WSCC E-Newsletter November 2019

West Sussex County Council. www.westsussex.gov.uk
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WSCC E-Newsletter November 2019


All the latest news from West Sussex County Council


Support to help older people stay safe at home

Age Well Campaign Image - lady on yellow background

Throughout November we are focusing on ways that older residents can ensure they stay safe and well at home, as part of our Age Well campaign.

From technology and equipment that could assist you, to checklists and visits that ensure your home is safe and warm during winter – there is a range of small steps you can take to stay independent in later life.

Sign up to our Age Well newsletter for regular information and advice, or find out more on our website.

'Age Well' was launched last month by the West Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board, aimed to celebrate residents and support them in staying healthy, well and independent as they grow older in West Sussex.


New support to manage your drinking habits

Man staring sadly at his phone with beer in his hand

DrinkCoach is a new service offered FREE to West Sussex residents who want to change their drinking habits.

The service offers three options:

  • Alcohol Test – see what your drinking habits are like with a quick and confidential test
  • DrinkCoach app – has tools to help reduce your alcohol intake
  • DrinkCoach sessions -  Skype sessions with a professional coach conducted in total privacy. Sessions are available at evenings, weekends and during the working week, making it easy to fit around busy lives.

To book a session or find out more, visit www.DrinkCoach.org.uk.

West Sussex residents can enter the code ‘WSWELL’ to get their sessions for free. 


Prevent electrical fires by checking your appliances and wires

burnt plug

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is marking Electrical Fire Safety month this November by urging residents to check that their appliances are in good working order.

The fire and rescue service attended almost 500 electrical fires in 2018/19, just under half of which started in the kitchen. The fire service has issued some top tips to help minimise the risk of an electrical fire:

  • Check your kitchen appliances regularly, looking for damage to cables.
  • Check for hot plugs or sockets that may be damaged.
  • Unplug all appliances and chargers when not in use.
  • Don’t charge your phone overnight or for long periods of time unsupervised.
  • Use a charger from a reputable supplier.
  • Have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home.

You can find more information on our website


School role call!

School children

Would you like to take an active role in your local school? Then consider becoming a school governor.

This voluntary role means you can make a positive contribution to children’s education in the county.

You don’t need to be an educational expert or have formal qualifications. What you do need is the ability to listen, think and ask questions; be able to work with others; have a willingness to learn and have sound communication skills.

You’ll need to have the time to attend and contribute to full governing body meetings and committees as well as school events.

In addition you’ll need to read reports and background papers before meetings, and may be asked to take part in staff appointment, complaints and pupil exclusion panels. Support and training for governors is offered by the County Council.

For more information please contact your school directly, email governor.services@westsussex.gov.uk or visit the West Sussex County Council website.


Record Office loans case book to National Portrait Gallery exhibition

Bocca Baciata Dante Gabriel Rossetti

A Graylingwell patient case book is currently on loan from the West Sussex Record Office to the ‘Pre-Raphaelite Sisters’ exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, providing definitive evidence of the last known whereabouts and final resting place of Fanny Cornforth, the muse and artist’s model for Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Discovered in the archives of the West Sussex Record Office in 2015, the case book uncovered a century old mystery, as until then no one knew how, where or when Fanny Cornforth had died.

The case book shows that Fanny spent the last two years of her life in Graylingwell Hospital with senile dementia before her death in 1909 at the age of 74. She was buried in Chichester Cemetery in a common grave without a headstone.

Want to find out more about the West Sussex Record Office? You can visit their website or follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

Image credit: Bocca Baciata, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1859.


Coming soon: ID checks at our Household Waste Recycling Sites

West Sussex Only logo with tickbox

From 1 December 2019 only West Sussex residents will be able to use our 11 Household Waste Recycling Sites (HWRSs).

This new system is expected to save local taxpayers £250,000 per year.

Surveys have shown that an average of one in ten people using HWRSs closest to the county borders live outside of West Sussex.

It’s thought the high number of people travelling across county boundaries is down to tougher restrictions imposed by neighbouring authorities.

In order to show they live in the county residents will have to show some ID to enter the sites, for example:

  • Current driving licence (photo card or paper licence)
  • Council tax or utility bill - less than a year old
  • Utility bill – i.e. electric, gas etc.

For more information, visit: www.westsussex.gov.uk/HWRS


Latest consulations:

Consultation on small schools

Consultation on concessionary rail travel for older people

Review on library offer