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November 2024

Employer Supported Policing 

•Employer Supported Policing (ESP) is a national scheme owned by The Home Office.

It’s a simple yet powerful partnership between employers and the police.

Allowing staff who are Special Constables some paid time off to volunteer in their local communities is a great way to enhance your corporate image, whilst at the same time playing a big part in making local communities a safer place to live and work.

Local Skills Improvement Plan Surveys

The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is a national initiative aimed at understanding employer views and thoughts about the skills they need in their business.

We would be grateful if you could complete the surveys below, where they are relevant to your business, to help inform the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP):

Construction Skills Survey Autumn 2024 - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BXXD8VL

Manufacturing Skills Survey Autumn 2024 - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BNGXZFQ

All sector Skills Survey Autumn 2024 - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6QB7J9J

Have your say on how KFRS measures response times

Kent fire and Rescue want to hear your views on how they, measure incident response times (not changes to how fast they reach emergencies), and on the amount of Council Tax people pay to help fund their fire and rescue service. The survey takes around five minutes to complete, and will be closing on 18 January 2025.

Life Sciences Innovation Manufacturing Fund

Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), was unveiled, starting with £70 million in grants, as part of a long-term commitment of up to £520 million to secure major life sciences manufacturing investments across the UK. This fund strengthens the country’s ability to develop and produce life-saving treatments, ensuring quicker access to vital medicines and bolstering NHS stability. The LSIMF is expected to unlock up to £1.8 billion in private investment, supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs and driving economic growth nationwide, while preparing the UK for future health emergencies and enhancing NHS resilience.

Call for sites Swale Borough Council are calling for land and property owners’ help as they develop a new local plan for the borough. The council are looking for suitable land that has the potential to help deliver the housing and economic development targets imposed by the UK Government. This call for sites is an important step in the council’s ongoing efforts to review the current Local Plan, Bearing Fruits, which was adopted in 2017. You can submit a site by using Swale Borough Council’s online portal https://swale-consult.objective.co.uk/kse.

Commissioning and Procurement

Local business and SMEs can register their details on the Kent Business Portal which will notify them about relevant procurements