Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Friday 20 September 2024

Green light for Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority

Devon and Torbay’s proposal to create a Combined County Authority (CCA) has been given the green light by the new Government. It means that a whole raft of powers, responsibilities, and funding will be devolved to Devon and Torbay from Whitehall, enabling important decisions to be made locally on local priorities such as jobs and skills, housing, and the environment.

Establishing the CCA is legally required in order for Devon and Torbay to assume responsibility for the new funds and powers, but the decision by the previous Government was deferred in June pending the General Election in July.

Last month, the two Leaders of Devon County Council and Torbay Council initially wrote to the new Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, asking the Government for a meeting to discuss the proposal. And now, the Government has confirmed that the Devon and Torbay proposal, first submitted to Government in May 2024, is officially back on track. 

It’s hoped that with draft regulations to create the CCA to be made this Autumn, the Devon and Torbay CCA could hold its first meeting early in the New Year.

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

Are you eligible for Pension Credit and not receiving it?

Nearly 40 per cent of pensioners who are entitled to Pension Credit, because of their low income, aren’t claiming it and are missing out on vital support.

The Government is encouraging pensioners to check if they qualify for pension credit, and if so, to apply for it in order to receive the winter fuel payment. You'll need to apply by 21 December to get it though, as that's the final date for making a backdated claim for pension credit. 

Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you’re single; or your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner, and you could also get additional benefits depending on your circumstances.

You can apply for Pension Credit up to four months before you reach State Pension age, or any time after you reach State Pension age, but your application can only be backdated by three months.

You can apply online, over the telephone, or by post.To find out if you are eligible for Pension Credit, visit the Government’s website.

Key Stage 2 test results better than national average

New figures published by the Government's Department for Education show that many Devon pupils with additional needs who sat their Key Stage 2 (KS2) tests this summer have performed better than the national average.

Results for this summer’s KS2 pupils in Devon with special educational needs (SEN) who are receiving additional support in the classroom show an improvement on last year’s results (2022/23) in science, grammar, punctuation, spelling, maths and reading.

Fifty-eight per cent of Devon pupils with SEN, who are receiving additional support, were assessed as having met the standard expected of all KS2 pupils for science, compared to a national average of 54 per cent. Fifty-two per cent of pupils in Devon with SEN support met the expected standard in reading, compared to 48 per cent national average. Many pupils with Educational Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) also performed better than the national average.

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

New rules mean upholstered furniture will no longer be accepted at most recycling centres

This week the BBC asked us about new Environment Agency (EA) regulations that mean many of our Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) will no longer be able to accept upholstered furniture. 

The new rules, which the EA have given local authorities until 1 December to comply with, require upholstered furniture to be stored and transported separately from other non-recyclable waste.

It means that out of our 19 HWRCs, only eight will be able to accept upholstered furniture from December due to lack of space for additional storage areas.

Councillor Roger Croad, our Cabinet Member responsible for waste and recycling in Devon, met with BBC Devon political reporter Miles Davis to discuss the new regulations, which he described as 'nonsense'. You can read the full story on the BBC website.

What sort of support should I expect from school?

We all want every child and young person to be able to go to school or other setting, to do well and to enjoy their time there. Sometimes that’s difficult. In Devon, we know that different schools have different approaches to the way that they support pupils, including those who may have additional needs. That can lead to inconsistency, and it can be hard for young people and parents and carers to know what they can expect from their local school or setting.

We want a good level of support to be consistent across Devon, so that pupils and their parents and carers know what they can expect from their school, to help them be included and engaged. Working with schools and groups of parents and young people, we have created an Ordinarily Available Inclusive Education Framework which describes the sort of support that all Devon schools, early years, and post 16 settings should be able to provide all children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We’re not telling schools that they have to comply with the framework, but we are
asking them to review and reflect on their own practices, to see where they might be able to improve the way they support pupils. You can read more about the Ordinarily Available Inclusive Education Framework in the story on our news page, and on our website.

NHS urges parents to help protect their children ahead of winter with flu vaccine rollout

Parents and carers of two and three year olds are being invited to book their children in for a flu vaccine ahead of the colder months when people gather indoors and viruses spread.

The vaccine is usually given to children as a quick and painless spray up the nose – without the need for an injection – unless your child cannot have porcine gelatine in medical products, in which case an injected flu vaccine is available as an alternative.

It’s important that those eligible come forward when they can to top up their protection ahead of winter, to prevent them from developing serious illnesses as immunity wanes over time and viruses change and adapt each year.

Read the full story on the NHS website.

Two listed bridges given added protection to guard against repeat of storm damage

Protective measures have been installed on two Grade One listed bridges in West Devon to guard them against future storm damage.

Steel plates or “nosings” have been fixed to the piers of Newbridge at Gunnislake and Greystone Bridge near Tavistock in order to protect the structures from impacts during flooding.

Gunnislake Newbridge was left with a void in one of its piers in April this year after it was struck by a fallen tree that had washed into the River Tamar, while Greystone Bridge sustained similar damage during storms in 2022.

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

Don't forget, your bus ticket is on us this Sunday 22 September for World Car Free Day 2024!

You have received this message because you have previously subscribed
to receive news and information about Devon County Council's services.

You can manage your subscription preferences or unsubscribe via this link.