Category: Elliw’s Blogs

If you're thinking of applying for a place as a Specialist Trainee as part of Gwynedd Council's Schemes of Tomorrow, my first advice is, go for it! I and all the others that are part of the Schemes have been in your shoes, wishing and hoping that our applications would be strong enough - so … Continue reading Pre-application advice… →

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? How attentive are you? Would you be able to hear the crunch of Santa’s heavy black boots in the snow? Would you be able to hear reindeer bells ringing in the distance? In the busy world that we live in, everyone thinks that they have excellence listening skills. We … Continue reading Hear! Hear! The power of listening… →

At Christmas time,everywhere I look I can see pictures of people shopping, decorating and indulging in festive foods on my social media pages. As I walk through a busy shopping centre, I smile to myself as I see a young person struggling to hold a hot festive drink, two handfuls of shopping bags, and a … Continue reading Social Media →

We are continuing to hold our ‘Challenge Effectively’ sessions and are enjoying meeting new faces throughout the County. Sessions vary in their numbers from 5 in a session up to 20, and each session offers us a new and valuable insight into the willingness of individuals to challenge concepts and systems. We are learning a … Continue reading Continuing to challenge… →

One project I've been working on since September is the Children First Project. The project is run by the Welsh Government, and the aim of the project is to create strong communities, supporting children and young people in their communities as well as reducing inequality. One of the main features of the project I had … Continue reading Children First Project →

Last week I mentioned coaching and mentoring - two valuable skills that are becoming apparent in our working environment. Since then, I have had the privilege of attending a mentoring conference organized by Business Wales held at Cambria Business College to celebrate a national mentoring day. It was a comprehensive day that had been split … Continue reading Coaching and Mentoring →

One area that has been of great interest to me since my time studying Psychology at Bangor University is having the ability to use my skills to help others. While studying, I completed a counselling module that looked at the principles of effective counselling and learning how to establish a working relationship that requires mutual … Continue reading 29.10.18 – National Mentoring Day →

Last Wednesday (17.10.18) we were privileged as trainees to hold an Effective Communication session with 65 young people aged 16-17 from Anglesey and Gwynedd as part of the ‘Rhwydwaith Seren’ sessions. The brief was to devise a two-hour session that would look at developing the communication skills of the individuals in an effective but fun … Continue reading Rhwydwaith Seren →

In addition to my day to day work, I have also been working on a number of small projects in the Council. Already, you've heard of my experience of working with Miriam to set up a series of activities under the umbrella term, Self-Development, which offers opportunities for Council staff to become familiar with the … Continue reading Promoting Project →

The most exciting news is that I have gained a new member to the Communications team! Ffion will be working with me on the service communication plan, while I will be benefiting from line management responsibility. I was fortunate to be a part of the recruitment, interviewing and appointment process, before welcoming Ffion on her … Continue reading Line Manager Responsibilities… →