Friday 24 October 2025
We have partnered with the Special Partnership Trust to open a new state-funded special school for young people with autism, social, emotional and other mental health-related needs. It’s only been open since the beginning of September, but already it’s having a huge impact on the 12 pupils currently attending, some of whom have not been to school for up to three years due to the complexity of their needs.
Charlie is the latest person to have had their life transformed by our Reaching for Independence service – gaining confidence to take up a new pastime.
Reaching for Independence is for people aged 17 years and over, who have eligible or likely eligible social care needs, and supports people to become more independent in order to achieve their goals, such as living independently, taking part in social activities or starting paid employment, to lead a more fulfilling life.
The government has said that Devon’s current two-tier council system, which sees services split between the county council and eight district councils, must change. They want simpler 'unitary authorities' to be responsible for all local services in one area, so that they are more efficient and responsive.
Our leading option is to create a single unitary ‘New Devon’ to replace the current system of eight district councils and the county council, which would work alongside Plymouth and Torbay’s existing unitary authorities.
It is the most logical option for a simpler, stronger and more resilient Devon and comes after many months of extensive research, community engagement, and expert advice.
We published a special edition of this newsletter this week to explain more about our leading option.
One of our commitees charged with reviewing and ensuring the transparency of council decisions has backed a move to increase on-street parking charges.
The increases were approved in September by our cabinet member for highways, Councillor Dan Thomas – however some councillors had concerns and ‘called in’ the decision, a process whereby a decision or proposal is re-examined by a scrutiny committee.
This National Adoption Week (20–26 October), we’re celebrating the ‘perfectly imperfect’ homes that make adoption possible. The campaign aims to challenge the myth that you need a ‘perfect’ home to adopt. New data shows 86% of adopters once worried their home wasn’t good enough – but what matters most is love, stability, and a sense of belonging.
The government's Schools White Paper, originally expected earlier this year, then autumn, has been delayed again, now until the new year.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has written to the Chairwoman of the Education Select Committee to explain the delay. Our Cabinet Member with responsibility for services that support children and young people with SEND, Councillor Denise Bickley, says that she's disappointed, but not surprised.
“The government needs to get its act together," she says.
With the clocks going back an hour this weekend (Sunday 26 October) as British Summer Time ends, all road users are being reminded to take extra care over the autumn and winter months.
The reduced daylight hours and poor weather conditions at this time of year can affect visibility, so the advice is to “look out for one another” on Devon’s roads.
The Devon Bus Enhanced Partnership has been shortlisted as a finalist in the UK Bus Awards 2025, under the Partnership for Excellence: The Peter Huntley Memorial Award category.
This national recognition celebrates the success of the Devon Bus Enhanced Partnership, a powerful collaboration between Devon County Council, Stagecoach South West, smaller local operators, and key stakeholders including the NHS and education providers, all working together to deliver a better, more sustainable, and customer-focused bus network for Devon.
At Halloween, 30.4 million pumpkins are bought for carving, and of these, a whopping 15.8 million will go to waste, left uneaten. That’s £26.7 million worth of edible food.
Pumpkins are edible, and studies have found that three in five know that you can eat your carving pumpkin. However, only one in nine of us always do.
This week, the Department of Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England launched a campaign to encourage people who are most vulnerable to stay strong and get vaccinated against flu.
The campaign targets people with conditions including heart, kidney and lung disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, neurological conditions and immunosuppression
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