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Friday 26 July 2024

Young children given extra support to help them move from pre-school to primary school

A pilot, aiming to make the transition from pre-school learning to primary school as easy as possible for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), has been successful and will run for another year.

We've heard from parents and carers about how emotionally and physically challenging the transition from pre-school to primary school can be for many children, particularly those with complex needs.

So we've been piloting a project with 100 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aimed at making their transition from pre-school learning to primary school as easy as possible. 

Feedback from the children involved, their parents, pre-schools and primary school staff has been positive. The wrap-around and individual support over that period meant that the transitions were less stressful, and instead were a much more positive experience for pupils, parents and staff.

Find out more about what the pilot project involved in the full story on the news page of our website.

The Government-funded scheme primarily provides activities and nutritional meals during the holidays to children aged five to 16 years olds who receive benefits-related free school meals.

But we have an extended criteria, if there are still enough places and sufficient funding, to open the programme up to include children in that age group who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), children in care, or young carers.

We have a range of activities planned for the holidays, and some places are still available. Simply search for a provider in your area using the interactive map on our website, see what they're offering, and book a place directly, letting them know that you are asking for an extended criteria place.

Visit our website for more information about this summer's programme.

Support is available for households in Devon who are struggling this summer

With the school holidays about to start, we're very aware that some households will find the summer break financially challenging, with increased food bills and activities to pay for, and possibly reduced incomes due to childcare.

So, we're reminding people of the support available through the Government's Household Support Fund, which is planned to run until Monday 30 September.

We've sent supermarket vouchers to families of children who receive benefits-related free school meals, to help pay for meals they would have had at school during the day.

District Councils in Devon can also provide support to households that may be struggling financially.

And we've allocated funding to Citizen's Advice Devon to provide fuel support for electricity and gas.

More information is in the full story on our news page.

Connecting Devon and Somerset’s Mobile Boost scheme re-opens

Connecting Devon and Somerset’s successful Mobile Boost scheme has re-opened this week with a fresh £430,000 investment.

The scheme had previously run for two years, until March 2023, with more than £1.1 million of funding through the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership’s (HotSWLEP) Growth Deal.

In that time, it helped over 1,700 residents and businesses benefit from a better mobile phone signal. Peter Samwell, who lives near the Blackdown Hills, was among those who applied through the scheme. Visit the news page of our website to watch a video about how it has transformed his life.

The latest round of the scheme will continue to enable businesses and residents in Somerset, Devon, Torbay and Plymouth to apply for a voucher of up to £1,300 towards the cost of a mobile signal booster from a number of registered suppliers. Applicants have to pay towards the cost of installation themselves.

For more information go to the Mobile Boost Voucher Scheme pages on the CDS website.

Carbon emissions continue to fall

Our long-term efforts to reduce carbon emissions are continuing to pay off after the latest figures in our carbon footprint report shows that our emissions continue to decline, and that we are ahead of schedule in our goal of a 70 per cent reduction by 2030.

The total level of emissions we produced in 2022/23 was 19,400 tonnes (of carbon dioxide equivalent), a 56 per cent fall when compared to the 43,826 tonnes in our baseline year of 2012/13. The figures take into account emissions created in areas such as our vehicle fleet, school transport and buildings.

Street lighting is one of our main sources of emissions and the latest figures show that these emissions fell by almost a quarter in 2022/23 when compared with 2021/22 (4,576 tonnes falling to 3,465 tonnes). This is largely due to the project to convert all of Devon’s 79,000 streetlights and highways signals to LED lightbulbs and to put in better controls so that lights can be dimmed. 

We have also completed retrofitting nine council buildings, increased the number of electric vehicles in our fleet while staff are travelling less when compared to pre-Covid and moved to agile working and video conferencing. Other contributory factors that have reduced our carbon footprint include the reduced carbon intensity of the grid electricity we use. More than half of the grid electricity we use in the UK now comes from non-fossil fuel sources.

Read the full story on the news page of our website.

Are you interested in finding out more about becoming a foster carer?

 Our live recruitment events are a great way to meet the team, learn more about the different types of foster care, and find out how to begin your fostering journey.

Here's where you can find the Fostering Devon team this summer:

• Mid Devon Show - Saturday 27 July
• Pinhoe Community Centre, Exeter - Wednesday 31 July
• Bridgetown Community Centre, Totnes - Thursday 1 August
• North Devon Show - Wednesday 7 August
• Okehampton Show - Thursday 8 August
• Sunningmead Community Centre, Tiverton - Thursday 15 August

As well as finding us out and about across Devon this Summer, you can also join us from the comfort of your own home at one of our online information evenings. Find the next date and how to register at: Online information events - Fostering Devon.

The Journey: adoption

For the first time in recent years, there are now more children in need of adoption than those coming forward to adopt. And for nearly half of the children needing adoption, it takes over 18 months to find their forever home.

We’ve launched a new campaign with You Can Adopt to inspire more people to take the first step towards growing their family. It includes a new film showing that like any family ‘road trip’, adoption is a journey full of fun, chaos, challenges and love. 

Adopters from all walks of life are also sharing their own journeys as part of the campaign, including adoptive father-of-two Miles Asteri, star of the BBC’s The Traitors, who described adoption as ‘the adventure of a lifetime’.

Many people hold back from starting their adoption journeys because they’re waiting for the ‘perfect’ time or circumstances – but for a child in need of a permanent home, the perfect time is now. Like any new parents, many prospective adopters worry about their ability to cope – but with adoption, this is a journey you can navigate together, with support available along the way.

From picking up the phone and making that first enquiry, to bringing their child home and experiencing life together as a family and receiving dedicated support throughout, adoption is a life-long journey. The campaign showcases that while there may be bumps in the road, adopting a child in need of a forever home will take you to places you never imagined – once you take that first step.

Find out more about starting your adoption journey with Adopt South West. 

Exeter Riverside Recycling Trail launched

Walkers enjoying a picturesque stroll around Riverside Valley Park in Exeter can now learn more about the area’s rich history of managing recycling and waste, past and present, thanks to a new circular route launched on Go Jauntly, a free community-based walking app.

Using an app, walkers will be guided along the Canal, skirting the edge of Marsh Barton: the heart of recycling in Exeter, around the quay where there is a thriving trade in antiques (the ultimate in reuse), past old paper mills, lime kilns and with an option to walk as far as the site of the old glassworks.

The walking route idea was developed by the Recycle Devon Waste Education Team as part of our schools and community engagement work and was sponsored by Viridor who manage the Exeter Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) on Marsh Barton.

The photo-led interactive walk starts and finishes outside the Exeter ERF and offers two circular options, a full route of 11.2km or a shorter walk of 7.7km. Additional Interpretation panels in the app provide information and links to videos and further information about both the history and current management of waste and recycling, helping people to understand the importance of thinking about how we use our natural resources.

Visit the news page of our website to read the full story. To view the routes and get started, download the free Go Jauntly app.

Cycle to Work Day is on Thursday 1 August

Cycle to Work Day is Thursday 1 August and it’s a great opportunity to unlock the benefits of regular biking for both your body and mind.

Whether you’ve never cycled before, not ridden in a while or cycle every day, Cycle to Work Day is for you. It’s a day to get in the saddle and experience the brilliant benefits everyday cycling offers.

By commuting by bike, you can boost your mental and physical wellbeing, reduce pollution, and save money on petrol, parking, and public transport.

Use our interactive cycle map to plan a route from A to B or find a cycle route to your workplace on our cycle routes and maps webpage. Visit the Travel Devon website for more information and advice about cycling to work.

The Summer Reading Challenge is here!

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