8 January 2021
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 lockdown guidelines and you must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. If you do need to leave home, please remember advice and guidance around social distancing, washing hands and hand sanitising regularly, wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces, and avoiding busy places.
 Prime Minister announces national lockdown
The Prime Minister has announced a national lockdown in response to rising case numbers across the UK.
In his address to the nation on Monday 4 January, Mr Johnson instructed people to stay at home and only to leave their house for essential reasons, such as shopping, working (if not possible to work from home), exercise, medical assistance, and to escape domestic abuse at home.
He advised that people identified as being clinically extremely vulnerable must begin shielding, and like last time, they will receive a letter from the Government or their GP in the coming days with further guidance.
Read the response from Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon.
CCG Members briefing - Coronavirus vaccination in Devon
Please see the latest Coronavirus vaccination briefing for Members from NHS Devon CCG:
New Oxford vaccine being given to first patients in Devon
The new Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is being given to the first people in Devon today (8 January), with thousands more doses expected to be administered in coming days and weeks.
Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, the first to be approved, the Oxford vaccine does not need to be stored at ultra-low temperatures and is much less complicated to move, making it easier for the NHS in Devon to vaccinate people in care homes and those who are housebound.
The vaccine has been trialled at selected hospitals nationwide for surveillance purposes before being sent out to hundreds of community-based local vaccination services across the country.
COVID-19 vaccinations for health and care staff
Frontline health and care staff will be amongst the first cohort of people to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
We have been working closely with NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) colleagues on their vaccination programme, and they have just issued this latest information specifically for frontline staff.
COVID-19 vaccinations are currently being delivered across Devon in phases according to priority groups identified nationally by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is working with local hospital hubs and GP practices on a plan that ensures health and social care staff have access to vaccinations as soon as possible, with vulnerable staff within these groups prioritised.
Please remember there is no need to contact your local NHS organisation or GP to be vaccinated, they will contact you when it’s your turn.
Devon County Council Leader’s pledge on lockdown
Devon County Council stands ready to help those who are most badly affected by the latest lockdown, council Leader John Hart has declared.
And he appealed to everyone in the county to abide by the rules and defeat the latest virulent strain of the virus.
Mr Hart said the arrangements that had been made during the first two lockdowns were already in place to support the vulnerable and elderly.
Team Devon was set up as a partnership between the county, district councils and other organisations to determine which group could best help people quickly and effectively.
Top-up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced this week one-off top-up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to Spring.
A £594 million discretionary fund has also been made available to support impacted businesses.
The grants are expected to benefit more than 600,000 business properties, worth £4 billion in total across the UK.
Further funding is being made available to support businesses not eligible for the grants, that might be affected by the restrictions.
The Leader of Devon County Council, Cllr Hart said he welcomed the Chancellor’s new package of aid for the hospitality industry.
“I have been calling for the Government to provide specific help for hospitality businesses which are so vital to Devon and the South West but we need to see all the details. Many of these small businesses are already on their knees and they may need more support,” he said.
Devon County Council launch COVID-19 Fund to help communities
Devon County Council has launched its third round of COVID-19 Funding to help provide valuable funding to organisations working in communities that have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The scheme launches this Monday (January 11, 2021) and grants of up to £700 are available.
The funding aims to help voluntary and community groups to tackle the social and economic impacts of the virus outbreak and help those who are most vulnerable in their communities.
Guidance for people identified as being clinically extremely vulnerable
We have updated our webpages with guidance for people identified as being clinically extremely vulnerable.
The lockdown advice is for people to stay at home as much as possible. If you are identified as being clinically extremely vulnerable, that means that you should not attend work, school, college or university, and that you should limit the time you spend outside of your home.
That includes not going to the shops. Our webpages have information to help you while you are shielding, including support for shopping, accessing health services, and advice for people who are currently employed.
Support for people and families
Update from Head of Education and Learning, Dawn Stabb
Members will be aware of the significant change schools, and those supporting them, have had to contend with this week. Before and over Christmas our secondary schools had made significant plans and undertaken training to roll out the testing of pupils as they had been requested to do by the Department for Education (DfE). These plans had gone well and all of our schools were able to deliver the required actions.
The announcement on Monday evening changed all their plans and they had to rapidly plan to deliver remote learning to most pupils. For schools and families, the current lockdown had significant difference to the first and second. Early years and nurseries can continue to open to all pupils.
Primary and secondary schools will only open to vulnerable children and those of key workers until at least the February half term. The definition of vulnerable children has extended however to also include those children who cannot access remote learning, and this may significantly increase numbers. This change reflects the difference in the expectation on schools for this lockdown where the emphasis remains on providing good quality education. Primary schools are expected to provide resources/ lessons for three hours a day while for secondary schools this is four hours a day.
To support remote education the DfE has also made available additional devices and internet access for some pupils. Secondary schools can request (there are limited supplies) these resources now and it is anticipated primary schools will have access over the coming weeks. Orders should be delivered within five days. It should be noted that approximately 4,000 DfE-funded laptops for vulnerable children without access and other disadvantaged children were distributed by the LA and schools during the summer term. A further allocation was made directly to schools in the autumn term.
The DfE is also providing support for pupils who have no internet access or who cannot afford increased data charges. Families can again talk to their school, early help or social worker about how to access this support. Further information on this scheme is available here.
In order to safeguard children who are not at school, children's services is continuing to work closely with schools and other partners. The effective processes we put in place last year are being stepped back up.
School exams
GCSEs and A and AS Level exams will not go ahead this summer, the Education Secretary has confirmed. Instead, there will be some form of teacher-assessed grading. The details of how that will happen are not yet finalised.
Students studying for vocational and technical qualifications should hear from their schools or colleges about their January exams and assessments.
Free school meals
The Government has said that it is going to provide extra funding to support schools to provide food parcels or meals to children who are eligible for free school meals.
Where schools cannot offer food parcels or use local solutions, a national voucher scheme will be in place so that eligible children, who meet the qualification criteria due to low income, can access free school meals while they are remotely learning from home.
Further details on the national voucher scheme will be provided shortly.
In Devon, schools are working with their catering providers so that meals continue to be available to any eligible pupils still attending school – including all infants and those receiving benefits-related free school meals – as well as to eligible pupils who are now learning from home.
BBC to put lessons on TV during lockdown
The BBC is helping children keep up with their studies during the latest lockdown, by broadcasting lessons on BBC Two and CBBC, as well as online.
Schools are open only to children of key workers and vulnerable children, with most children now continuing their learning remotely from home.
The BBC will show curriculum-based programmes on TV from Monday.
They will include three hours of primary school programming every weekday on CBBC, and at least two hours for secondary pupils on BBC Two.
During the first lockdown, lessons were available in iPlayer, red button and online, but not on regular TV channels.
The move comes amid concerns that low-income families may struggle to afford data packages for their children to take part in online learning.
Devon Start Up Programme for Social Entrepreneurs
Devon County Council and The School for Social Entrepreneurs – Dartington are working together on the Social Entrepreneurs Start Up Programme which aims to provide local people with the skills, confidence and support they need to establish a social enterprise and make a difference to their local communities.
Participants in the online learning initiative, which is made up of ten weekday sessions spread over eight weeks, will have the chance to learn from experts and existing entrepreneurs. These experts teach resilience, and create a supportive network of people who understand the challenges they are facing.
Government figures show that over 50,000 people in the South West have lost their jobs since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and many others face dramatically reduced hours, uncertain futures and prolonged periods on furlough. At the same time, the crisis has highlighted just how many people want to step up and make a difference to their local area; pulling together to create stronger, kinder and more resilient communities.
The start-up programme is open exclusively to people living in the Devon County Council area who are unemployed or feel their current employment isn’t secure. It will take place from Monday 1 February to Thursday 25 March. Applications need to be submitted by Monday 18 January.
 Devon Link-Up Lockdown Challenge
Devon Link-Up, who work to support people with learning disabilities to live as independently as possible as part of the community, would like to sincerely thank everyone for all their support throughout last year and going forward, and they would like to share a little bit of goodness that came out of 2020. Here is their opening film from their first Lockdown Challenge Art Exhibition which was held in October.
Daily challenges were set for activities the group could do safely from their own homes. Each day an abundance of beautiful, unique and interesting artwork was produced, as well as stories, poetry, recipes and more. It is the result of these challenges that they share with you, and they hope you get as much joy in seeing them as they did in making them.
Recent scam linked to the COVID-19 vaccine
A COVID-19 vaccination scam is in wide circulation, that starts with a text and advises the user that they are eligible to apply for the vaccine.
Users are then invited to click on the link in the text message and are taken to a web page that looks very convincing. It goes on to ask for some personal information for them to be able to apply for the vaccine.
The details asked for:
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Proof of address
- Card payment details
Never give out your personal details
With the recent approval of multiple vaccines in the UK, these types of scam attempts are likely to continue, as fraudsters continue to take advantage of the rollout to so many people. An example of the Fake Text published by the National Neighbourhood Watch Network is shown here. Recipients are advised to report this to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or www.actionfraud.police.uk.
Getting outside safely during COVID-19
We've covered this before, but as we're back in similar circumstances, we're running it again.
We must stay at home as much as possible. That’s the new norm. But being outside is also so important for our physical and mental wellbeing. So how do we ensure that we do that safely?
Ordnance Survey launched a brilliant thing last year, and they've updated it this week. It's a guide to getting outside safely during coronavirus, and right now, during lockdown.
The outdoors is still open, and we’re all being encouraged to get outside and stay local for our physical and mental health.
Just type in the location you're interested in, (eg Devon) and then choose what outdoor activity you're interested in, (eg walking), and it gives you the latest advice for walking in Devon - what's permitted, what's not, and helpful suggestions along the way.
The key is in knowing how to minimise risk to yourself and others when outside. Remember, you are allowed outdoor exercise, but choose less busy places to go, and follow the guidance - social distancing, wear your face covering in enclosed spaces, and wash your hands well as soon as you're back indoors.
Temporary closure of libraries
Devon’s libraries are now temporarily closed, following the implementation of the latest lockdown.
As well as temporarily closing the buildings, Libraries Unlimited is also suspending its Devon Mobile Library service and Home Library Service in Devon and Books on Wheels in Torbay.
If you are currently borrowing a book, CD or DVD from your local library, you can keep hold of them until the libraries re-open and loans have been extended to Monday 29 March.
To find out more about the temporary closure of libraries in Devon and Torbay, please visit the Libraries Unlimited webpages.
Marking Holocaust Memorial Day – Wednesday 27 January 2021
Members - helping you through lockdown 3.0
Going into another lockdown can impact people in different ways and it is ok to feel nervous, anxious or worried about the situation. It can be particularly hard for many people who already struggle with their mental health and that’s why we’d like to remind Members of the support which is out there and how it can really make a difference.
Celebrating Devon County Council Apprentices and Apprenticeships
In the run up to National Apprenticeship Week and to start the new year, we are celebrating Devon County Council Apprenticeships and the Apprentices across service areas. To kick things off, we will be giving you an overview of the Apprenticeship Programme and the work of Apprenticeships in Devon.
Have you had your say on the Interim Devon Carbon Plan?
The consultation on the Interim Devon Carbon Plan is live and Devon Climate Emergency want everyone to have their say. The plan is a collaborative roadmap to creating a net-zero Devon where people and nature thrive. It is Devon’s response to the global climate emergency.
Join a webinar and learn more about specific themes within the Interim Devon Carbon Plan. Hear from members of the Task Force and guest speakers, take part in polls and have your questions answered.
Nominations are now open for the Children in Care Celebration Event 2021
Our annual celebration of the achievements of Devon’s children and young people in care and care leavers is back, and recognises the real achievements of our individual children and young people.
It may be a little different as we’re still unsure if we’ll be able to hold an actual event but are still going ahead with the nominations.
Find out more about the event and how to nominate.
 Blue Monday: Turn those blues into sunshine!
Blue Monday is the name given to supposedly the ‘most depressing day of the year’. In previous years, this might have been because of finances being stretched after the Christmas period, or maybe motivation was dwindling because of the shorter days and darker evenings.
However, this year’s Blue Monday (18 January) seems to be even more significant thanks to the near yearlong gloom that included a worldwide pandemic, various social distancing measures and the multiple national lockdowns we have all endured.
Samaritans will also be holding a ‘Brew Monday’. The event will kick off on 18 January, turning the day on its head and into something positive by encouraging people to get together over a warming virtual cuppa.
Now more than ever, sharing a cuppa is more than a drink – it’s about reaching out, checking in and staying connected. Join the Samaritans this ‘Brew Monday’ by reaching out to someone for a virtual cuppa and a chat.
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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