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About the COASTAL Project

Contrary to common misconception, the COASTAL Project has nothing to do with Coastal Paths, Flood Defences or Beach Conservation.

The Project is part funded by the European Social Fund, as part of the 2007-2013 West Wales & The Valleys Convergence Programme.

The title ‘COASTAL’ is an acronym for the: ‘Creating Opportunities And Skills Teams ALliance’
 
The COASTAL Project, is a Regional Strategic Project, covering the 6 local authority areas of Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, aimed at the promotion of vocational guidance, employment, skills training and lifelong learning opportunities for individuals who are currently economically inactive as a result of illness, disability, (Mental Illness, Learning Disability, Physical Disability, Sensory Impairment) substance misuse problems and/or the serious social disadvantage associated with the transition from long-term care into adulthood.The 6 Creating Opportunities And Skills Teams, (‘COAST’s), one in each LA area, will work in collaboration with a range of external service providers, as part of the Creating Opportunities And Skills Teams Alliance, (‘COASTAL’), to achieve a strategic, consistent and equitable regional approach to the delivery of services to support individuals with serious and enduring illness and/or disability to gain their maximum potential in respect of skill acquisition, employability and economic activity.

A process of detailed and comprehensive assessment of need will be offered to each individual participant. This will result in an Individual Programme which will detail the support required in order to assist the participant to overcome the identified barriers to their engagement in learning, training and employment. Project staff will then provide, or organise access to, the required support to meet the participants needs, including access to appropriate education/skills training, supported employment or work experience, support with job applications, CV writing, interview skills etc.. The support will continue for as long as the participant requires it, up to a maximum of 12 months post employment.

The Project will also offer support, advice and guidance to employers, in order to raise awareness of illness and disability issues and to assist them in engaging with and, hopefully employing, project participants.

Led by the City & County of Swansea, the Project is a partnership between the six South West Wales Local Authorities –

  • Bridgend County Borough Council,
  • Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
  • City & County of Swansea
  • Carmarthenshire County Council
  • Pembrokeshire County Council
  • Ceredigion County Council

In addition to these sponsoring Authorities, the Project also supports regional services provided by;

  • West Glamorgan Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (WGCADA)
  • Swansea Drugs Project
  • ‘PRISM’ – The Mid & West Wales Alcohol & Drug Advisory Service
  • Community Chaplaincy – HMP Swansea.
  • Pembrokeshire Frame Ltd

and local services, within each of the Authority areas, provided by a range of third sector partners.

The Project places a strong emphasis on the need to deliver its services in the most environmentally friendly manner possible and, as such, is committed to following a process of environmental management in all aspects of its work. 

For details please see The Coastal Project Eco code.

In order to ensure that the activity of the Project is fully and formally monitored and evaluated, the Project has engaged the services and support of an independent, external evaluator, Wavehill Consulting, an Aberaeron based firm, with extensive experience of supporting European Structural Fund Projects. Wavehill’s evaluators will work closely with the Project staff across the region, throughout the life of the Project. As part of their work, Wavehill will produce Annual Reports, which will be used for both monitoring and developmental purposes. As they are published, these Reports will be made available on this website.

For further details of the Project monitoring arrangements, see the PDF below.

COASTALMonitoringEvaluationPlan Size: [106 KB] File Type: [.pdf]

For more detail about the COASTAL Project see the PDF below.

BusinessPlanSummary  Size: [80 KB] File Type: [.pdf]

For details of other Convergence funded Projects and a wide range of information related to European Structural Fund activity under the 2007 – 2013 West Wales & The Valleys Convergence Programme click on the following links:

This post is also available in: Welsh