The Family Link Scheme
The Family Link Scheme is part of the Disabled Children’s Service. It aims to link disabled children with approved Family Link carers to provide them with regular planned short breaks in the carers home.
The Family Link team recruits and supports carers to provide regular short breaks for a disabled child. Family Link carers spare a few hours at regular intervals in order to involve a disabled child in a range of everyday activities in their community or home, which provides a short break both for the disabled child and for the family of the disabled child.
Family Link carers are ordinary members of the public who offer their time and commitment and have an interest in supporting disabled children.
Th Family Link Scheme is accessible by referral from your child's Social Worker, who will need to carry out an assessment to ensure that your child is eligible for the scheme. For enquiries please call the Disabled Children's Team on 01443 444300
If you are interested in becoming a Family Link carer, please contact the Family Link Team on 01443 827050 or 01443 827076
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 THE CARERS SUPPORT PROJECT
The Carers Support Project is part of the Community Care Division and provides support and information for people caring for others.
It operates a freephone CarersLine and also a carers telephone counselling service.
The project also produces a Carers Pack and a quarterly newsletter called 'Carers News'. Please contact the Carers Support Project to request any of these publications or you can download them below.
The Carers Support Project also organise pamper days, workshops and trips, all of which are free to carers in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Click here to download the Winter 2007 issue of Carers News »
 
« Click here to download the Carers Pack 2007-08
CarersLine offers advice, support and information to carers in RCT
 Tel: Freephone 0808 100 1801 
Textphone: Freephone 0808 100 1675
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9.00am to 1.30pm and 2.00pm to 5.00pm
(Answerphone available out of hours)
*CarersLine is a confidential service and a member of the Telephone Helplines Association*
Carers Support Project contact details:
Carers Support Project
Heddfan,
Ilan Avenue,
Rhydyfelin,
Pontypridd,
Rhondda Cynon Taf
CF37 5PN
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday 9.00am to 5.00pm and Fridays 9.00am to 4.30pm
Telephone (admin): 01443 407582
Email: CarersSupportProject@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk
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The Disability Sport Wales National Community Development Programme is a joint initiative between the Sports Council for Wales, the Federation of Disability Sport Wales and the 22 local authorities across Wales. The scheme is aimed at developing quality community based sporting and recreational opportunities for disabled people throughout Wales.
The programme is promoted and delivered through a network of Disability Sport Wales Development Officers located across every Local Authority in Wales.
Disability Sport Wales aims to:
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create new clubs and give professional advice and support to improve existing clubs
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increase the number of disabled people who actively participate in sports clubs, groups and sessions
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improve the quality and number of coaches and volunteers within disability sport through coach education and other systems
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create new and further develop existing opportunities for disabled people to compete in sport at local, regional and national level
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work closely with the Federation’s National Performance Manager ensuring that individuals with potential are given the opportunity to train and, where appropriate, compete to the highest standards
To find out about events and sports clubs in and around your area, coach education and much more, please click on the following link:
You can also contact Shelley Jones,
the Disability Sport Wales Development Officer for RCT,
on 01443 490242
Below are examples of the clubs in Rhondda Cynon Taf that are featured on the Disability Sport Wales website:
This Club caters for junior participants training on a Saturday evening from 7pm - 9pm at Abercynon Sports Centre.
This club caters for juniors with a variety of disabilities.
This club is a mainstream club with a disability section catering for both juniors and seniors.
A club specifically for people with Autism or Aspergers syndrome.
A horse riding club that caters for disabled people, both juniors and seniors.
This is a mainstream club that caters for people with disabilities.
A mainstream swimming club that caters for both juniors and seniors.
This is a Tenpin Bowling Club for people with sight problems and their family and friends.
This is a multi sports club for both juniors and seniors catering for a wide range of disabilities.
Other clubs currently not listed on the DSW website:
A voluntary organisation who provide opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in swimming and other water-based activities.
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