28 August 2020
Public: coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for Devon on our website
Please pass this onto district, borough, parish and town councillors as appropriate. The bulletin can be shared as a link by clicking the 'View it as a Web page' link at the top.
Do it for Devon
Stick with us and keep following the guidance to keep everyone safe and well.
Devon extends a warm welcome to all visitors.
However, to keep us all safe, we need the support of local residents and visitors to keep following the guidelines with social distancing, washing hands and hand sanitising, wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces and avoiding busy places.
"We should all remain extra vigilant when travelling at home or abroad"
says Devon’s Director of Public Health
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The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Devon rose to 32 in the last seven days and is now currently at 26 (on 28 August 2020). However, compared to the rest of the country, ‘rates still remain low’, says Devon’s Director of Public Health, Dr Virginia Pearson.
The increase in numbers is largely due to Devon residents returning home from trips abroad, having contracted coronavirus infection while away on holiday.
They were picked up by the NHS Test and Trace programme on their return to the country, and all appropriate containment procedures, including self-isolation, have been followed.
“These cases show how vital it is that we all remain extra vigilant when travelling at home or abroad.
“The NHS Test and Trace system has done its job here very well, and we’re confident that the risk of onward infection in the community is very low as a result of residents doing the right thing and taking the right actions quickly.
“What it does show is that people need to be extra careful when travelling abroad and must continue to respect social distancing, wash their hands regularly, avoid crowded areas and wear face coverings as directed.
“If people do fall ill with symptoms of COVID-19 while away they need to avoid contact with others as much as possible, be careful when travelling back from the airport, self-isolate immediately when back home and phone 111 for advice on testing.
“Fortunately, in this case, our international travellers have acted sensibly and followed this guidance.
“People should be aware of the risks associated with any travelling abroad and be careful on their return, and to be tested quickly if they feel ill.”
Other recently-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Devon are not connected. In each case the necessary containment procedures have been quickly followed.
Dr Pearson added:
“We must remember, while not for one moment being complacent, that the rate of confirmed cases in Devon remains very low.
“That’s how we want it to stay. We will see numbers rise and fall, but we must all focus on what we can do to keep those numbers low. That means:
• wear a face covering when in enclosed spaces (to protect others)
• keep a safe distance – 2 metres where possible
• wash your hands with soap and water often and use hand sanitiser if handwashing is not possible
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve if you cough or sneeze
• do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.”
Second phase of essential tree safety work on North Devon Link Road
We begin a second phase of a comprehensive programme of tree safety work next week to remove potentially hazardous ash trees infected with ash dieback on a 46km stretch of the North Devon Link Road (A361/A39).
We have seen a significant increase county-wide in the number of infected and deteriorating trees over the spring and summer months, which could cause potential hazard to public safety.
A lot of tree work was done in a first phase on the busiest sections of the link road during lockdown, while traffic on the road was low. But there’s more to do, so teams will be working between 1 September and mid-November, to complete the road as quickly as possible.
The timing is to prioritise public safety, while also taking into consideration the natural wildlife and habitat
Growth Support Kickstart Grant Scheme
Small businesses and the tourism sector across Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay will be able to apply for grants of up to £3,000 through the Growth Support Kickstart Grant Scheme.
The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) has been awarded a £771,164 share of government funding to help with the economic recovery in the region. The aim of the fund is to support as many businesses as possible, with grants being issued on a first come first served basis through the completion of a simple application form.
It is hoped the fund will be open for applications before the end of the month. In the meantime, to help businesses prepare, an 'Information and Guidance' document and FAQs have been published on the South West Local Enterprise Partnership's Kickstart grant website and businesses are encouraged to read this.
The funding is due to be administered by The European Regional Development Funded (ERDF) Heart of the South West Growth Support Programme.
You can read the full story on our website.
Second stage of Self Employment Income Support Scheme now open
The second stage of the Government's Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) opened for applications earlier this month.
Anyone whose self-employed business has been adversely affected by coronavirus since 14 July is eligible for the scheme and will be able to claim a second payment of up to £6,570.
More information, including how to apply, is available on the Government website.
Next Chapter for Children’s Services
Our valued Chief Officer for Children’s Services, Jo Olsson, will be retiring in January 2021. We took the opportunity to speak to Jo about her time with Devon, and the challenges and opportunities for our future leader of Children’s Services.
On her planned retirement Jo says:
"I’ve had amazing support from Devon County Council politically and corporately; and also from our Commissioner and Chair of the Improvement Partnership who are fully supportive of our plans.
“The Chief Officer role really is the best job in the world because you have all the opportunities to influence, to shape and to change lives for the better.”
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Back to School Special bulletin
The start of the academic year isn't far away now, and all children and young people in Devon will be required to go back to school, but things will be a little different to normal this year.
We've gathered some useful information resources and top tips in this back to School Special bulletin to help parents and their children prepare for September, including what safety measures will be in place, changes to school transport and how to support children's mental health.
Use this link to share the Back to School Special bulletin:
Schooling and welfare
Following much confusion regarding exam results this year, A levels and GCSEs have been awarded either by teacher-awarded grade or their calculated grade - whichever is higher. While resits in the autumn term are now possible, we anticipate few students will need to follow this route.
The Department for Education (DfE) has produced a helpful student guide, to explain how this year’s exam results have been awarded and how appeals or exam resits will operate. Members may also find this information helpful.
The DfE has also published a frequently asked questions guide for schools, colleges, students, parents and carers to answer the common questions.
Due to the extraordinary circumstances, performance tables for schools (and local authorities) will not be published this year.
Cllr James McInnes said:
"I want to share with you some excellent news for some of our care leavers. One young person is going to Cardiff Metropolitan University to do a social work degree, another is going to Bristol University to do a one year Foundation Course followed by a three year computer science degree and a third is going to Oxford University.
"We are awaiting confirmation of other university offers so there may be more good news to follow."
Changes to school transport
The Government has produced school transport guidelines for when all pupils return in September and we've been working with schools, colleges and transport operators to help them plan for this. We have also created our own guidelines
Schools and our DCC transport teams have worked exceptionally hard over the summer to put in place all the transport arrangements not just for our children who are entitled to free transport but, as requested by the DFE, also for those who would have travelled on public transport. We're also providing around 70 extra buses across the county at peak times, which will be dedicated to school and college students, so there's extra capacity for social distancing measures on public services.
The DfE has provided a grant to cover the cost but, in a county like Devon, this falls short of the full cost by approximately £100k for the first half term! We have raised this issue with the DfE, Department for Transport and through local MPs.
Social distancing guidance applies to passengers on public transport, but not to passengers on dedicated school transport, (which are not open to the general public). This is because the Government believes the overall risk to children and young people from coronavirus is low; they do not mix with the general public on those journeys, and the home to school transport carries the same group of students and young people on a regular basis.
To help keep everyone as safe as possible, we're asking pupils in secondary schools to wear a face covering when travelling on school transport, unless they are exempt from wearing one.
They’ll be asked to sit in their year groups on larger vehicles wherever possible, with the youngest students sat at the front, to replicate the “bubbles” in schools. Schools can draw up seating arrangements if they wish, and to be on hand at the end of the school day to assist students. We also encourage operators to keep driver continuity wherever possible.
Full details of these additional services can be found on our Travel Devon website.
New advice on face coverings in schools and colleges
The Government announced on Wednesday 26 August new advice regarding the use of face coverings in education.
They’re not recommending that face coverings are necessary in education settings generally, because of the systems and controls that schools have in place to mitigate risk. But where schools and colleges are in areas where the transmission of the virus is high, additional precautionary measures are recommended, including the wearing of face coverings by adults and pupils.
How our Education Teams are supporting the return to school
Our Education teams worked closely with schools and early years settings at the end of last term to put in place as many support mechanisms as possible to support children returning to school in September. This included, but is not limited to:
- Identification of 4/5-year-olds in Early Years settings who have not returned this term to ensure transition planning is in place for their start at school.
- Return to school and transition guidance for schools and early years settings (including for pupils with increased anxiety or had previously been electively home educated).
- Specific transition guidance for special schools to support return and for families.
- Universal summer provision and summer provision for children in care and those to keep socially engaged.
- Extra links with youth and health services for pupils known to mental health services such as CAMHS and the Youth Intervention Team.
- Commissioning of paediatric and mental health support for the most complex children.
- Advisory teacher support for individual children in all main stream schools for any child with special educational needs (SEN).
- Outreach support for year 11 as they move to college in the autumn term.
Supporting and protecting our children in care
Devon Improvement Plan - update August 2020
Devon Improvement Partnership (IP) met for the third time (week ending 21 August) to review progress against the Improvement Plan and examine preparation for the first Ofsted Monitoring Visit which will take place in September. All partners are represented on the IP.
Key headlines of progress by the end of July
- Corporate Parenting Teams have maintained high levels of visiting and contact with our care leavers.
- Some young people who were in unacceptable arrangements are now in more suitable accommodation and risks to them have reduced.
- The new Pathway Plan will be ready on Eclipse to start reviewing young people’s plans from September.
- Improved communication materials have been produced for young people to promote health passports and the local offer.
- A new framework for permanence planning is developing well.
- We have a really strong approach in place to prioritising children at risk of neglect across the partnership.
- Our pre-proceedings work is more focused, and we are now focusing on children who are in care proceedings in court.
- A new Quality Assurance Framework is operating including a monthly approach to practice evaluation.
Key priorities for the next stage
- Working closely with partners to ensure the needs of care leavers in the most challenging circumstances are fully understood and planned for.
- Moving all young people onto the new model Pathway Plan.
- Ensuring all young people have their permanence plan in place and correctly recorded on Eclipse, and that other work required for permanence such as life story work and ‘matching’, is in place.
- Completing our analysis of care proceedings cases to improve timeliness.
Key messages from the Improvement Partnership meeting in August
- The partnership heard more about the impact of improvement work to date on outcomes for individual children and young people.
- Schools, health and police representatives demonstrated proactive commitment to collaborative working on key priorities, including recognising the particular issues in rural communities.
- Partners recognised the need to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people when they return to school in September.
- The partnership committed to ensuring the needs of disabled children and young people were considered as part of the improvement work.
Ofsted Monitoring Visit - due September
Ofsted will examine questions about the quality of leadership, management oversight, supervision, pace of change through the work with care leavers. The primary focus will be on our progress addressing the concerns they identified for care leavers
Ofsted will also explore our response to COVID-19. Inspectors will look at the experiences of children and young people during the pandemic and how local authorities and providers have made the best possible decisions for children in the context of the pandemic.
For local authorities, that includes how they have joined up schools and social care services while schools were closed, to stop vulnerable pupils from slipping through the net. Again, they will have a particular focus on the experiences of care leavers in COVID-19.
Visiting care homes
A number of Members have received queries from members of the public on the arrangements for visiting family and friends in care home. The national guidance requires the local authority Director of Public Health to make a risk assessment about visiting care homes in their area. Currently our COVID-19 incidence, and therefore risk levels in Devon, are very low and Devon’s Director of Public Health for Devon has stated that there are no restrictions recommended at the moment, as long as national and local guidance is strictly followed, including the need for a dynamic risk assessment.
On occasion, a local situation may arise where the specialist advice from Public Health England or Infection Control is that visiting should be suspended. National guidance also provides advice to care homes as they establish their own visitor policies, including the use of face coverings or personal protective equipment, setting out the key considerations, measures and risks to think about to ensure staff, residents and visitors are safe. We encourage care homes to communicate their policy to the family and friends of their residents.
We are fortunate to have a high proportion of care homes rated good and outstanding by the CQC, and all have been extremely responsive during this difficult period. They have worked with families to support contact wherever they can. We have seen examples of window visits, garden visits and even a drive-through experience. When this has not been possible, providers have used technology including Zoom, Skype and Face Time, and we are exploring how the Council can support this further.
We do understand the importance of face-to-face contact and that although technology is a useful tool it can be confusing for some people. We are encouraging homes to take a person-centred approach in these instances, with a pragmatic risk assessment that considers the impact a reduction in social contact has on an individual with dementia. We have held webinars for providers, including one where one of our in-house managers shared her learning and support from CCG nurses to help people with dementia to see their families.
The Alzheimer’s Society also recommend supporting cognitive rehabilitation in care homes by allowing visits from other professionals, such as occupational therapists from the Older People’s Mental Health teams. We have supported NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group to engage with providers in the development of professional visitors guidance that adheres to infection control measures, meaning that care homes can indeed open up with a level of confidence.
We are committed to providing the best quality and support for dementia care and are collaborating with care home providers to support sharing of best practice and to review briefings from the Alzheimer's Society and Dementia UK who we already work closely with.
Devon Carers achieves 'Helplines Standard' accreditation
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Do you know someone who may need support?
If you know of someone who needs support because of the coronavirus pandemic, for example, they are out of work, they need food or they want to take care of their mental health, then log on to the Government's website to find out what help and advice is available from the Government and other organisations. You can use it for someone else or yourself.
Find support with:
- what to do if you’re feeling unsafe where you live, or if you’re worried about someone else
- paying bills, rent, or mortgage payments
- getting food
- being made redundant or unemployed, or not having any work
- what to do if you’re worried about going in to work
- having somewhere to live
- mental health and wellbeing, including information for children.
Stronger enforcement measures
The Government announced a series of tough new enforcement measures targeting the most serious breaches of social distancing restrictions. Fines for repeatedly not wearing face coverings where mandated will be significantly increased. The fines will double at each offence, up to a maximum value of £3,200. The guidance on face coverings has been updated to reflect this.
On the spot fines for hosting or facilitating illegal gatherings of more than 30 people will also be introduced. The guidance for the public on meeting people outside of their household has been updated in line with this announcement.
Don't get caught out, make sure you understand what you can and can't do and what restrictions are in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus and keep everyone safe. Keep up to date with the Government's FAQs on their website.
Devon Solar Together Project overview
To support the region’s energy and climate strategies, Devon Climate Emergency (DCE) is looking to incentivise a solar PV collective purchasing scheme for the residential ‘able-to-pay’ sector. The project is called ‘Devon Solar Together’.
DCE (supported by the region’s district authorities) will lead a marketing campaign to promote the scheme and encourage households interested in installing solar PV panels on their roofs to pre-register on an online platform.
 Devon’s householders have the chance to help the county become net-zero by joining Devon Climate Emergency’s (DCE) solar panel group-buying scheme that will save them money and help save the planet.
Devon Youth Parliament members launch Greener Devon
Devon Youth Parliament members launch Greener Devon as part of the National Youth Parliament campaign 'Protecting our Future'
You can now follow Greener Devon on Twitter and Instagram.
Click to watch the reactions of the GCSE adult learners!
Adult learners celebrate their GCSE success
Adult learners are among those celebrating well-earned GCSE results, having completed their maths and English qualifications with Learn Devon, Devon County Council’s adult learning service. Listen to some of their reactions in the video above.
Public consultation starts on flood risk management strategy
A public consultation is underway on Devon’s latest flood risk management strategy which outlines how the risk of flooding to property and infrastructure will be managed and reduced over the next six years, from 2021-2027.
Click to watch how the dragon appeared!
Traffic-calming dragon appears outside Exeter school
Pupils at St Michael’s Church of England Primary Academy in Exeter will be welcomed back to school by a large mythical dragon when they return after the summer break.
The colourful dragon is designed to slow traffic and encourage people driving to be more aware of people who are walking and cycling, to make the space outside the school safer for school children and other road users. The dragon spans the road outside the school and is the first of its kind in Devon.
Sustrans and Devon County Council have been working on this road safety project with the school and local community for two years. The installation of the dragon design marks the completion of the project.
By pulling together across the Council, with our partners and our communities, we are doing everything we can to help us all through this incredibly difficult time. Thank you to you and your community and stay safe and well.
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