Contents of the January 2025 edition
Ambition one: Give every child the best chance of maximising their potential
Ambition two: Create healthy and sustainable places
Ambition three: Everyone can access the right support to improve their health
Ambition four: Keep our communities safe and healthy
Ambition one: Give every child the best chance of maximising their potential
Nottinghamshire celebrates National Baby Week 2024
Many wonderful sessions were run during Baby Week in November within libraries and Family Hubs across the county. Nottinghamshire County Council also held a celebration event on 18th November 2024 at The Crossing, Worksop. Taster sessions included baby save a life, rattle, rhyme, and roll – including a special book bear appearance. It was great to have such a wide range of stall holders and professionals present, sharing information about local services and support available.
Nottinghamshire County Council also launched their Best Start for Life offer; a guide to local support and services available from pregnancy to two years old. The first 1001 days of a child’s life, from pregnancy to age two, is the time when a baby’s brain develops the most and they grow the quickest. Families across Nottinghamshire provided feedback that they want information on the support that’s available to them during this exciting but sometimes scary time.
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Partnership working in Gedling to support Mental Health of Young People
Gedling Borough Council launched a pioneering partnership initiative through their councillors and officers working with Positively Empowered Kids CIC, Jacob Dunne Consultancy, a range of health providers and the Youth Service. Consulting with young people about their mental wellbeing, their knowledge of services, and what impacts their mental health, they provided a marketplace to showcase different things they can do (i.e. therapy, mental health education, music and sport) as ideas to empower them to be proactive with their mental health and wellbeing.
This work is ongoing and is highlighting differences across the borough in young people's mental wellbeing and how collectively they can work together to improve this through coproduction and ensuring services are accessible. More partners are now engaged with this collaborative work, including the Youth Justice Team, Nottinghamshire Police Youth Outreach Team, the GreenSpace Extension Programme and schools.
For more information, please contact Jackie Wilson (Director, Positively Empowered Kids): jackie@positivelyempoweredkids.co.uk.
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Family Hubs rolled out in Nottinghamshire
Family Hubs (formerly Children’s Centres) have been launched in Mansfield, Ashfield and Newark and Sherwood, providing advice and support for children and young people aged 0-18 and their families, in their local community. Councillor Tracey Taylor, Nottinghamshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Children & Families hosted all four events.
Funding has also been secured for Newark Family Hub from the Council’s Green Initiative Fund to re-green the outdoor play space and improve environmental awareness, and from the Levelling Up Fund to update Mansfield South East Family Hub buildings at Oaktree and Ravensdale, making them suitable for a wider age range.
The Virtual Family Hub (Notts Help Yourself) consists of information, advice and guidance and service listings. Work on the specification for a new platform is underway, to cover both county and Nottingham City, due to go live in April 2026.
For further information please contact Diane Tinklin, Early Childhood Commissioning and Projects Manager, Nottinghamshire County Council: diane.tinklin@nottscc.gov.uk.
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Did you know?
Rushcliffe Borough Council, in partnership with Metropolitan Housing and Academy Transformation Trust Further Education (ATTFE), is offering two valuable programmes at Cotgrave Welfare. Messy Play sessions (for children aged 0 to 5) will focus on supporting early childhood development through fun, sensory activities. Meanwhile, Cook and Eat sessions are designed to help adults and families learn to prepare healthy, budget-friendly meals. These sessions are running every Monday for six weeks, from 6 January to 12 February 2025.
Ambition two: Create healthy and sustainable places
Investing in Communities
The Nottinghamshire County Council ‘Investing in Communities’ fund is supporting the delivery of Citizens Advice sessions across priority wards in Mid Nottinghamshire and has enabled expansion of services into communities. The sessions are delivered by Central Nottinghamshire Citizens Advice in partnership with Ashfield Voluntary Action, Mansfield CVS and Newark and Sherwood CVS.
These VCSE organisations have been embedded in the local communities for many years and their involvement is integral to the successful delivery of this initiative supporting the facilitation and promotion of the sessions. There is a clear connect of mutual clients between CVS and Citizens Advice. By providing a combined service offer as a one-stop shop the partners are increasing their reach and impact. This partnership increases early intervention.
For further information please contact Stephanie Haslam, Senior Transformation Manager, Mid Nottinghamshire Place Team, NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB: stephanie.haslam@nhs.net.
Rushcliffe Borough Council Play Facilities Review
Rushcliffe Borough Council is conducting a comprehensive review of play facilities across the Borough, including those not directly maintained by the Council. The Rushcliffe Play Strategy Review aims to gather public feedback on the quality, accessibility and distribution of existing play areas, helping shape future priorities, better allocate funding and identify where new or improved facilities are needed to support sustainable growth.
A public consultation captured views of parents and carers whose children use free-to-access play sites. Participants shared their thoughts on the size and condition of equipment, inclusivity and accessibility of play items as well as the overall experience of visiting these sites, whether they feel welcoming, safe, and conducive to socialising.
The review reflects the Council’s commitment to providing high-quality play facilities that promote physical, mental and social wellbeing for children and families and addresses key priorities such as tackling obesity, improving inclusivity and advancing equality for women and girls.
Rushcliffe Borough Council Invest 5.2 million in local leisure centres
Decarbonisation and refurbishment works are underway at Cotgrave Leisure Centre as part of Rushcliffe Borough Council’s £5.2 million investment in Cotgrave and Keyworth leisure centres. Refurbishment at Keyworth Leisure Centre is set to begin next spring, with essential roof repairs, a refit and upgrades to the pool filtration system.
Supported by £1.2 million from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the initiative is aimed at reducing carbon emissions at Cotgrave Leisure Centre. Additionally, the centre received £250,000 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Swimming Pool Support Fund, administered by Sport England, to install solar panels on its roof. It will also benefit from £110,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for extensive refurbishments, including a new Changing Places toilet to improve accessibility for users with mobility challenges and widened corridors for easier navigation among other improvements to changing rooms and studios.
Did you know?
- The Gedling Guide 2024/25 is a local directory of services and community activities available to support residents in the Gedling area. It includes key information about welcome & warm spaces, community hubs & food, help for children and families, government support, money employment and energy advice, and mental health support for vulnerable people. For more information, or to receive a digital copy of the directory, please contact Community@gedling.gov.uk.
- A series of short walks has been launched in Carlton, as part of ‘Making Our Move’; the shared vision for Uniting the Movement in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire over the next 10 years. To take a look at the walk routes, or for more information, visit Making Our Move - Six Short Walks in Carlton.
- Rushcliffe Borough Council is collaborating with RideWise to promote active travel for residents and workers in Bingham, encouraging more people to walk, wheel or cycle into the town centre. This initiative, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), includes the development of a new ‘Active Travel Map’, highlighting walking routes, resting spots, and clear signposting to public transport.
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Ambition three: Everyone can access the right support to improve their health
Best Years Hub in Newark and Sherwood
Best Years Hubs launched in June 2024 in Newark and Sherwood, providing residents over 65 living with a long-term health condition in the district with educational groups, weekly activities, and one-to-one befriending to help improve wellbeing and reduce social isolation. Volunteers also help increase Advanced Care Planning, ensuring every patient can discuss what matters most to them. The hubs are delivered and supported by an integrated team of professionals and volunteers working across health, social care, local authority, community, and voluntary sectors.
Initially two hubs were launched, one in Newark and one in Sherwood and these were so successful that a further three have since opened, each with a Digital Health Champion that helps attendees access the NHS App, allowing them to take ownership of their health and wellbeing. The infographic provides a snapshot of the work undertaken to date and future activities.
For more information about the Best Years Hubs please contact Victoria Pickering, Transformation Manager, Mid Nottinghamshire Place Team, NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB: victoria.pickering8@nhs.net
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Do people feel confident talking to residents about food and nutrition?
A recent Best Food Forward survey found that almost half of medics and healthcare professionals (46%) talk about food, diet and nutrition with their patients daily. Confidence is a major barrier to providing quality nutrition advice, with a recent article in the British Medical Journal reporting just 26% of doctors were confident in their nutrition knowledge.
Best Food Forward wants to help ensure that those conversations are as impactful as possible, and now offers CPD-accredited training days for medics and healthcare professionals, designed to provide people with the latest research and practical tools for incorporating nutrition into patient consultations.
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Winter Planning and Cost of Living
Bassetlaw District Council is providing funding of up to £204k to support residents in the district struggling with the ongoing Cost of Living crisis. Members agreed to make contributions to initiatives in the district, targeting those most in need, at a Cabinet meeting in October 2024.
Concerns about continuing Cost of Living pressures on residents were highlighted at a summit hosted by the Council in 2024, involving over 40 local, county, and national partner organisations. In response, several support initiatives have been identified by the Council’s partners, in response to emerging pressures of winter warmth for pensioners and low-income families, debt and welfare advice, social isolation and assistance with food provision.
The Council and its partners continue their commitment to work together and support people with the increasing cost of living by providing in-person and online information enabling people to prepare for the challenges residents may face over the coming months.
‘My Support Network’ in Newark
A new initiative designed by the Newark Local Design Team to help people being cared for in their own homes has launched in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The new initiative - a document called ‘My Support Network’ - will enable people to better understand who is providing support to them.
Community consultation demonstrated that people struggle to know what services they or the person they care for receive, what they do and how to contact them. Patients and carers felt they were repeating their stories and healthcare professionals said they spent too much time trying to find out information and asking questions instead of delivering their service. The document will be kept in a yellow folder for the person being cared for to keep in their own home. They can then invite anyone who supports them to add their contact information.
Revised Tobacco and Vapes Bill
A revised Tobacco and Vapes Bill, building on legislation introduced by the previous government but interrupted by the election, was approved by MPs in the House of Commons at its second reading in November 2024. The main components in the Bill are:
- People aged 15 and under will never legally be able to purchase tobacco products.
- Smokefree spaces will be extended to include children’s play areas, hospital sites and outside schools.
- There will be new restrictions on vapes to make them less accessible and appealing to children and young people.
If the Bill becomes law, there will be further opportunities to influence the detail, through consultation on some aspects (e.g. which flavours of vapes will be prohibited, what form restrictions on shop displays will take).
FREE local services are available to help people to stop smoking, which provide friendly, tailored advice, free stop smoking aids and ongoing support. People are three times more likely succeed in giving up smoking if they use a support service. In Nottinghamshire, residents can phone 0115 772 2515 or visit www.yourhealthnotts.co.uk.
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Illegal Tobacco Case Study
Illegal tobacco enforcement plays a significant part in the tobacco control agenda and is a focus of the revised Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Effective regulation of tobacco products is one of four priority themes for the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Tobacco Control Alliance and the work of Trading Standards, Public Health and the Police has a significant impact as it aims to reduce the selling of tobacco and nicotine products to minors and other residents.
As part of a crack-down on the sale of illicit smoking products Nottinghamshire Police and Trading Standards teams from Nottinghamshire County Council seized more than £18,000 worth of illegal disposable vapes as part of a week-long activity in Newark. Furthermore, with the help of six volunteers aged 14-16, Trading Standards have been completing test purchasing at premises in Nottinghamshire. Since July 2023 over 70 test purchase visits have taken place resulting in 16 underage sales.
If you suspect a business is selling illegal tobacco products or have seen the sale of tobacco or vaping products to young people aged under 18, please report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service: 0808 223 1133.
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Did you know?
- Harvest Community Haven (HCH) is a black-led community interest company that has been set up in the Beeston area, serving and supporting the community; from global majority communities to those who are currently homeless, to students from overseas and to families with children. They have a weekly community café including a food bank run by the volunteers. Further information and a video of this can be found on the ‘Making our Move’ website.
- A monthly Long-term Conditions Support Group has been established in Cotgrave to support local people who live with long-term conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It provides an opportunity for people who have similar conditions to share experiences and gain support to improve their health and wellbeing. For further information please contact: nnicb-nn.cotgrave-inw@nhs.net
- A new Social Prescribing Community Hub has opened in West Bridgford, offering a range of free activities to support residents’ physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Committed to inclusive care, the Hub aims to provide opportunities for everyone to access holistic healthcare services, connect with others and enhance their overall health and wellness.
- Byron Primary Care Network (PCN), comprised of the four GP practices across Hucknall, is working in partnership with health, local authority, and voluntary and community groups to deliver six community-based outreach clinics focused on cardiovascular disease. Two events took place in 2024 with the remaining sessions planned for 2025. Attendees can access a range of health checks including blood tests, blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, and Body Mass Index (BMI). For more information contact nnicb-nn.hucknall-inw@nhs.net
Ambition four: Keep our communities safe and healthy
Resources to encourage vaccinations in pregnancy
Vaccinations in pregnancy have been declining and recently there have been increases in diseases such as whooping cough, which can be life threatening to babies. Public Health teams at Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council received funding from the Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) to gain insights into vaccinations in pregnancy amongst low uptake groups and produce resources to encourage vaccinations in pregnancy amongst these cohorts.
Following focus groups with target communities a video was produced in different languages, voiced by local residents, along with a postcard summarising what vaccinations are available, how they protect mum and baby, and when and where they are offered. The videos in English, Ukrainian, Polish and Romanian (Urdu and Arabic to follow) are available on NCC YouTube channel as well as the vaccination in pregnancy section of the Health Protection Hub where you will also find the postcard in different languages.
For more information please contact: Lucy.Elliott@nottscc.gov.uk
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Supported Housing Improvement Programme
The Supported Housing Improvement Programme (SHIP) team have been operating as part of a pilot project for the last 18 months, in line with the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.
They have had great success so far, inspecting 81 properties and working with providers to rectify 40 category 1 hazards (those posing the most severe risk to occupants), and 54 category 2 hazards, improving property standards across the district, ensuring tenants have somewhere safe to live.
In the future, the SHIP team will be engaging with tenants with a view to producing a Residents Charter, as well as a gateway process for referrals and a needs assessment
Emergency Hormonal Contraception
Nottinghamshire County Council is recommissioning Emergency Hormonal Contraceptive (EHC) service provision within community pharmacy, from April 2025, following national procurement changes affecting the way that healthcare services are procured.
This will offer timely access to contraception and sexual health advice to support in reducing unplanned pregnancies, particularly for those at greatest risk of adverse sexual health outcomes. Community pharmacies are conveniently located in the heart of communities, with long opening hours and trained clinical staff who reflect the diversity of their communities. Public Health commissioners have responded to challenges the sector faces, by increasing consultation fees to £15 and streamlining the service specification to reduce the requirement to sign lots of documentation.
The new specification integrates the EHC offer with the contraceptive element of the Pharmacy First Service. Providing oral contraceptives during an EHC consultation ensures immediate access to a more sustainable, ongoing form of contraceptive. The new contract will run for three plus two years. To sign up to this service, please register on www.eastmidstenders.org and register an interest.
Nottinghamshire Drug and Alcohol Partnership – 2024/25 Progress Report
In 2021, the government published a new 10-year drugs strategy, From Harm To Hope (FHTH), seeking to reduce drug use to a 30-year low and reduce drug-related deaths and crime. The cross-government Joint Combating Drugs Unit (JCDU) was also established to co-ordinate and oversee the implementation of the FHTH strategy a total of £903 million of additional funding was allocated between 2022/23 to 2024/5.
The JCDU set clear guidance for local delivery partners, with the expectation to form a combating drugs partnership (CDP) and as such the Nottinghamshire Drug and Alcohol Partnership was formed. CDPs are expected to develop a progress report at least once a year, which should outline the CDP’s progress in reducing drug-related harm.
As such, the Nottinghamshire Drug and Alcohol Partnership’s 2024/25 progress report can be accessed at Substance Use (drugs and alcohol) - Nottinghamshire Insight.
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Did you know?
- The new Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Self Harm and Suicide Prevention Strategy is now published. The Strategy outlines the local vision, ambitions and guiding principles for self-harm and suicide prevention. The Strategy supports and promotes good mental health which is a priority area in the Nottinghamshire Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. For questions or enquiries, please contact lucy.jones@nottscc.gov.uk.
- The new Sexual Health Service Nottingham and Nottinghamshire website went live in October 2024. A partnership between Nottingham University Hospitals and Sherwood Forest NHS Foundation Trust Hospitals, which aims to provide a streamlined offer for service users by creating one joined up service across the City and County. An online provision allows service users to order their own home-testing kits and also ensures accessibility across the geographical area.
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Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Adults Board (NSAB) published their 2023/24 Annual Report in November 2024. Produced in line with Care Act requirements, it details the work NSAB and partner agencies have carried out to achieve the aims of the Board’s three-year (2022-2025) strategic plan. It also outlines partners’ contributions to safeguarding Nottinghamshire adults across the plan’s strategic aims of prevention, engagement and assurance, as well as key achievements and challenges. For any enquiries, please contact: darren.fleetham@nottscc.gov.uk.
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