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News roundup
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The Leader of Somerset Council has written to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), calling for urgent action to fix the social care funding crisis.
In his letter, Cllr Bill Revans says the current funding formula for local government does not reflect the actual needs and costs of providing essential public services.
Last week Somerset Council’s Executive declared a financial emergency with budget papers showing a funding gap of £100m for 2024/25 – due mainly to an expected increase of £70m in the cost of adult social care.
A new campaign aims to raise the profile of lesser-known types of domestic abuse and encourage those who may not realise they are being abused to come forward for support and advice.
Launching on White Ribbon Day and at the beginning of the worldwide campaign 16 Days of Action Somerset Council has commissioned 12 short films to shine the spotlight on non-physical types of domestic abuse.
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Connect Somerset has been launched to improve early help in the community. It's about all professionals and community groups working together to help families and residents to improve their lives. This work also helps to reduce the cost of statutory services.
Connect Somerset is a partnership between Somerset Council, Somerset NHS, Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprises, and Schools, Colleges and Early Years settings which aims to make it easier for Somerset residents to get the help they need and to get it early.
Did you know that, in addition to your GP, there are other health professionals in general practice who can help you get the right care?
A new survey has found that over a third (36%) of people in England are not confident that they can identify the various health professionals working in a general practice, which could include clinical pharmacists, nurses and even paramedics.
To help explain the support available, the NHS has released a film that sees three curious children go behind the scenes at a general practice to meet the health professionals working there and learn more about how they help get patients the care they need.
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Credit: Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service
A new ‘toolkit’ has been produced by Trading Standards to help students and young people across Devon, Somerset, Torbay and Plymouth safeguard themselves from being scammed.
A recent survey (2022) found that a third of students had a personal experience of being scammed - and across the southwest last year young people aged 18-22 lost a total of £73,361,101 to fraudsters.
Millions across the UK are entitled to Government help with the cost of living.
Depending on where you live, there are different schemes that could help support your household finances:
- Households on certain benefits can get Cost of Living Payments, which are worth up to £900 in total.
- Many providers are offering cheaper reliable broadband and mobile phone packages for people claiming certain benefits. Some deals are as low as £10 per month, so a simple switch could save £202 a year, against the average yearly cost of broadband.
- Those on a low income, out of work or unable to work, could be eligible for Universal Credit to help with living costs.
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Notices of election for by elections next month for vacancies on three Town Councils in Somerset have been published.
The by elections are scheduled for:
- 14 December for Abbey Manor South Ward – Yeovil Town Council
- 18 December for the Fairfax East Ward – Bridgwater Town Council, and the Highbridge Ward – Burnham and Highbridge Town Council.
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Four Somerset charities are celebrating after winning the coveted King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).
Equivalent to an MBE for individuals, KAVS is the highest award given to voluntary groups in the UK, celebrating outstanding work done by charities.
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Somerset Council is offering local businesses the opportunity to get mentoring support from some of the best business minds in the county.
Following a highly successful search for mentors it is now time to match them to local business owners who can benefit from six hours of free mentoring. All businesses who have been trading for over a year and employ two or more staff are welcome to apply, although the programme is particularly aimed at businesses who are looking to hire new staff or those planning to introduce new products and services.
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