Council introduces electric vehicles to benefit social care workforce

 

Following a recent successful pilot of new electric vehicles (EVs) by the social care work force, Bridgend County Borough Council has taken delivery of two, new electric cars.

The social services directorate trialled the use of an electric vehicle with a team of social care staff, including team leaders, which resulted in positive feedback from all who engaged in the three-week trial.

As a result, staff could soon have access to an electric vehicle to carry out their visits across the county borough, reducing the use and wear and tear on their own vehicles.

It is hoped that by being able to access a council vehicle the initiative will benefit those who are interested in becoming a social care worker, but do not have access to their own vehicles to undertake the role.

The council is expecting to take delivery of four more vehicles later this year, with a view to making the vehicles available to all staff in the support at home service. Operating an EV booking system, in sync with an electronic call scheduling system – with the intention to allow many front-line staff to have the opportunity to drive an EV during their hours of work.

We are delighted that we will be able to make these vehicles available to staff in our support at home service.

Our staff will benefit from less wear and tear on their own vehicles along with reducing the additional costs associated running a car, plus we are hoping to recruit new members of staff, who may currently be deterred from applying for a role as a social care worker due to not having regular access to a vehicle of their own.

More EVs are being ordered to help the home care team reduce carbon emissions. As the use of the vehicles grows, the council will consider other schemes to enable it and its employees to meet its Net Zero Carbon 2030 ambitions.

Deputy Leader, Councillor Jane Gebbie

The Bridgend Net Zero Carbon Strategy 2030 focuses on decarbonising all its fleet vehicles and staff mileage for service delivery. To help the move towards decarbonisation, the council took the step to try a different approach in areas requiring high mileage by staff to deliver council services, such as social care, and set aside capital to enable the change. Further grant funding opportunities from Welsh Government has helped part-fund the first two new EV cars and their EV chargers being installed.

Photo (l to r): Support at home staff with Nathan Griffiths, Nathaniel Cars, Leader Cllr Huw David and Deputy Leader, Cllr Jane Gebbie at BCBC and Angela Davies, Support at Home Operations Manager.