Thursday 14 April 2022
We're sending you our weekly round-up of news a little early this week because of the long Easter bank holiday weekend.
Our Customer Service Centre will be closed tomorrow (Friday 15 April) and on Sunday 17 April and Monday 18 April. It will be open as usual on Saturday 16 April from 9.00am until 1.00pm and on Tuesday 19 April from 8.00am. You can find our usual opening times on our website.
If you need to contact our social care services urgently, you can call the Emergency Duty Team on 0345 600 0388.
In this update:
- Devon backs Freeport proposals
- Free holiday time activities and meals this Easter
- Fewer people now concerned about COVID-19
- Recognise the symptoms of scarlet fever and chickenpox
 Cllr Nick Kelly, Cllr Judy Pearce and Cllr John Hart at one of the Freeport sites
Devon backs Freeport proposals
Councillors backed proposals to borrow up to £15 million of capital investment to kickstart transport infrastructure schemes, vital to the project. And they approved Devon County Council becoming a founder member of a company, limited by guarantee, to operate the Freeport, alongside South Hams District Council and Plymouth City Council.
A full business case for the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport will be submitted later this month. Three main sites have been identified to unlock 130 hectares of development land, to provide space for high value advanced manufacturing and logistics companies: Langage Energy Park, Sherford Employment Zone, and South Yard in Devonport.
 Free holiday time activities and meals this Easter
Hundreds of children across Devon began an action-packed Easter holiday this week, as part of our Holiday Activities and Food programme.
School holidays can be difficult for some families, with the added cost of extra food and reduced incomes. So, the government has provided funding for us to coordinate free activities and healthy meals with local providers for children in Devon aged five to 16 years old, who are eligible for benefit-related free school meals.
Activities include a range of sports and coaching opportunities; indoor and outdoor play activities; outings to local parks and beaches; magic and circus skills; arts and crafts; music; cooking; theatre workshops; yoga and mindfulness, and a lot more. They're free, and all come with a healthy meal provided.
For more information about the programme, eligibility, and details of what, where and when the activities are, visit our Holiday Activities and Food Programme webpage, or Facebook page.
 Household waste recycling centres open all weekend
The Easter weekend is traditionally one of the busiest times at our household waste recycling centres as residents take advantage of the four-day holiday period to get stuck in to gardening or having a clear out.
All our sites are open all weekend:
- Good Friday (15 April) from 9.00am to 5.00pm
- Saturday 16 April from 10.00am to 6.00pm
- Easter Sunday (17 April) from 10.00am to 6.00pm
- Bank Holiday Monday (18 April) from 9.00am to 5.00pm
Please be patient if you're visiting during peak times, and try to time your visit in the late afternoon when sites tend to be quieter. Do not queue outside the sites as this can pose a potential danger for other road users.
Before visiting a centre please ensure you have read the guidance on acceptable and non-acceptable materials at individual centres, chargeable waste and the restrictions that apply to vehicles used to bring materials to the centres.
To find your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre, please visit our website.
 Working to improve bus services in Exeter
Stagecoach South West were in the news this week, talking about a shortage of bus drivers, and the impact that's having on their scheduled bus service in Exeter.
Our Transport Coordination Service has sought reassurance from them that they'll have enough capacity on peak-timed buses across the network.
But some feel that Stagecoach is not providing the service in Exeter that the public needs, and their Managing Director for the region, Mike Watson, attended a special Highways and Traffic Orders Committee this week to explain what they're doing.
You can read about that meeting in a story on the news page of our website.
One of the things that we and Stagecoach are doing, is introducing four new night bus services in the city, to run on Fridays and Saturdays, starting tomorrow.
They'll connect residents to places of work and evenings out, from midnight through until 4.00am.
"We want to encourage people back to the city centre, but also ensure that they get home safely, however late their evening out extends," said Mike Watson.
"These connections are ideal not only for people enjoying an evening out, but also for health and care staff on their way home, as well as those working in hospitality and leisure businesses," said Councillor Andrea Davis.
You can read more about the new night bus services and where they'll run, on the news page of our website.
Fewer people now concerned about COVID-19
Fewer people are now worried about coronavirus, and more are concerned about their own finances, according to a new study. The latest study by University College London into people's attitudes and behaviours throughout the pandemic and beyond, confirms what many of us are perhaps feeling.
Now, just one in three people are concerned about catching coronavirus despite cases being high. People are taking fewer steps to protect themselves and others. More people are getting out of the house, to shop and to socialise.
But despite the freedoms, happiness levels and life satisfaction have decreased. And compared to even just six months ago, fewer people now feel in control of their finances.
Tina Henry, Devon's Deputy Director of Public Health, said:
"It should come as no surprise that people are less concerned about coronavirus than they once were. Vaccinations and other treatments now available make the risk of coronavirus to many, but not all, considerably smaller now than once it was.
"And yet case levels in Devon are still higher than the national average.
"Living with COVID-19 doesn’t mean forgetting about COVID-19. Let’s be aware of it, and let simple actions that protect us, become the norm by default, rather than by exception.”
 Are you a newly qualified social worker?
We’re looking for newly qualified social workers to join our ‘Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) Programme which starts in September!
This fantastic opportunity to be an advocate for the children and young people and build meaningful and positive relationships is open to those with a passion about making a real difference to the lives of each family they work with.
You’ll receive dedicated, consistent and effective support in your first year of practice, enabling you to apply what you’ve learnt to real situations, alongside developing your skills and knowledge so you can approach your career in social work with confidence.
In recognition of the vital contribution you will make, we offer an attractive package including incremental progression on successful completion of the ASYE programme, ongoing professional learning and development opportunities, generous paid annual leave and excellent Local Government pension scheme.
To find out more and apply, please visit the Devon Jobs website.
Recognise the symptoms of scarlet fever and chickenpox
Parents and carers are being reminded of the symptoms of scarlet fever and chickenpox, following a rise in cases across the country. Levels for both are what we expect to see at this time of year, but there has been an increase compared to 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions kept cases below average.
Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but highly infectious. Symptoms include a sore throat, headache and fever, with a characteristic fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel. It's important to contact your local GP or NHS 111 if you suspect scarlet fever as early treatment with antibiotics is important. Anyone diagnosed with scarlet fever should stay at home for at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment, to avoid spreading the infection to others.
Chickenpox is also highly infectious, and has a characteristic rash, with vesicles on the face, spreading down the body to arms and legs. Generally a mild illness, it can be more severe in pregnant women and immunosuppressed individuals. People with chickenpox should remain at home until they are better and the rash has gone.
Thousands more patients to access ground-breaking antiviral
Thousands more vulnerable people in England are now eligible to receive the UK's second oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19.
In clinical trials, ‘Paxlovid’ reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death by 88 per cent, and it's already available through the NHS to highest-risk patients. But it's now been added to a national study, run by the University of Oxford in close collaboration with GP hubs. And that makes it available to a large number of patients, allowing further data on how the antivirals work.
The study is open to adults over the age of 50 or those aged 18 to 49 years old with an underlying health condition, who have received a positive COVID-19 test result and who are experiencing symptoms that started in the previous five days.
In just three months, more than 20,000 patients joined the study to help gather data on the first oral antiviral to be made available, 'Molnupiravir'. Adding Paxlovid to the study will allow an additional 17,500 patients to enrol to access the treatment.
 Poultry owners reminded to take measures to reduce risk of spreading bird flu
Our Trading Standards team is reminding everyone who keeps birds that they are legally required to take measures to reduce the risk of bird flu (Avian Influenza, H5N1) spreading, following confirmation of another case in Devon last week.
An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) came into force across Great Britain last November, which means that all captive birds must be kept indoors and monitored for signs of disease, regardless of whether they are pets or a commercial flock.
All bird keepers must also follow strict biosecurity measures, such as disinfecting containers and equipment before and after use and preventing wild birds nesting in their bird houses.
Avian influenza is a notifiable animal disease, so if you suspect a captive bird has it, you must report it by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301.
If you find a dead or visibly sick wild bird, such as swans, geese, ducks, gulls or birds of prey, do not touch them or pick them up. Report them to Defra by calling 03459 33 55 77.
You can read more about how to spot avian influenza, what to do if you suspect it, and measures to prevent it, on the government's website.
 Devon Nightingale’s legacy continues as the hospital tackles the region’s waiting lists
The NHS Nightingale in Exeter was initially part of the national response to the first wave of the pandemic, providing emergency in-patient care for nearly 250 patients with COVID-19 from across Devon, Somerset and Dorset.
After being decommissioned as a COVID-19 hospital in March 2021, it has been used to provide thousands of important diagnostic scans to local people and support the delivery of COVID-19 vaccine studies, as well as acting as a training centre to support new staff arriving from overseas.
And now, to support the reduction in waiting times, the site has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility housing two operating theatres for day case and short stay elective orthopaedic procedures; CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound, echocardiograms and fluoroscopy services; a rheumatology department which provides outpatient care and day case infusions and diagnostic screening services for ophthalmology patients with a high-volume cataract treatment hub.
You can read more on the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) website.
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