People living in an abusive relationship in Cornwall are being encouraged to seek help, with an increase in incidents of domestic abuse and sexual violence expected over the Christmas period.

Safer Cornwall, a partnership of public, voluntary, community and private organisations who come together to do all that they can to make Cornwall’s communities safer, report that there is a much higher level of incidents around Christmas with people saying they feel less likely to seek help and report the issues they are experiencing at this point in the year.

Simon Mould, Cornwall Council’s Head of Community Safety and Localism said: “A lot of times, people living in an abusive relationship feel responsible for maintaining the safety and stability of their home and family; spending so much time and energy managing their abuser and trying desperately to minimise the impact the abuser has on the wider family.

“The thought of fleeing an abusive relationship or feeling responsible for having someone arrested at Christmas, is often too much for someone to cope with, in addition to the increase in abusive behaviour and violence that a person anticipates due to the usual stresses that families face during the holidays and also, often, from the increase of alcohol consumption.”

This advice follows success of the recent campaign, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which the Safer Cornwall partnership, supported by the Office of The Police Crime Commissioner, have been promoting to raise awareness of domestic abuse and sexual violence and highlight the support available across Cornwall for anyone who is affected by it.

Safer Cornwall, with the support of Safer Futures, have visited Cornwall’s 10 Safer Towns (Truro, Redruth, Camborne, Penzance, Bodmin, Falmouth, Newquay, St. Austell, Saltash and Liskeard), visiting local businesses and asking them to pledge their support to the campaign by downloading and implementing a Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Employment Policy and undertaking training, as well as providing a safe place in their community for anyone experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence.

As part of this campaign there are now 188 local businesses pledging their commitment to being a safe place for anyone experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence to access information and support, making sure that people at work get the support they need through these difficult times as well as supporting a working environment where domestic abuse and sexual violence becomes something that more people talk openly about.

Simon Mould added: “Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence services work hard to make the process of getting out of an abusive situation as straight forward as possible, but the reality is that it is one of the scariest things a person will have to do at any time of year; so we want people to know that they deserve to feel, and be, safe and free from anxiety and fear, every day.”

If you live in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly and you think you, or someone you know needs to access support around domestic abuse or sexual violence you can get help and advice in a number of ways:

Make an online referral to First Light  

Or call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline (run by Women’s Aid and Refuge) on 0808 2000 247.

If you fear for your immediate safety, or someone else’s, please call 999.

Story posted on 13 December

Cornwall Council’s flagship climate emergency project the Forest for Cornwall will be officially launched next week at a community planting day in Saltash.

The first 105 trees of the ambitious programme to cover 8,000 hectares of land across Cornwall with woodland, forest and other canopy cover will be planted at Tincombe, a Cornwall Council-owned community open space at Oaklands Drive, Saltash, on Tuesday, December 17.

Cornwall councillors Edwina Hannaford, Cabinet Member for climate change and neighbourhoods, and Rob Nolan, Cabinet Member for environment and public protection, will lead the planting.

They will be helped by residents, volunteers, schoolchildren, Saltash Town Council, the Woodland Trust, Cormac, Cornwall Council staff and a host of other partner organisations, charities and businesses who will work together on creating the Forest for Cornwall.

The celebratory planting marks the start of the ambitious Forest for Cornwall which will significantly increase the number of trees across woods, parks, farmland, towns, villages and gardens over a decade and form a key part of Cornwall Council’s plans to help Cornwall become carbon neutral by 2030.

Once completed, the programme aims to extend canopy cover over an additional 2% of Cornwall’s total land area and capture 1% of Cornwall’s current greenhouse gas emissions, working alongside other natural climate solutions to draw carbon from the atmosphere.

The Forest for Cornwall is Cornwall Council’s first, large-scale project to get under way as part of its Carbon Neutral Cornwall programme which was approved by Cabinet in July in response to the climate emergency.

Other key schemes are a Government-supported whole-house retrofit pilot to fit energy efficiency improvements to Cornwall Council homes; a new, climate change planning document to promote renewable energy including a commitment to power all new homes with alternative sources to gas; and a new decision-making framework to prioritise environmental and social benefits in all Council policies.

Cllr Hannaford said: “I want to thank all the volunteers of Saltash for joining forces with us to help plant the first site of the Forest for Cornwall and for sharing this historic moment in Cornwall’s fight to tackle climate change.

“Over the next decade we want to transform the landscapes of our countryside, towns and villages with a mosaic of woodland, forests, copses, orchards, hedgerows and street trees which will not only absorb carbon but enhance our residents’ living and community spaces and improve air quality.

“While we are acting faster than the Government and other local authorities in putting our plans to tackle climate change into action, we now need all our residents’ help in driving this vital project forward.

"We want to put the right tree in the right place and as a facilitator we will be matching residents, businesses, community groups and charities to trees, land, funds and volunteers who want to get involved in planting so we can create a ‘tree match-making service’ to harness everyone’s goodwill in contributing to the Forest for Cornwall.”

Cllr Nolan said: “We would encourage as many of you as possible to get in touch with us and tell us about any tree-planting projects so that we can count your trees on our new Forest for Cornwall Tree-ometer.

"You may want to get involved with your local communities in sourcing trees and planning your own tree planting events, for example if you are a town or parish council or community group wanting to increase tree cover in and around your premises or a residents’ association with ideas for more trees in your locality.

“This is the start of the Forest for Cornwall and a chance for everyone to take positive action and contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change while increasing spaces for nature in their local communities.”

The 105 saplings to be planted at Saltash will be a mixture of native trees donated by the Woodland Trust and non-native species supplied by Cornwall Council to ensure diversity and resilience to threats such as climate change and disease.

Ross Kennerley, Woodland Trust South West Regional Director, said: “The Woodland Trust is very excited to be working with Cornwall Council on this pioneering project and contributing some native broadleaf trees for the Forest for Cornwall.  These trees come on the back of the Trust’s mass planting campaign, the Big Climate Fightback, which saw hundreds of thousands of people plant trees across the UK to fight climate change and provide real benefits for people and wildlife.

“With the Committee for Climate Change report showing that the Government needs to triple the amount tree planting across the UK, the Forest for Cornwall shows real commitment to tackling this issue head on.  The Woodland Trust is looking forward to working with the people of Cornwall to provide free trees to schools and communities and advice and support to landowners to get trees in the ground.”

The Mayor of Saltash Town Council Councillor Gloria Challen said: “Saltash Town Council welcomes the first 105 donated trees to be planted in the town of Saltash and as Mayor I am honoured to be part of the Forest for Cornwall project. 

“Saltash has a fantastic community and I am proud to hear that so many residents, volunteers and schoolchildren of our town are coming together on such an important day.  I thank you all for all that you do for our town.  I look forward to the day that together we can start to make a change to Cornwall becoming carbon neutral by 2030.”

The environment team from Cormac has prepared the ground at Tincombe in readiness for the first tree planting. They will be attending on the day to support everyone involved in planting the trees as well as supplying tools and equipment.

Dominic Bostock, Cormac Interim Managing Director, said: “We are proud to bring our environmental expertise to this first step towards helping plant the Forest for Cornwall.

“These freshly planted trees will grow into much needed forests and help to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and tackle the climate crisis. This draws on our commitment to sustainability and we are pleased to be contributing to the Council’s target of becoming carbon neutral. We look forward to working closely with the Council and other partners to support further projects across Cornwall.”

Cornwall Council is working with the University of Exeter, Historic Environment Records and Environmental Record Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to help guide the Forest for Cornwall and to establish an accurate baseline of current canopy cover.

The first phase of the Forest for Cornwall from 2019 to 2021 will be core funded and coordinated by Cornwall Council and it will be delivered through partnerships and private sector projects.

It will involve partners such as the Local Nature Partnership, landowners, forestry sector, town and parish councils, environmental charities, the NHS, private utilities, local businesses, government bodies, schools, communities and individuals.

The Council is calling on community groups, landowners, town and parish councils, environmental charities, schools and individuals to get involved in the Forest for Cornwall and help fight climate change.

Other partnership projects which will contribute to the Forest for Cornwall targets this year include the award-winning Green Infrastructure for Growth Making Space for Nature ERDF-funded programme and Keyn Glas, the £10 million Highways England scheme to create new ‘green ribs’ of habitats and woodlands either side of the A30.

There are a number of ways to join or start a community project to contribute to the Forest for Cornwall.

The Council has joined forces with Crowdfunder to work with local groups to support ideas to increase nature in communities and help tackle the effects of climate change.

The Grow Nature Seed Fund supports small-scale projects that help create more space for nature in towns and villages.

Up to £1,000 is available for each eligible project and there is the opportunity to double this amount through Crowdfund Cornwall.

Any Cornwall-based and recognised ‘not for profit’ organisations are eligible to apply.

For details of the Seed Fund, please email Grow-Nature@cornwall.gov.uk.

More information on the Forest for Cornwall is at www.cornwall.gov.uk/forestforconwall.

Story posted on 13 December, 2019

In order to reduce the amount of people in Cornwall who get flu this year, care workers are being urged to take up the offer of a free flu jab to help protect themselves and vulnerable people they work with.

Cornwall Council is asking care homes to:

• Encourage ALL staff to take up the free flu vaccine – to protect patients and staff
• Ensure that all eligible residents are encouraged to have the free flu vaccine
• Remind visitors to stay away if they have flu-like-symptoms and when visiting to practice good hand hygiene to avoid the spread of infection.

Flu is very different to a normal cold and confines the fittest of people to bed. We know that for older people or those with long-term health conditions, the effects of flu can be much more serious, and in some cases even fatal.

Vaccination helps to reduce spread to the wider public and demand on the wider health system at a time when services are already under pressure.

As well as encouraging the flu vaccine, Cornwall Council are also sharing materials from Public Health England with care homes across Cornwall to help equip staff with tools and guidance on what to do if a resident falls ill with flu to prevent further illness within the home.

Cornwall Council’s Deputy Director of Public Health, Steve Brown said: “We are committed to ensuring our community continue to be healthy and we are working closely with our health partners to ensure that care home staff and residents stay well this winter. In the case of an outbreak, we have strict protocol to ensure the virus is managed and affects as few people as possible.”

Jackie Dart, care home manager at Mount Pleasant House in Camborne, said: “Our residents are vulnerable and we know if they catch flu, the consequences could be much more severe than in a healthy adult. This is really distressing for the resident and their family, so we are encouraging all residents and staff to protect themselves and others by taking up the offer of a free flu vaccine.”

For more information visit Cornwall Council’s website

Story posted on 13 December

Voters in Cornwall are being reminded about the process for voting as polling stations open on 12 December.

Cornwall Council has now sent out polling cards and is now making the final preparations to ensure that the election runs smoothly.

Polling stations will open from 7am on 12 December and will close at 10pm. Following that the ballots will then be transported to four counting sites with the result declared early on Friday 13 December.

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly’s Acting Returning Officer Kate Kennally said: “Your poll card will confirm your details on the electoral register and which polling station you can vote at. It will make it easier for polling staff to find your name on the electoral register if you take the poll card with you to the polling station although most electors can still vote without it, provided their name is on the register at the polling station.

“On arrival at your polling station, the presiding officer will ask you to state your name and address. They will then issue you with a ballot paper marked with the official imprint. You then take the ballot paper to one of the voting booths and mark an "X" in the box on the right hand side of the paper. This should be against the name of the candidate you wish to vote for. The maximum number of votes you are allowed is listed at the top of the ballot paper.”

Kate added: “If you make a mistake or spoil your paper, you can take it back to the presiding officer and ask for another. When you are happy with your vote, fold the ballot paper and put it into the ballot box.”

For anyone who has mislaid their polling card you can look up where your polling station is on the Where do I vote website. 

For anyone who has a postal vote and has not yet put it in the post they can drop it off at any polling station in their constituency on 12 December.

More information about this year’s General Election can be found on Cornwall Council’s website 

Story posted on 11 December

Resilience, self-responsibility and confidence were the hall-marks of all the young people from across Cornwall who were celebrated last night at an awards evening at the Eden Project.

The Youth in Mind project is a partnership between Cornwall Council’s HeadStart Programme, which is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and Pirate FM, which immersed young people into a world of film making and creativity.

Groups from across the County created their own story ideas, designed a production plan and set about filming and editing their films, based on subjects close to their hearts.  Videos ranged from A Guide to Being Kind, which was produced by students at Pencalenick School to Pride and Not Prejudice, which was produced by young people from Mullion School.

The Lead for the HeadStart Programme, Kate Pordage, said: “It is absolutely amazing to have them finally altogether in the same room, celebrating what they’ve done. Because every step of the way, all the films, every decision about how to shoot it, what they wanted to include and the message they wanted to get across was in the hands of young people.

“I think we’ve demonstrated tonight just how fantastic these young people are. If you give them responsibility they will run with it!”

HeadStart Kernow is a Big Lottery funded partnership programme led by Cornwall Council, which aims to develop resilience and mental well-being in young people.

Kate continued: “It’s been an absolute joy to meet up with all the young people again - it’s a delight to come back and see how they’ve grown and moved on, it’s magic!

“I have seen young people that have grown in confidence and belief in their own abilities.  We put children front and centre of this process; they chose the title of the project, they’ve designed the logo, they’ve come up with the social media ideas; they’ve done absolutely everything themselves and as you can see the results are fantastic.”

Over the last year HeadStart Kernow have partnered with Pirate FM to train up teams of young people to plan, produce and film a series of their own short films. The aim was to focus on what 10 – 16 year olds in Cornwall think about emotional wellbeing, mental health and what could be done to make things better.

Jack was one of the young people that took part in the project, he said: “Being a part of this project has been amazing, absolutely fantastic. It’s been a brilliant way to show what our group, our community is really about and not to just let people believe stereotypes.”

Friends, family and specially invited guests watched as the young people each received a certificate.  Portfolio Holder and Cabinet Member for Health and Well Being, Sally Hawken, said; “It’s been absolutely fantastic and it’s really great to be reminded of the standard of work being produced by these young people. There is a really clear thing here; these are not films that adults have suggested they make, instead they look like films a young person has created from the ground up and that’s fabulous.”

More information is available on the Youth in Mind awards website or online on the HeadStart Kernow website.

Parents, carers, professionals and service users themselves are being asked to provide feedback on services for people with autism in Cornwall.                 

The survey, organised by Cornwall Council, is focussed on a number of key areas; education, health, early help, social care, and leisure and physical activity.

Mandy Owen, Head of Children’s Psychology Services at Cornwall Council, said: “Our vision is that Cornwall is a county committed to supporting children and young people with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) to achieve positive outcomes

“Children, young people and their families will be able to access services which meet their needs.

“This survey is open for parents, carers and young people themselves to tell us what they think of services in Cornwall. I would encourage as many families as possible to fill it out and they can help inform our policies going forward.”

Autism is much more common than many people think with around 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK – that's more than 1 in 100. If you include their families, autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people.

Sally Hawken, Portfolio holder for Children and Wellbeing, said: “We are dedicated to ensuring that children across Cornwall can access the right opportunities, and those with autism are no different.  This feedback is invaluable for us as we help to shape and mould services for the future.”

The aim of the survey is to understand what is currently going well and what needs to be improved in the services for children and young people with autism. 

If you would like to support this work and take part in the survey, please use the following link: SEND Events Consultation Feedback.

The questionnaire is open until July 17th.

 

 

The group from Headstart Kernow, a multi-agency partnership led by Cornwall Council, were invited by the former Health Minister Norman Lamb MP to Westminster where they shared their experiences in the service, which has been praised as an example of best practice.

The aim of the event was to highlight the excellent work that the partnerships are doing to MPs and invited guests. They also highlighted the need for more work and support for young people’s mental health.

Sally Hawken, Portfolio Holder and Cabinet Member for Health and Well Being, said:  “One of our priorities at Cornwall Council is that our children are healthy, safe and protected from harm. 

“By sharing their experiences, these young people are helping us to understand a lot more about the challenges they face. This is helping us to better target resources were they are most needed.

“HeadStart is already having a real impact on the way we think about improving the resilience, emotional health and mental wellbeing of our young people and this is a great opportunity for MP’s from around the UK to learn about the work being done in Cornwall.”

Cornwall is receiving significant investment from the National Lottery Community Fund, until 2021, to deliver its HeadStart Kernow programme.  Taking place in six locations across England, the HeadStart programme aims to explore and test ways to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 10 to 16 by supporting them to build their resilience.

It looks at how their mental wellbeing is affected by their experiences at school, their ability to access the community services they need, their home life and relationships with family members, and their interaction with digital technology.

A focus of our programme in Cornwall is to provide training to staff in primary and secondary schools to support emotional and mental wellbeing needs of children, and working with the voluntary sector and child and adolescent mental health services, including NHS Cornwall Foundation Trust, to provide access to support in the community and early help. 

This training, which is delivered by Trauma Informed Schools UK, is designed to help school staff identify the needs that might lie behind behaviours which interrupt a child’s learning and development and extend this knowledge to other organisations working with young people and families including sport and activity based clubs and other youth organisations.

HeadStart Workforce training is focused on the emotional development of children, neuroscience and the importance of the arts and crucially also includes training on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s.) 

Amy Pearton, Chair of the HeadStart Kernow Young People’s Board, said: “HeadStart is not just about tackling problems once they’ve happened, it’s about helping people to become more resilient, building their strengths, talents and interests.”

Young People are working with us on these important issues, together with Young People Cornwall and Pirate FM.

Further information and where to find support is available at https://your-way.org.uk/

 

Story posted 06 February 2019 

Better use of existing technology in schools could help children who have difficulties with reading and writing make progress and work more independently.   Alison Greenwood from Cornwall Council Educational Psychology Service says: “Tablet computers have opened up a world of possibilities for people with literacy difficulties.”

Since the Equalities Act was amended in 2012 schools have a legal duty to provide children with disabilities or learning difficulties with access to the right technology if not doing so would put them at disadvantage compared to other pupils.

Evidence has shown that using tablet computers can help all children learn to read but they particularly help boys and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.  

Cornwall Council is launching a specialist online course to help teachers to be more confident about using iPads to support pupils with literacy difficulties.  Alison Greenwood is one of the course authors and wants to empower teachers, to have the right level of expertise to support young people. 

“The online course provides an overview of school’s statutory duties, up to date research findings and good practice when using technology to help children learn.  There is also a step by step video guide which shows how different settings and iPad apps can be used to support pupils with literacy difficulties.”

Alison continued: “Tablet computers are already used in 70% of primary and secondary schools.  However some reports have questioned if the way they are being used is helping pupils to make progress with their learning.

“This course is based on research which shows how using apps and iPads can improve reading, writing and spelling.  Research shows that pupils spend more time on tasks when using computers and are more confident about attempting more difficult questions.”

Tablets computers can be used to deliver individually tailored reading, writing and spelling lessons for pupils on a daily basis.  In lessons students can have text books read out load using text to speech and tablet computers also allow pupils to record work using a variety of methods.  This enables students to be able to complete the same work as other children in their class and they need less adult support in order to do so.”

Cabinet Member for Children and Wellbeing, Sally Hawken, said: “Research shows using the right technology in the right way boosts pupils’ confidence and independence in class. It also empowers young people to learn with their peers and to develop news skills.”

More information about this course is available on our Educational Psychology Service website.

If you are interested in buying this course and you are a school which is maintained by Cornwall Council, please contact the team via email at togetherforfamilies@cornwall.gov.uk to arrange a VAT free course purchase.

Even Santa has to take a break, so here is your at-a-glance guide to when your rubbish and recycling will be collected over the festive season.

Christmas rubbish and recycling collections

As in previous years, there will be no rubbish and recycling collections on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

Collections due on Christmas Day:

• Rubbish due to be collected on Christmas Day will be collected Wednesday 1 January 2020.
• Recycling due to be collected on Christmas Day will be collected Saturday 21 December 2019.
• Garden waste due to be collected on Christmas Day will be collected Saturday 21 December 2019.

Collections due on Boxing Day:

• Rubbish due to be collected on Boxing Day will be collected Thursday 2 January 2020.
• Recycling due to be collected on Boxing Day will be collected Saturday 28 December 2019.
• Garden waste due to be collected on Boxing Day will be collected Saturday 28 December 2019.

We will collect your waste and recycling as usual if your collection is due on any other day of the week over the Christmas period. It might be that the time of collection is earlier or later than usual, but as long as you have your bins and recycling (and garden waste if you subscribe to this service) out by 7am, we'll collect it.

Waste and recycling collections will then continue as normal from (and including) New Year's Day.

These details will be posted to residents of Cornwall as part of their collection calendar. Further information is available at www.cornwall.gov.uk/christmas. 

We will also collect real Christmas trees (under 6ft) for composting on the weeks beginning 6 January and 13 January 2020. We will collect trees on the alternate week to your recycling collection. Please place your tree out for collection beside your rubbish.

Remember, your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre is open every day from 9.00 to 16.00, except on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

If you have any questions, please contact our Waste and Recycling team on 0300 1234 141

 

Story posted 10 December 2019

Over 7,000 more people in Cornwall have registered to vote for this General Election compared to the last General Election in 2017.

As of 5 December there are a total of 437,454 people registered to vote in Cornwall, up from 429,886 in 2017 – that’s an increase of 7,568.

Broken down into constituencies, the numbers are as follows:

Eligible electorates5 Dec 20192017 General Election Camborne and Redruth 70,250 68,419 North Cornwall 69,935 68,844 South East Cornwall 71,825 71,880 St Austell and Newquay 79,930 78,609 St Ives (inc Isles of Scilly) 68,795 67,451 Truro and Falmouth 76,719 74,683 Parliamentary total 437,454 429,886

 

Acting Returning Officer for the election and Cornwall Council’s Chief Executive Kate Kennally said: “It’s now very important to the democratic process that those of you who are registered to vote then use that vote to have your say on the important issues that affect you.

“Across the centuries people have died fighting for their right to vote and in the UK, in the early 20th Century, people were killed in their struggles to get the vote for women. By using your vote you are showing your support for people who have fought hard for democracy.”

You can view a map of the polling districts in Cornwall using our online mapping system.

More information about this year’s General Election can be found on Cornwall Council’s website 

Story posted on 10 December

Ofsted has described the “wonderful atmosphere where pupils are encouraged to do their best” in its latest report on St Day and Carharrack Community School.

The school near Redruth, which is maintained by Cornwall Council, has been rated as ‘good’ in its latest inspection, which took place in October. 

Inspectors praised the school for a “well-developed curriculum in reading, writing and mathematics” and for the way in which “pupils are supported to develop a love of reading.”

The school was rated as ‘requires improvement’ in their inspection in 2017, but the latest report praised the work of the head teacher and senior managers, saying “leaders ensure that pupils’ personal development is a priority.”

The report also said “the curriculum in the early years class helps children get off to a good start” and that “staff have formed strong relationships with these children.” Behaviour management was another area picked out for praise by the inspectors, who found that “the staff team support all children to behave well.  This has improved from the previous inspection.”

Head Teacher of St Day and Carharrack Community School, Susannah Storey, said: “I am delighted that Ofsted have recognised the hard work and dedication of the staff, parents and children at the school.  Our aim is to support children, who come to us, to make the best start in life and to give them a love for learning and that has been recognised by Ofsted.”

The report also highlighted the work the school has done to counter bullying; “the curriculum has supported pupils to understand what bullying is, resulting in hardly any incidents.”

Service Director for Education (Interim), Tim Osborne, said: “I’m very proud of the work that has been done at the school and I know the staff are dedicated to continuous improvement.   The school have already identified areas where they need to make changes and have devised a plan on how they can achieve this.”

Cornwall Council has appointed Meredith Teasdale as the Strategic Director for Children, Schools and Families, Together for Families, succeeding Trevor Doughty who is to become the Director of Children’s Services for the Local Government Association.

Meredith joins Cornwall Council from her previous role as Director of Education and Skills for the City of Wolverhampton Council, where she worked in partnership with the Department of Work and Pensions, the West Midlands Combined Authority and businesses to increase uptake in employment particularly focusing on vulnerable people including youth offenders, the homeless and adults with learning disabilities.

Meredith said:  “What Trevor and his team have created for the children of Cornwall is a strong practice driven system, which has resulted in children’s services in Cornwall being graded as ‘outstanding’  in the most recent Ofsted inspection.  The foundations of outstanding practice are strong and well embedded.

“I am a firm believer that there is no end point to improving children’s services and I have inherited an extremely hard working and dedicated team, who are focussed on one thing; improving the outcomes for children in Cornwall.”

Meredith has also established joint commissioning arrangements with the Clinical Commissioning Group focused on delivering their Special Education Needs and Disability strategy, led a £40m schools capital programme and commissioned a City Learning Quarter to improve post-16 attainment and deliver regeneration.

In Wolverhampton working with Schools, Meredith ensured 5000 more children attended good or outstanding schools and educational attainment improved especially for children and young people from disadvantaged background.  This was in conjunction with a drive to improve families’ job opportunities, housing provision and access to lifelong learning.

From December 15 2019 until 04 January 2020 a temporary, evenings only, one way traffic system will be put in place in the village of Mousehole so that residents and visitors can enjoy the famous Mousehole Harbour Lights over the festive period.

The Switch on Ceremony starts at 6:30pm with the lights being switched on around 7pm, on Saturday 14 December when the roads into the village from Nelwyn, Paul and Raginnis will be closed from 5pm to 9pm. Thousands are expected to visit the village during the three weeks they will be on display. The lights will then be on each evening between 5pm and 11pm from 15 December 2019 until 04 January 2020. 

Visitors are being urged to use public transport to travel to the village to see the lights.  Parking is free in Cornwall Council’s Penzance Wharfside car park from 4pm and buses run regularly from there.  Other Cornwall Council car parks in Penzance are also free from 4pm.

Peter Taylor, Chairman of Mousehole Harbour Lights said: “The Harbour Lights display is now in its 56th year and they delight visitors. However, the disruption to our residents in the village can be considerable, despite the Lights Committee doing everything possible to mitigate it.

Cornwall Council is assisting us by facilitating not only the road closure for the switch on event on 14 December, but also a trial clockwise one-way system through the village for the duration of the Harbour Lights display. 

We’re asking everyone to please avoid trying to drive into the village and use public transport if possible. 

If you do drive into the village, please don’t stop in the one-way system to look at the lights.  We can’t have traffic backing up.  The message is, it is likely that there won’t be any parking spaces available in Mousehole, so if you have not parked by the time you get to the Old Coastguard turn back.”

 

Story posted 09 December 2019

Local residents are invited to attend the next meeting of the China Clay Community Network Panel on Monday 9 December 2019 at 7pm in the Café, Wheal Martyn, Carthew, PL26 8XG.

On the agenda is an update on Community Speed Watch by Gary King from the St Austell Community Speed Watch. Gary will explain how people interested in volunteering can get involved.

Attending will be Inspector Ed Gard from Devon and Cornwall Police, Helen Toms an Anti-Social Behaviour Caseworker at Cornwall Council, and Dave Halford, a Tri Service Safety Officer with Cornwall Fire and Rescue.

They will give a joint update on Community Safety issues in the Clay area. This will be followed by a round table discussion and a chance to ask questions.

There will be a progress update on Community Networks Highways Scheme from Cornwall Council Community Link Officer Tasha Davis.

Tasha said: “We enjoy welcoming new faces to our panel meetings. This is your chance to meet and talk informally with local decision-makers, representatives of councils and service providers. Come along just to listen, or to speak up and pass on views and suggestions. You’ll be glad you did.”

The panel discusses issues affecting the community network area, agrees ways to progress them and seeks to builds working relationships between local partners. Panel meetings are open to the public and the press. Our public guide to community network panels explains how the meetings work and rules for reporting and filming meetings.

You can find more information on the China Clay Community Network Panel China Clay Community Network Panel web page. 

 

Story posted on 6 December, 2019

A group of young people from Penrice Academy are celebrating their achievements in completing an innovative course commissioned by Safer St Austell.

The new course was developed by Safer St Austell to provide a bespoke programme for young people to engage them in positive activities, providing enhanced safety and wellbeing information to support their development.  

It was delivered by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service’s Phoenix team in partnership with Cornwall Council, Young Addaction YZUP, Devon & Cornwall Police and Young People Cornwall. 

Young People are an identified priority within the Safer St Austell Delivery Plan.

The programme has been funded by Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, St Austell Town Council and Penrice Academy.  

All participants were given the opportunity to take part in a range of fire service activities to promote teamwork, communication skills, raise confidence and aspirations.

Throughout the course participants get the opportunity to learn and develop transferable skills through participating in fire and rescue service drills and activities.

These skills can then be taken forward and put into practice when attending college, further education and training or in the workplace.

The course also includes fire and road safety advice, first aid skills, mental health awareness, healthy relationships advice and information on crime and disorder. It provides an opportunity for the young people to consider career aspirations.

The Phoenix Project has been run by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service since 2002 and enhances young people’s self-confidence, communication skills and community spirit.

Chief Fire Officer Mark Hewitt said: “Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service commits itself to supporting and developing skills for members of the local community. Our course staff are supportive, inspiring and passionate about what we do, therefore we create an inclusive learning environment for course attendees to realise their potential and ambitions. The participants on this course have worked extremely hard throughout this week to succeed and we are very proud to be able to work in partnership with Penrice Academy and Safer St Austell.”

A spokesperson for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner said:“Safer St Austell is a shining example of what can be achieved in a community when partners come together and are empowered to act.

“The decision to use OPCC funding to help young people to keep themselves safe and develop new skills was one we wholeheartedly support and we are very pleased that it has been successful.”

Sara Gwilliams, Deputy Town Clerk of St Austell Town Council said: “I am delighted that the Town Council’s Community Committee were able to fund this amazing project for young people. The skills learned by the young people are wide ranging and will hopefully give them the confidence to either pursue further education or enter in to the work place”.

Assistant Principal, Penrice Academy Mike Sullivan said: “It has been absolutely fantastic to see a group of our students engaging so well with the Phoenix Project. Through the work at the fire station the students have learnt how to develop their leadership, teamwork and communication skills.  The bespoke programme put together by the Safer St Austell with the Phoenix Team has also supported these students with workshops to increase their awareness about important issues such as healthy relationships, drug awareness and anti-social behaviour and its impact on the local community.

"The students involved have been unanimously positive about their experiences on the course and have all now decided they want to pursue a career in the emergency services. The course has improved their aspirations, their sense of self-worth and their ability to work positively with others. Overall, we would highly recommend the Phoenix Project as an effective platform for re-engaging students who need that extra bit of support outside of the classroom.”    

Phoenix Services has more opportunities to support young people who fit the funding criteria for Skills for Young People through the ESF programme. If you work with a group of young people aged between 15-25 and you would like to discuss if we can work with you please call 01326 318177.

Safer St Austell is affiliated to Safer Cornwall the statutory community safety partnership for Cornwall and provides a local multi-agency co-ordinated response to the issues that are identified by the partnership and the communities of St Austell. The partnership works to reduce and prevent crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.

 

Story posted on 6 December, 2019 

People across Cornwall are being urged to think more about how much they drink and what their drink could cost them over the festive period.

Cornwall Council’s Public Health team, Devon and Cornwall Police, South Western Ambulance Service and NHS staff across the region have come together to set the record straight on some of those things we always thought were true when it comes to drinking and are asking people to consider what the outcome could be, should they get carried away with their alcohol intake.

From being safe to drive the next day, to taking up a valuable hospital bed, it’s not just your own safety and well-being that is at stake.

Raphael Wilkes, a Specialist Paramedic for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) in Cornwall, said: “Some people think that if you stick to the same alcohol type and don’t mix your drinks, you can drink as much as you like. But what matters more is the amount of alcohol you drink and how fast you consume it. Drinking too much of any alcohol too quickly can make you sick, whether it’s wine, beer, or spirits. That could mean you need to go to hospital in an ambulance, which is expensive. You could end-up using a bed that may be needed more by someone who’s critically ill. So please drink sensibly, and don’t drink too much too soon.”

Staff Nurse Alec from Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust talks about how having a big meal means you can drink more: “That’s not true. By eating a lot before you go out you actually just slow down the absorption of alcohol. It means that the alcohol will hang around in your body for longer but it won’t get you any less drunk. In fact, you could end up drinking more than usual as you weren’t feeling the effect, and you don’t want to spend your Christmas party in the MIU with us.”

Cornwall Council’s Deputy Director for Public Health, Steve Brown said:  “We all enjoy getting together with family, friends and colleagues at this time of year and some of us might get carried away and one drink can easily escalate into many, however it’s important to consider the effects of drinking too much and the impact it can have on your safety and the safety of others around you.

Devon and Cornwall Police said: Another common myth is you sleep off the amount of alcohol you drink and you’ll be fine to drive the next day.  In actual fact each unit you drink takes an hour to leave your body.  So your average pint of beer of cider has 2 units and 8 pints will take 16 hours to fully leave your body from the time you had your first pint. If you’re driving early in the morning and the police pull you over, you could lose your licence.”

To help you set limits on your drinking you can use the DrinksMeter app which can be downloaded on the Google Play store or Apple App store.

If anyone is concerned about how much they are drinking, or concerned about someone else’s drinking they can call Healthy Cornwall on 01209 615600 or visit the Healthy Cornwall website 

Story posted on 5 December

A fine of over £12,700, handed down by Cornwall Council to a landlord in Truro for housing offences, has been confirmed after an appeal by the landlord to a Property Tribunal failed.

Cornwall Council is committed to protecting residents, supporting good and improving landlords and taking a robust stance against criminal landlords.

The Council fined property owner, Kam Tao (Restaurants) Limited, earlier this year under powers granted to local authorities in 2017.  The powers allow the Council to issue Civil Penalty notices up to a maximum fine of £30,000 for certain Housing Offences as an alternative to prosecution. 

The landlord decided to appeal the Council’s decision to issue the fine to the First Tier Property Tribunal.  The Tribunal has now published their decision upholding the Council’s action and so the fine of £12,729.30 stands.

Cornwall Council’s Private Sector Housing Team first inspected 14 River Street in Truro in December 2017 and identified serious high risk housing problems including

• no fire detection system, a lack of fire doors and a lack of fire safety management

• two rooms sub-divided into small, undersized living spaces measuring less than 4.5 m2

• a lack of fire separation between the shop areas on the ground floor and the living accommodation

• defective and boarded up windows

• electrical safety deficiencies.

The Council served enforcement notices to require an improvement to the premises, but the notices were not fully complied with in the required time scale which is a criminal offence.

Since 2017 Local authorities have had powers to issue Civil Penalty Notices for some housing offences.  Cornwall Council has so far caught up with nine rogue landlords fining them a total of £104,586 for renting out unsafe accommodation and placing the health and safety of residents at risk.

This action also serves as a strong deterrent to other rogue landlords.

All landlords are invited to join the Councils free ‘Responsible Landlords Scheme’ which aims to provide advice and information to all landlords to assist with minimum housing standards and legal compliance.

 

Story posted 04 December 2019

From today, residents in Cornwall will have the opportunity to have their say on the council’s budget proposals to protect the most vulnerable residents whilst maintaining the delivery of critical frontline services.

Cornwall council members have been briefed on budget proposals for the next four years which reflect the priorities of Cornwall’s residents: to make efficiency savings, achieve value for money, protect frontline services for children, families and adult social care, and invest in homes and jobs for local people.

Members were also briefed on how, having listened to residents, the council will take action on climate change, totalling £16 million, including starting an 8,000 hectare forest for Cornwall to absorb carbon emissions and a pilot scheme to make Cornwall Housing homes more energy efficient and reduce their fuel bills.

At the briefing at Lys Kernow, members learned how the council has made £380 million of savings since 2010 whilst continuing to protect frontline services. The budget proposals include plans to make a further £44 million in savings over the next four year period in order to manage rising costs and increasing demand for services.

Members were told that whilst the council’s robust assumptions for the next medium term financial plan to 2023 / 24 have achieved a balanced budget for next year, there is still a significant budget gap in subsequent years, rising to £15.2 million by 2023 / 24 which will require further savings to be made.

All assumptions have been made against an economic picture that remains uncertain, with reducing funding and a one, rather than four-year financial settlement announced from central Government for next year.

Members were told that alongside the savings proposed in the budget, residents will have the opportunity to have their say on a proposal to increase council tax in order to help protect local services from further reductions. The proposals make provision for:

• Services for the most vulnerable adults and children protected, with an investment of an extra £20 million in adult social care in 2020 / 21 and a gross investment into the Council’s “outstanding” rated services for children and families of £15 million over the next four years;
• An extra £5.9 million in 20 / 21 invested into projects that support economic growth, including £1.2 million for improved bus services.
• Action across the council totalling £16 million for climate change;
• Applying a rise of  1.99% to council tax; and
• Applying the Government’s 2% special levy for adult social care, which raises additional council tax to be used exclusively for the funding of services for vulnerable adults.

The proposed changes to council tax would equate to an increase of £0.91 per week or £47.39 per year for a band B property – the most common in Cornwall.

In developing these proposals the Council expects to keep the council tax in Cornwall below the national average and among the lowest in the South West, the Council also underlined a commitment to maintain council tax support for people on low incomes.

*Residents can have their say by:

• Filling in an online survey at www.cornwall.gov.uk/budget2019
• Emailing haveyoursay@cornwall.gov.uk 
• Requesting a paper copy of the survey from your local Library Information Service
• Writing to: Budget Consultation, Room 4S, County Hall, Truro,TR1 3AY.

We will use what people tell us to help inform and shape the draft budget that Cabinet and Full Council will consider in February 2020.

 

Story posted 03 December 2019

A special community event will be held in St Andrew’s Church Hall, Clinton Road, Redruth on Saturday 14 December from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

The aim is to highlight the forthcoming sale of the neighbouring Passmore Edwards building, and the widely-held wish for it to continue as a community asset if the right purchaser and future use can be found.

Saturday’s drop-in event will allow informal conversation, and the swapping of ideas for the future of this grand old building.    

Jonny Alford, Cornwall Council Property Services, said: “Cornwall Council and Redruth Town Council are holding this Community Open Event for potential users or groups to discuss any interest they may have in purchasing the building. It will provide an opportunity to ask Council representatives any questions, maybe even to build alliances with other community groups where a collective freehold offer may be more attractive.”

The Library, now managed by Redruth Town Council, is relocating in early 2020 to the newly refurbished Cornwall Studies Library in Alma Place, now named the Cornwall Centre, placing it nearer Redruth town centre and allowing increased opening hours.

The agent’s details for 2 to 4 Clinton Road, Redruth, describe it as ‘An imposing former library with many character features, centrally located within Redruth. The impressive building is unlisted and located on a 0.32 acre site providing private parking for approximately 15 vehicles to the rear.’

Come along to the open event if you would like to register your interest in the building as well as have the opportunity to talk to representatives from the Council.

 

Story posted on December 3, 2019

The finalised route for the Cornwall Stage of the Tour of Britain in 2020 has been announced at a Community Launch with the Tour of Britain organisers SweetSpot and Cornwall Council at Chy Trevail in Bodmin.

The Cornwall Grand Depart Stage of the Tour of Britain is taking place on Sunday 6 September 2020.

The Community Launch also featured an announcement of the Cornwall Tour of Britain official logo and the launch of the official Cornwall Tour of Britain website.

The logo was designed by Falmouth University student Draig Conybear and will become the promotional identity of the Cornwall Tour of Britain Stage in 2020.

Cornwall Tour of Britain website address is: www.cornwalltourofbritain.co.uk

Cornwall is expected to receive a boost to the economy next year when it hosts the first stage of the 2020 Tour of Britain, with cyclists travelling 170km through the Cornish countryside, starting at Penzance and ending in Bodmin. The stage route will also visit many of Cornwall's iconic tourist attractions as well as visiting St Just, St Ives, Hayle, Camborne, Pool, Redruth, Falmouth, Penryn, Truro, Newquay and St Austell.

The race will give a massive boost to Cornwall’s economy. Independent economic reports estimate that the race will generate over £3m of extra spending within Cornwall over the stage, and it is hoped that around 180,000 people will line the roads of Cornwall to watch.

The Tour of Britain stage will be the biggest ever sporting event to be hosted in Cornwall. The Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event and the most prestigious race in Britain, and is shown live on ITV4 and Eurosport as well as being broadcast in 190 countries worldwide.

A total of 120 riders take part in the Tour of Britain and by hosting the first stage of the race in 2020, it will give opportunity for the public in Cornwall to see the world’s best cyclists in action.

The Tour of Britain stage in Cornwall also presents an opportunity for national and local businesses to get involved and sponsor the stage or the event as a whole.

Emily Kent, Head of Economy, Skills and Culture, Economic Growth and Development at Cornwall Council said: "Today's Community Launch to showcase the Grand Depart Stage of the Tour of Britain in 2020, has a multi-purpose to it. Firstly, it is to connect and engage with communities across the county to showcase the biggest ever sporting event being hosted in Cornwall. We look forward to working with communities on engagement programmes across Cornwall to ensure that this event becomes a huge success right across the county.

“Secondly, we are delighted to announce the confirmation of the Cornwall Tour of Britain Stage route which will showcase Cornwall not just for cycling fans, but for wider communities across the county as well. Hosting the Grand Depart Stage of the Tour of Britain will bring visitors into Cornwall, not only along the Stage route, but across the rest of the county and it will also help to enhance our profile both at home and abroad. We will also work to ensure we create a long-lasting legacy from the event by raising the profile of cycling in Cornwall and motivating more people to cycle and lead healthier, more active lives.

"Thirdly, we are also delighted to announce our official Cornwall Tour of Britain logo and website. The logo will act as a visual identity for the Stage hosting that will be seen and recognised across the county as we build up towards the Grand Depart Stage and the website will be used as a vital source of continued news and information about the ongoing delivery of the Stage."

Peter Hodges, Tour of Britain Communications Director, said:  “We are delighted to be formally announcing the official route, logo and website of the Grand Depart Stage of the 2020 Tour of Britain in Cornwall and look forward to bringing the race to the county for the very first time on September 6th 2020.

“A lot of hard work has gone into today’s announcements, which we know will excite local communities across the route allowing them to start planning all of the ways in which they can celebrate the Tour of Britain coming to Cornwall.

“We look forward to working with Cornwall Council, British Cycling, and all of the stakeholders involved to make this an amazing occasion for the whole of Cornwall and for cycling fans from far and wide to come and enjoy.”

Andy Hawes, Tour of Britain Route Director, said: "Having worked with Cornwall Council extensively over the last few months, we have considered, assessed and now created a fantastic stage route that provides the perfect balance of showcasing Cornwall's fabulous environmental assets, tourist attractions, facilitating superb spectator viewing opportunities and providing high footfall visitor opportunities within many towns across the route to provide a huge economic impact and business opportunities to the county.

"We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Cornwall Council over the forthcoming months and working with communities along the route to ensure the successful delivery of a world class sporting event hosted by Cornwall in 2020."

More details of the Tour of Britain schedule and locations of the intermediate Sprints and King of the Mountains climbs for Stage One will be announced in the Spring.