Minority Ethnic Support Officer (MESO)Who is the Minority Ethnic Support Officer (MESO)?
Matthew Childs is an employee of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, based in the Civic Centre. The main purpose of his role is to act as the main point of contact between the Council and any individual from a Minority Ethnic background who needs help accessing Council service.
How can the MESO help me?
If you have any questions about accessing a Council service e.g. The Housing Division, The Benefits Section, Environmental Services etc, you are able to contact Matthew to arrange a meeting with him to discuss it.
Alternatively, you may need help completing application forms for various services or need a quick translation of a letter you may have recieved from us.
Can the MESO help me with non-council related business e.g. completing non-council application forms, finding work etc?
The MESO's main role is to support people who accessing council services. Although it is NOT his role to handle such queries, he will help to sign post you to the appropriate agency or find someone else who can answer your query. He should not be contacted to help fill out or translate materials from outside agencies e.g. Tax Credit applications, Child Benefit Forms forms from the home office etc.
What if I cannot speak English/Welsh?
The MESO is able to communicate, speak and understand a number of languages - English, Polish, French, Czech and Slovak and understands Spanish and German. He also has contacts that speak many more. If there is a language that cannot be spoken on-site, then he is able to access Langauge Line (an over the phone translation service).
If you need to contact the MESO, then it is a good idea to contact him a few days before so that someone who speaks you language can also be present. If the MESO is unavailable then please ask the reception staff for Langauge Line.
When is the MESO available?
The MESO is available to contact on the following days at the following times:
- Monday 08:30am -15:30pm
- Tuesday 08:30am -12:00pm
- Thursday 08:30am -1530pm
Please remember that it is important to pre-arrange your appointment. However, in an emergency the MESO will try to see you without an appointment as soon as he is available.
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