Friday 3 November 2023
More than 80 reported incidents of fallen trees, flooded roads and landslips on local roads. Over 30 teams of tree surgeons and 12 emergency call-out teams were available where needed. Additional staff were drafted-in especially to help manage the situation from our Control Centre. 300 schools closed and all of our Household Waste Recycling Centres closed, due to high winds and risk of flying debris.
That's what happened Wednesday night and Thursday this week as Storm Ciarán hit Devon.
Our recycling centres are open again today (Friday) and most schools are back to normal. But high river water levels, saturated ground, highway debris and flooding in some parts still remain.
People are encouraged to report any property flooding on the Flood Online Reporting Tool, and any further information can be provided to our Flood Risk Management Team by emailing floodrisk@devon.gov.uk
You can read the full round up in the story on our news page.
On Wednesday evening, we published some guidance to help see us all through the next day or so. The moment for some of the guidance may now have passed, but with more rain forecast for the weekend, some information is still relevant now. If you missed it, here's a link to it online.
 Devon care leaver takes over as Chair of the South Bank Centre
Twenty-four-year-old Amelcia is one of our care leavers. She was one of the young women selected recently from hundreds to take part in Plan International UK’s ‘Girls Takeover’, which gives young women the opportunity, for one day, to take over leadership positions, whether that’s in business, politics or media.
For one day last month, Amelcia, who is a keen artist, became Chair of the prestigious South Bank Centre in London, taking over the role from internationally acclaimed photographer, entrepreneur and social activist, Misan Harriman. She spent the day with him at the Southbank Centre, looking, learning, experiencing and taking from it a lot to help her professionally and personally.
We're tremendously proud of Amelcia, for all she is, all she does, and for all she is yet to do in her successful life. Please watch Amelcia’s Girls Takeover experience on Instagram.
Girls Takeover is an annual event run by Plan International UK to mark #DayOfTheGirl, which takes place on 11 October every year. Girls Takeover provides opportunities on various dates throughout the year and is open to girls and young women aged 14 to 24 years old. If you’d like to take part in next year’s event, head to the Plan International UK website for more details.
 Additional funding secured to extend free training for in-demand job roles
Hundreds more free training places are being offered through the Train4Tomorrow Skills Bootcamps after we secured an extra £900,000 for our programme which helps employers bring the right skills into their business and to upskill existing staff.
Aimed at adults aged 19-years-old and over, the flexible, short courses run for up to 16 weeks, delivering skills training across a variety of priority sectors including digital, technical, construction, green skills, health and social care, and professional services.
More than 30 courses are currently recruiting for learners, including Data Analysis, Construction Skills, Digital Marketing, Welding, Electric Vehicle Technician, Regenerative Farming, Working in Health and Social Care, Cyber Security, Project Management, Hospitality, Web Design and many more. Find the full course list at Skills Bootcamp Courses.
The courses have been designed with the help of employers to meet skills gaps and fill open vacancies within the region. Throughout the last three years, Train4Tomorrow has enabled over 2,000 adults across Devon and Cornwall to kickstart a new career, upskill or change roles. Hear more from our previous learners in the inspiring stories section of the Train4Tomorrow website.
Around one in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure. In England, 31 per cent of men and 26 per cent of women have high blood pressure.
Half of people with high blood pressure are not diagnosed or receiving treatment. In England, there are more than five million people that are undiagnosed.
High blood pressure is responsible for more than half of all strokes and heart attacks, and is also a risk factor for heart disease, kidney disease and vascular dementia. And with relatively few symptoms otherwise, that’s why high blood pressure is sometimes called the ‘silent killer’.
The only way to know you have the condition is to get your blood pressure measured, and to Know Your Numbers.
This Sunday, we and our NHS colleagues and pharmacists, will be at the Exeter Chiefs’ match at Sandy Park from 12pm until 2:45pm, offering people free blood pressure checks.
It will only take a moment of your pre-match time, but it’ll make the difference between knowing or not knowing whether you have high blood pressure, and having the opportunity to do something about it.
High blood pressure is one of the most preventable and treatable health conditions, so please join us and let us help you to know your numbers. We’ll be in the Powderham Bar, Sandy Park.
For more information and details of local support, visit our website.
 The Chairman of Devon County Council and other guests officially open the new junction
New A361 junction, Tiverton, opens
Earlier this week our Chair, Percy Prowse, opened a new £5.7m junction, off the A361 near Tiverton.
The new Tiverton Eastern Urban Extension access junction is a vital part of new infrastructure links to developments planned and being delivered for the east of Tiverton, which is part of Mid Devon’s Local Plan.
It will provide access to the Blundell’s Grange mixed use development and reduce pressure on areas such as Blundell’s School by diverting traffic away from Halberton and Blundell’s Road.
This A361 link road is the key to the Tiverton Eastern Urban Expansion, and it provides the connection between Northern Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall and the rest of the country.
Read the full story on the news page of our website.
 Improvements are on the right path, but we have some way to go
Government inspectors have said that our support of care leavers is improving and that we have a ‘clear plan in place’, but it's clear that while there's some progress, we've got more to do.
Ofsted Inspectors recently conducted a Monitoring Visit to our children’s services. They reviewed the progress made in the quality and impact of the care leaver service.
You can read about what the inspectors said in the full story on the news page of our website.
A new stop smoking service in Devon has been launched, picking up on the previous stop smoking support delivered by the One Small Step service, which has now ended.
Stop for Life Devon is the name of the new service, being delivered by ICE Creates.
It will provide specialist behavioural support and stop smoking products, such as nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes, to smokers looking to quit.
It will also provide free specialist training and support to community stop smoking advisors and wider workforces.
Steve Brown, our Director of Public Health, Communities and Prosperity, said:
“Reducing harm caused by tobacco is a public health priority in Devon, so we are looking forward to working with ICE Creates to continue to offer an effective service that listens and adapts to the needs of local people.”
Other support that has been available through OneSmallStep - helping people to maintain a healthy weight, be more active, and to reduce their alcohol consumption - is still important to us. People looking for help on wider health and wellbeing goals like these can access ICE Creates' lifestyle coach and tracking app, called 'Best You'.
You can read the full story on our news page. Or you can visit the new Stop for Life Devon webpage.
Our Trading Standards service is urging householders to beware of unscrupulous traders wanting to take advantage of property damage caused by Storm Ciarán.
Fencing, trees, sheds, roof tiles, guttering and garden equipment are all the sorts of things that can be damaged by high winds.
“Unfortunately it’s a fact that rogue traders always try to take advantage when people are at their most vulnerable – we saw it in the storms last year and during the pandemic," says Alex Fry, Operations Manager for Heart of the South West Trading Standards.
"They will try to take advantage of emergencies, disasters and extreme weather events to make as much money as they can.
“They target the vulnerable and elderly. They might knock on your door and say a branch is damaged or a tile is loose and is dangerous – ignore them.
“If someone on the doorstep, or through an unsolicited telephone call, tells you that your property needs repairs or maintenance of any kind, be suspicious.
“If you need work done use a trusted source or visit a website like Buy With Confidence to find a reputable trader and try to get at least three quotes for work.”
You can read more in the story on our news page.
Bus passenger numbers on the rise
Bus passenger numbers are on the up, and it's hoped that the recent announcement extending the £2 bus fare scheme until the end of 2024 could encourage others to get on board. Read more in the story on our news page.
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More good news for Bikeability in Devon
A record funding award for Bikeability cycle training in Devon means that more than 11,000 children will be able to improve their skills on two wheels next year. You can read the full story on our news page.
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Helping you enjoy bonfire and fireworks night safely
Our friends at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue have published some helpful advice on how to enjoy Bonfire Night and fireworks safely. Visit their webpage for more information.
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