Caerphilly County Borough Council’s newly-appointed permanent chief executive has reassured councillors that “the support is there” for the transgender community.

Questions were raised in a cabinet meeting over what the council was doing to support the transgender community.

Chief executive Christina Harrhy, who was given the job on a full-time basis on Wednesday (March 10), said: “We need to make sure staff are empowered and have the right information.

“I just want to reassure members that the support is there.”

The cabinet member for social care and wellbeing, Cllr Carl Cuss, said that it was important the council was doing their bit.

He said: “There’s a lack of understanding among staff over how we talk about and support the trans community.

“I want to know what we are doing as a council to support those individuals.”

The council’s senior policy officer Anwen Cullinane said: “We have a comprehensive training programme in place.

“We are working very closely with third party organisations including an LGBT youth group and Umbrella Cymru based at Blackwood Police Station.”

The leader of the council, Cllr Philippa Marsden, said it was about awareness and understanding the issues that the trans community are facing.

The questions came during a conversation about the council’s Strategic Equality Plan.

The UK Government undertook a 16-week consultation in 2018 over potential changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), but the results have not yet been published.

Council members wanted reassurance that, even if no changes were to go ahead with the GRA, the council was providing sufficient support.