Friday 22 April 2022
In this edition:
- How coronavirus is looking, in numbers
- More foster carers needed who can look after siblings
- Headteacher of Devon's Virtual School reflects on two years of coronavirus
- The BIG FIX returns!
- Families get their preferred primary school places
.....and more!
 One in every 12 Devon residents has coronavirus
How coronavirus is looking, in numbers
The Office for National Statistics updated its data this week to show how people's habits are changing.
Retail and recreation locations have seen visits increase by eight per cent in the week to 15 April, which is now 91 per cent of pre-coronavirus levels.
Parks and public spaces have seen a 30 per cent rise in visits from the previous week.
Seated dining was up 138 per cent of the equivalent week in 2019, the highest level since September 2021.
But approximately one in every 12 residents in Devon currently has coronavirus, and the number of deaths of people with the virus is increasing.
Steve Brown, our Director of Public Health Devon, said:
"It's a stark reminder that coronavirus is still with us. While living with covid presents opportunities to return to a normality, it's important that we remain cautious doing so."
He’s listed five simple things that we can, and should be doing to protect ourselves, friends and families, including staying at home if possible and avoiding seeing others if you have symptoms of coronavirus or any infectious illness.
Read Steve’s guidance on protecting ourselves and others from illness, on our web page.
 More foster carers needed who can look after siblings
We put out an appeal this week to people who would consider being foster carers to children in sibling groups.
It follows a national and local shortage of foster carers able to look after more than one child.
In Devon, there are currently four sibling groups in the care of Fostering Devon who are looking for foster homes where they can live together.
"We always try to keep siblings together in the same home where ever possible, but at the moment, there simply aren't enough foster carers who can care for more than one child," said Emma Nobes of Fostering Devon.
"It's incredibly important to keep brothers and sisters together so that they can share experiences and support one another through challenging times."
Caring for siblings can be extremely rewarding and life-changing, so if you feel you have the qualities needed to provide a loving home, we want to hear from you.
Read the full story on our news page, or download your free information booklet.
 Head of Virtual School reflects on two years of coronavirus
The number of children in our care - children who are unable to live with their birth parents - rose over the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
We've now passed the two year anniversary since that first lockdown in March 2020, and although a lot has changed, coronavirus is still with us and still posing a challenge to young people's education.
We asked Wendy Ohlson, Headteacher of Devon's Virtual School, to look back to that first lockdown and recall for us the challenges she saw faced by children in care in particular as they continued their education.
This is what she said.
Every local authority in England that has responsibility for education has a 'virtual school'. It's a condition of The Children and Families Act 2014.
The role of the virtual school is to make sure that the educational outcomes of children in local authority care is as good as it can be.
Councils work with schools wherever in the country children in their care are living. Children in care attend school like any other child, but the virtual school is responsible for their education.
Every virtual school has a Headteacher and a team that works closely with schools, who meet regularly with each child in care, to celebrate success, set targets, and support the child.
And every school has a designated teacher for looked-after children, who is the main point of contact for the child.
Last year, the role of virtual schools extended. Now not only children in local authority care, but the education of every child who has a social worker is also overseen by their authority's virtual school.
The BIG FIX returns next month, with one aim - to fix and breathe new life into as many broken things as possible!
Skilled menders, fixers, tinkerers and tailors from all over the country will give their time and expertise for free to help fix items that might otherwise be thrown away.
Broken clocks, jewellery, clothing and textiles, gardening equipment, broken electronics... they can all be brought for repair.
The event returns after a two year break, on Saturday 14 May, and like last time, repair cafes from across the country - in Devon, Wiltshire, Sussex, Buckinghamshire, and more are likely to join - are all taking part at the same time.
You can find a full list of repair cafes in Devon by visiting the Recycle Devon website.
More than 99 per cent of Devon families have got places in one of their preferred primary schools this September.
7,189 families have been offered a place at one of their three preferred schools, with 97 per cent of the families who applied offered their first preference.
Parents are being notified this week.
We've been working hard with schools to expand the number of places that are available.
We've heard reports that fraudsters are telephoning people, pretending to be from their local council, to con them into providing their bank details.
The callers refer to the government's £150 council tax rebate, which was recently introduced to help people with their rising energy bills.
Posing as a local council, they ask the person for their bank details. Our Trading Standards team flagged the scam this week. They said:
"It's a scam. Councils would never cold call and ask for your bank details to make the payment. Never give your bank details to a cold caller."
For more information about the rebate, visit GOV.UK - Council tax rebate factsheet.
The World Health Organisation is championing World Immunisation Week next week, encouraging people to keep up to date with routine vaccinations.
From pre-school vaccinations, like measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), to flu and shingles, which are available to older age groups, we are all asked to keep on top of our vaccinations to protect ourselves against preventable diseases.
It's important that vaccines are given on time for best protection, but if you or your child missed a vaccine, contact your GP to catch up.
Here is a link to information from the NHS about vaccinations, for all ages.
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