Dear Colleagues,
It’s half-term week and the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend and I know many of you will be taking some well-deserved leave, but I thought it was important share some reflections on events last week which saw children’s services very much in the public eye both locally and nationally.
Back in April, I updated you on what was then the forthcoming trial of Laura and Scott Castle. As many of you will have seen, following trial Laura Castle was convicted for the murder of Leiland-James Corkill and was sentenced last Wednesday to 18 years in prison. The trial revealed information about the Castles’ behaviour and how Leiland-James died that had been unknown, and it was shocking and distressing to hear those details.
While Laura Castle is responsible for what happened, we played a central role in Leiland-James’ life, and I rightly made a public statement in response on behalf of the county council.
I would like to thank all of the staff across Children’s Services, in particular our adoption service, for continuing to give their absolute best during this tough time.
There will be further public focus on our work when the report of the independent Safeguarding Practice Review is published in July. This report will consider how we, and our partner agencies, worked together through the adoption approval process and after Leiland-James was placed with the Castles. There will be more to be said at that point and Lynn and I will of course keep you updated.
National safeguarding reports
By coincidence last week also saw the publication of two high profile reports that considered the children’s social care system in England: the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care lead by Josh MacAlister; and the national review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson carried out by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
I am proud to say that Cumbria was one of the 10 ‘deep-dive’ areas visited by the MacAlister team and his work here informed the review’s findings. A big thank you to the team in Barrow who played host to his team.
Both contain significant recommendations for how children’s services need to continue to develop, not just within Local Authorities, but across all partners with responsibility for children. The reviews also made strong recommendations about investment and resourcing which we all recognise is critical. The Government has pledged to consider the recommendations carefully.
Vital work
As colleagues across children’s and adult social care know, social work is hard, complex, vital but rewarding work. It requires skill, dedication and a real motivation to improve people’s lives. And the thousands of things we get right every day go unnoticed by the media. As a profession, reflecting, learning from evidence, and changing and developing our practice is what we do, and I sincerely hope that these three reviews help us strengthen our work even further.
I really hope you do get a break this week and have some time to enjoy with family and friends.
My very best wishes,
John
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Local Government Reorganisation update
The Shadow Authority meeting for Cumberland Council
The first meeting of the Shadow Authority for Cumberland Council took place at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Monday 23 May.
The Shadow Executive relating to People are:
- Councillor Emma Williamson – Children and Families.
- Councillor Elaine Lynch – Education, Skills and Training.
- Councillor Martin Harris – Adults.
The Shadow Authority meeting for Westmorland and Furness Council
The first meeting of the Shadow Authority for Westmorland and Furness Council took place at County Hall, Kendal, also on Monday 23 May.
The Shadow Executive relating to People are:
- Councillor Patricia Bell – Deputy Leader, Portfolio Holder for Adults, Health and Care.
- Councillor Sue Sanderson – Portfolio Holder for Children's Services, Education and Skills.
A set of Local Government Reform FAQ’s can also be found on the LGR SharePoint site.
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People Team Brief - May 2022 - did you miss it?
You should now have received a copy of May's People Team Brief from your line manager.
If you haven't, please view last month's edition using the link below:
+Â FOR CASCADE: People Team Brief - May 2022
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Dementia awareness sessions a huge success!
During Dementia Action Week the Support at Home Service made a commitment to raise awareness of dementia illness. To do this, a member of the West team, Alison Tams, who is a Dementia Friends Champion, ran 11 Dementia Friend sessions across the county.Â
These sessions were a mixture of face to face and Teams sessions. Over the course of those sessions, 137 new Dementia Friends were created. Those people now have a greater awareness and can help to shape the way that people think, act and talk about dementia. Every Dementia Friend made is another step towards breaking down the stigma surrounding dementia. It is possible to live well with dementia; it’s not called getting old, it is called getting ill.
Staff from Support at Home, Supported Living, Adult Social Care teams, Occupational Therapy and the Facilities team attended. Feedback was very positive; the training was well received. Several attendees said that they were going to complete the Dementia Friends Champion training to allow them to deliver the sessions to others.Â
If colleagues would like to attend a session, the Support at Home Service will be planning more in the months to come, so keep an eye out for that in a future edition of People News.
Applethwaite Green residents celebrate VE day!
Residents at Applethwaite Green Residential Care Home celebrated VE day in style this year, with games such as hook a duck, Bingo and some music from yesteryear!
Enjoy your retirement Pamela!
Pamela Wilson, Child & Family Worker has called time on her fantastic career after a remarkable 28 years and 3 months with Cumbria County Council!
Read about Pam's career in her own words below:
"I can honestly say that I love my job! Every day is a smile day, working with the young people and especially the babies make me smile so much and there are always plenty of laugh out loud moments as you watch the children’s antics.Â
This is something that I am going to miss so much. Throughout my career I am lucky to have been able to see some of the babies I used to work with grow up to be lovely young adults and I feel such a sense of satisfaction knowing that I was part of their lives for such a long time and definitely a resilience factor for them when they were going through such a tough period in their lives.Â
I still get young people asking to come and see me at the centre which is really nice and two twins I worked with in Penrith, stop at the roadside and wave to me as I drive past which is lovely."
+ Read more
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"It helped take the pressure off" - Holiday Activity Programme success
Following the conclusion of Cumbria's Easter Holiday Activity and Food Programme back in April, we can now share the achievements of the programme.
In total, 2,947 young people took part in the Easter programme, with 1,975 being Primary aged and 972 being Secondary aged.
Looking beyond the figures, feedback from a survey conducted by the council showed the positive impact the programme had on the parents of the young people who attended.
One parent stated:
"(It's) an excellent programme which takes the pressure off for working parents during the school holidays!"
Focus now shifts toward the upcoming Summer programme, where hundreds of activities will be available throughout the school summer holidays.
Keep an eye on Cumbria.gov.uk/holidays for updates.
Loose Ends celebrates its 3rd anniversary!
Loose Ends, a group for visually impaired people, celebrated its 3rd anniversary in style this year- with a pint (or two!) at Wetherspoons in Whitehaven!
The Loose Ends groups was conceived by Carol Hopcroft, Rehabilitation Officer – Vision Impairment after several of the people she was working with talked to her about feeling isolated and wanting to meet other visually impaired people to chat and do activities.Â
The group has since brought visually impaired people together so that they could learn from each other, help each other when adjusting to their sight loss and also for the members to take responsibility for developing the group.Â
The group became self-sufficient and have What’s App and Facebook groups which they use to arrange their own outings and social events as in this photograph. In total the group has around 16 members.
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Carol Hopcroft, Rehabilitation Officer, said:Â
"I was invited to join in with the Loose Ends group celebrations (I am on the right in green jacket) and they all raised a glass and thanked me for starting the group.Â
I am retiring in June and am really proud of the Loose Ends members and how they have made their groups a success, formed friendships and helped each other!
Cumbria Youth Offending Service offered more funding from Government
Cumbria Youth Offending Service has received more investment from Central Government to grow services and develop the service.
This additional funding comes off the back of Cumbria Youth Offending Service delivering over 330 out of court and statutory interventions and delivering 83 standalone prevention programmes.
In addition, 22 young people have achieved accredited awards through court order – rather than handing down unpaid work such as litter-picking, the service aims to teach young people skills to direct them away from anti-social behaviour.
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Samantha Starmer, Service Manager at Cumbria Youth Offending Service said:
"We had a letter from Central Government on Friday to tell us that we’ve got more investment this year in youth justice services, a fantastic result that the Government is recognising that our model of multi-agency intervention works, youth offending teams work, that is still a model they’re supporting."
For more information about the Cumbria Youth Offending Service, visit the Cumbria County Council website.
Council supports Carers week to make caring visible, valued and supported
Cumbria County Council is pleased to be supporting National Carers’ Week between 6 and 12 June, with a variety of events taking place across the county.
The annual National Carers Week offers an opportunity to highlight and recognise the achievements of carers and the huge contribution they make. Local events are planned around the county with support from Cumbria County Council and carers’ organisations.
Details of local events around the county can be found using the links below:
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Celebrate the Platinum Jubilee this weekend
With the #PlatinumJubilee celebration weekend fast approaching (2-5 June), here are some fun ways that you can get involved:
For more information about the Platinum Jubilee, visit the Cumbria Lieutenancy website.
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Could you be a school governor?
In the lead up to Volunteer Week, 1 – 7 June 2022, have you ever considered volunteering as a school governor? Are you aged 18+ with a passion and drive for improving outcomes for the young people of Cumbria?
What skills do I need?
We all have skills we can bring to a governing board and effective governors do not need to be experts in education – but they do need to be committed. Governing bodies benefit from governors having a range of experience in areas such as Finance, Social Care, Legal, HR, and H&S.
To register your interest in becoming a school governor or for further information, please visit  Inspiring Governance  and Governors4Schools, for a free, online service that connects schools with volunteers who are interested in becoming a school governor or trustee.
Alternatively, please contact your local school directly and register your interest. Our schools need you!
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Domestic Abuse: support and policy for all employees
Domestic abuse has been discussed a lot lately, with a high-profile court case and, this month, a Domestic Homicide Review involving a case of abuse in Cumbria was published.
The council has a ‘zero tolerance’ position on domestic abuse and has clear policy and guidance to support Line Managers and employees.
Any employee who is the victim of domestic abuse has the right to raise the issue with their manager and receive support and assistance, and the matter will be approached sympathetically, sensitively, and where possible, confidentially.
The Domestic Abuse policy applies to all permanent and fixed-term council employees, including agency workers. The policy includes support that can be provided such as access to additional compassionate leave and flexible working patterns.
In addition, there is a Domestic Abuse Support Further Information guide for Line Managers with guidance for responding and supporting employees who make a disclosure around domestic abuse.
There is also information available on support for victims of domestic abuse and emergency accommodation on the council website.
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Please keep sending us your stories for People News!
To keep People News fresh we need your help!
What are we looking for?
- Good news
- Success stories
- Events
- Nice pictures
- Professional Development
- New staff
- Leaving staff
- Service user achievements
Please send us any stories which you think would be good to feature in People News to people.news@cumbria.gov.uk. To make the next edition please get in touch by Monday 13 June.
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