On 14 December we published an update to our Customer Notice and risk assessment procedures for staff lone working in the community.

The new risk assessment forms and guidance take account of the risk of racism and other identity-based harm when working in the community.

Managers should complete a risk assessment with staff who could be at risk of identity-based harm including racism.

To make requesting early help support or reporting a safeguarding concern quick and simple for everyone, Devon Children’s Services has been working with partners to develop a new, intuitive online ‘Request for support’ form.

The new form will be available from Monday 16 January 2023 and can be accessed by anyone from the Devon Children and Families Partnership (DCFP) website.

Read about the new ‘Request for support’ form for children on Inside Devon.

ICT Services is carrying out essential maintenance work between 3pm and 4pm on Sunday 15 January, which may impact desktops and applications from within Devon County Council’s Remote Portal.

Please ensure you save your work before 3pm to minimise the risk of losing any data. Normal service will be resumed by 4pm.

In response to the continually increasing cyber security threats facing Devon County Council, the Digital and Technology Service is launching a cyber security and data protection awareness raising campaign for 2023, starting from 11 January. This campaign is designed to help staff identify and respond to cyber security threats, and to ensure staff follow information security best practices to reduce the number of information security incidents and personal data breaches being reported.

Each module will be assigned to your MetaCompliance account when it is released.  When this happens, you will automatically receive an email from keepdevonsdatasafe@metacompliance.com to notify you that new content is available.

This cyber security and data protection awareness raising campaign will consist of six short learning exercises which focus on a specific aspect of cyber security or data protection best practice and will take only a few minutes to complete.  

Visit the Cyber Security Communications site on SharePoint for more information.

This course is aimed at staff who have recently joined us from overseas.

This seven week course aims to aid new staff to adapt to living and working in the UK and answer any questions, helping them to live their best life in Devon.

Find full details about how to sign up to the Living in the UK course on Inside Devon.

Research has shown that giving up alcohol as part of Dry January has a longer term impact and helps people to drink more healthily year-round, with many participants continuing to drink less alcohol six months later.

Read the full story in Inside Devon for top tips to help you go dry this January.

We look back at more successful collaborative working in Devon in December’s One Devon Bulletin.

Stories this month include the early successes in our collaborative campaign to recruit social workers, the opening of Torbay’s new Acute Medica Unit, and support provided to refugees and asylum seekers.

‘Team of the month’ is Devon Partnership Trust’s team at The Junipers, while Totnes Caring’s work to help older people to live independently is the ‘voluntary sector focus’.

The monthly One Devon Bulletin focuses on teams across Devon who are working together to deliver high quality services that transform care. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly to your inbox.

Did you know we are a member of the Local Government information Unit (LGiU)? This means we have access to a wealth of information and resources about local government. 

Resources available include, Discover Daily News which updates you every morning on what’s going on in local government, 300 in-depth policy briefings every year, case studies, new research and discounts on local government training.

Make the most of our LGIU membership by signing up on the LGiU website with your devon.gov.uk email address.

If you find long email chains frustrating and want a quick way to work with others, you need Microsoft Teams Chat. Quickly share files and links, see shared activity, organisational charts and much more. Join the Digital Change Team for their session ‘Teams Chat’ on Tuesday 10 January to learn more. Book your place at this or any future session through the Sway bookings page.

Are you planning to get away this year?  Whether you are planning to stay in the UK in a lodge or cottage or thinking about travelling abroad to your own villa or apartment, Kaarp has some great offers for you. If travelling abroad, remember they have offers for travel insurance, car hire, airport transfers and parking too! Visit the Travel section for all the latest offers.

Find the latest discounts on the Kaarp website using the user name DEVON and password BENEFITS

• Focus on Your Finances - Thursday 2 February
• Difficult Conversations - Tuesday 7 February
• Pre Retirement Webinar -  Friday 24 February

Virtual Manager

• People – Wednesday 8 February
• You – Tuesday 28 February
• Process – Tuesday 7 March

✔️ A reminder that your username for DeL is now your iTrent assignment/payroll number. This is the number you use to log into iTrent.

• Angela Fleming says thank you to Max Barker, Emma Bogue, Nicola Phillips, and Emma Stratton for their help and support in 2022 
• Looking for pre-loved items for your home? Check out the latest items available on our Yammer For Sale group.
• If you’ve set yourself a goal of reducing your carbon footprint in 2023, the new Go green at work and home community can help!

Click on the image to see this week's photo on Inside Devon. You might spot some clues.

Last week's winner: Claire Levy, Infant Feeding Team

Last Where in Devon answer: Paignton Train of Lights, Dartmouth Steam Railway

Send in your own photos.