4 December 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. Find previous bulletins on our web page.
Do it for Devon
Stick with us and keep following the guidance to keep everyone safe and well.
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, avoiding busy places and keeping gatherings to groups of up to six people.
Tier 2 restrictions apply in Devon
The new tier system for England has come into force.
What does that mean for people identified as being ‘clinically extremely vulnerable?
Don’t fear the tiers! – new travel and pub rules for the South West explained
With the end of the national lockdown and the introduction of the new tier system, the South West is working together to clarify the rules around travelling between tiers to help keep everyone safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
With many residents travelling between Devon, Torbay, Plymouth and Cornwall on a daily basis for work, the school run, or for leisure, it is important for everyone to understand how the tier system works.
Devon leads £2 million bid to end holiday hunger
More than 15,000 children across Devon will be receiving food vouchers this Christmas as the County Council combats holiday hunger. Read more on our news centre.
Please point anyone with enquiries to our dedicated web pages about the new scheme.
Key points:
- If a child already receives free school meals, they will automatically qualify for the holiday vouchers scheme. They don’t need to apply again.
- Parents and carers of children currently receiving free school meals will be sent letters and emails during the week commencing Monday 7 December with information about how to access their vouchers.
- If a child doesn’t currently receive free school meals but may now be eligible due to a change in their family’s circumstances, please help us ensure they can access this holiday voucher support over Christmas by encouraging them to apply online via our website as soon as possible. This is the quickest and easiest way for their eligibility to be assessed and they will get an instant decision. Alternatively, they can call our education helpline on 0345 155 1019. To ensure that they receive the free school meal holiday vouchers for this Christmas period, they must apply by Friday 18 December 2020.
Applications for COVID-19 Fund grants now closed
Devon County Council temporarily re-opened the COVID-19 Fund at the start of November to provide flexible resources to organisations working with communities who are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the social and economic consequences of the second national lockdown.
Applications for this second wave of COVID-19 Fund grants are now closed.
Alternative grant and funding support can be found on our web page.
Encourage your town and parish councils to register to attend Devon County Council's annual budget meetings
We want to encourage each council/parish meeting to send at least one representative. Members, please forward this information to your town and parish colleagues.
This year has been one of exceptional challenges and Cllr Hart will explain how this is affecting the budget-setting process for 2021/22 while at the same time gathering feedback from you on what your community's main issues and concerns are.
Social workers in schools pilot
Imagine the impact of having a social worker sat in a school, undertaking their statutory duties in line with all other front line social workers, but also having the time to work with staff in schools to support them to recognise abuse and neglect earlier on, providing schools with tools to intervene and helping them to manage the risks children are exposed to earlier.
Devon is part of a roll out project to explore just this, with social workers being embedded in six secondary schools throughout November. It's early days, but already the enthusiasm of all schools involved is fantastic, and feedback is positive.
“Already this project has been so useful. We have gained historic information about students/ families that we didn't know, which has in turn led us to follow up concerns that we had. Our social worker has been able to advise us on what we should do with particular concerns too. Social Worker has been super!”
“Having a social worker in school is of so much benefit. We have been able to talk through 'stuck' cases, plan Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings together and gain information about what's happening for families. It's been great so far.”
Read more in the Government's press release.
Chief Officer for Children’s Services recruited
Jo Olsson, our current Chief Officer for Children’s Services, says:
"I am sure you will have seen a recent communication announcing the successful appointment of my replacement, Melissa Caslake."
Speaking on her appointment, Melissa said:
“I am delighted to be joining Devon County Council as the Chief Officer for Children’s Services. I was at university in Devon years ago, where I did my social work degree, and I always thought that I might return at some point to a wonderful part of the country. I know that a great deal of hard work is underway in implementing Devon’s plans for the future, and I am really looking forward to contributing to that and working with you all to secure the best outcomes for Devon’s children.”
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Senior Manager for Safeguarding
We are very pleased to announce that we have appointed Emmy Tomsett as the Senior Manager for Quality Assurance (subject to usual checks). Emmy has been a lead inspector for Ofsted for many years and she is very much looking forward to joining us and returning to practice. She was recently redeployed to us during COVID-19 and due to this experience she applied, so we must have all made a good impression.
There will obviously be a few months delay as she has to give notice, which is significant in Ofsted. However, Tom Stevenson is doing a sterling job and making a real impact in the interim and I am sure when she gets here, strong foundations will be in place for Emmy to further build on. This is a good appointment and will further strengthen our continued improvement.
Social worker recruitment and retention
Children’s Overview and Scrutiny has been assertive in promoting the need to strengthen our recruitment and retention of social workers. The Children’s Commissioner, Eleanor Brazil, also prioritised this in her report to the Minister. A report, recommending further investment to strengthen our offer to better match neighbouring authorities is going to Cabinet on 9 December. A copy of this report is available on our website.
Schools update
Data on schools and children back in school from Dawn Stabb, Head of Education and Learning.
School attendance: local and national statistics for Friday 27 November
- Devon 90% of pupils attending (national 83%).
- Primary school pupils Devon 96% (national 88%)
- Secondary school Devon 88% (national 78%)
- Special schools 90% (national 74%)
- Students with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Devon 85% (national 77%)
- Pupils with social workers (SW) attendance rate 86% (national 77%). Primary aged with social worker 92%, secondary age with social worker 83%
- Children in care 91.2%
- Early years 83% of those expected to attend did.
On Tuesday 1 December
- 57 schools have had positive cases where pupils, year groups or bubbles are self isolating.
- There were approximately 2,441 COVID-related pupil absences in Devon. 1,137 of which were secondary, the remainder primary.
- 145 teachers were unable to attend on 1 December for COVID-related reasons. A further 252 for non-COVID related reasons.
Improvement Partnership
The oversight of the Improvement Partnership continues. If Members would like access to the papers and minutes of the Improvement Partnership, please let Vivien Lines, Improvement Director, know, and we will make these available.
Children’s Services
The pressures we have all been grappling with are increasing in Devon, with senior leaders working at capacity to deliver safe services and respond to the Improvement Challenges we have in response to the January local authority services for children (ILACS) and the 2018 SEND Inspection. Teams are working under immense pressure and feeling very stretched. Safeguarding children and young people and maintaining a line of sight to the most vulnerable remain our top priority.
We are also doing everything we can to maintain the health and wellbeing of our staff during these unprecedented times. Your patience, if responses to enquiries or requests for information are delayed or if responses are less fully developed, will be appreciated.
Mass vaccination programme
The national COVID-19 mass vaccination programme is to commence in December 2020. The focus of initial vaccination will be in staff and residents in care homes and those over 80 years of age. A significant amount of work is taking place locally across the system to co-ordinate activity and ensure coverage across the county and that there is an awareness of how and when people can access the vaccine.
Members will have heard at Full Council this week that Sandy Park was likely to be a mass vaccination site for coronavirus. Just to confirm, Sandy Park was one of a number of sites being considered. However, this has now been ruled out. No mass vaccination sites in Devon have yet been confirmed.
Safeguarding adult update
Devon Safeguarding Adults Partnership has launched an adult abuse public facing awareness campaign with the primary aim to increase the level of public awareness of adult abuse and how to recognise the signs. Between November 2018 - February 2019 only 7% of concerns were reports by non-professionals such as family, friends and neighbours, indicating a lack of public awareness. There is a real need to generate awareness around these issues and to encourage reporting. The campaign will run until Christmas.
 Do you know anyone who could be a carer?
Thousands of people across Devon are working around the clock to help and care for relatives and friends who can't manage on their own.
In fact, the number of people caring for loved ones in Devon is predicted to have risen by half to over 130,000 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
But worryingly only 20,000 of those are accessing the vital support available to them through Devon Carers to help maintain their own health and wellbeing.
Sue Younger-Ross, Joint Carer Lead for Devon, asks Members:
"I’m concerned that only 20,000 of those people caring are accessing the vital support available to them through Devon Carers, run by the charity Westbank, to help maintain their own health and wellbeing.
"I’m asking for your help, please.
"We need to encourage unpaid carers in Devon to recognise the important role they’re playing and register for the free support and advice that is available via Devon Carers to help them.
"You and your colleagues will come into contact with unpaid carers through the work you do, so your help is vital. Please can I also ask that you follow Devon Carers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share or like their posts.
"Anything you can do will contribute to helping unpaid carers in Devon get the support they deserve."
Members: you can refer any unpaid carers you may come into contact with - it could be anyone caring for a family member of friend. Please refer people to the Devon Carers support page or call 01392 307720.
Information can be found through the Devon Carers website and also on our main website too.
New £3.45m programme to boost skills of care and health workers
Proud to Care Devon has successfully secured £3.45million of European funding to help Devon’s health and care workers develop new skills and to encourage others to join the profession.
NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter is now open
The 116 bed hospital, based on Sowton Industrial Estate, just off the M5 in Exeter, is one of seven Nightingale Hospitals commissioned earlier this year as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Free flu vaccines for 50-64 year olds
If you are aged 50 to 64 years old (including those who turn 50 by 31 March 2021) then during either December or January you will be invited to attend your GP surgery for the vaccine or you can contact any pharmacy offering NHS flu vaccinations.
However, if you are aged 50-64 and in an at-risk group, you should not delay having your flu vaccine.
Time is running out – businesses urged to sign up to ‘prepare for Brexit’ webinar
Businesses in Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Somerset are invited to a FREE webinar to hear from experts about preparing for Brexit.
 Members-only webinar
Members can sign-up now using this Zoom link to register for the Members-only webinar on the Interim Devon Carbon Plan launch, on Monday 7 December at 4.00pm.
Judi Love (Comedian and Broadcaster) and James Rook (CEO Sanctuary Personnel) presented this year's event
The virtual Social Worker of the Year celebrations went down a storm and it was great to be a part of the event that as a programme sponsor. We hope many of you where able to also join the online celebrations.
A recording of the event is available to view for those who couldn't make it live.
Fostering Devon joins regional campaign to recruit more foster carers
This week marks the start of #fosterforyourcouncil where local authorities across the South West region are joining together this Christmastime to call for more people to consider becoming foster carers.
In Devon there are 815 children in care and only 443 fostering households working with the Council.
Local authorities from Bath and North East Somerset, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire have all come together to run the Christmas campaign. They are calling for those in the region with space in their home and their lives to consider fostering for their Council.
To foster, people need to be aged 21 or over and have a spare bedroom. Find out more about fostering for Devon at www.fosteringindevon.org.uk or call 0345 155 1077.
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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