All the latest news and information from Devon County Council
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*Friday 19 July 2024*
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A blue sky with sunshine and a few clouds [
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Yellow heat health alert issued in the South West
The South West region of England is under a yellow heat health alert that will remain in force until 11pm on Saturday.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the yellow alert, indicating that weather conditions could pose a risk to those who are particularly vulnerable.
Steve Brown, Devon’s Director of Public Health, said:
“The higher temperatures can be a risk to certain, more vulnerable groups in our community.
Older people, and the very young, can find it more difficult to regulate their own temperatures when the weather outside is hot. In some cases, people can become unwell.
“Other factors can also make people vulnerable, but there are simple steps that we can all take to keep ourselves, and friends and family, safe during these hotter spells, and I encourage people to familiarise themselves with the advice.”
Find out which groups are particularly vulnerable to higher temperatures, and what you can do to stay safe in the full story on our news page. [
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Councillor Andrew Leadbetter with a group of parents and representatives from Action for Children at the launch event [
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New digital Family Hub service launched
More families in Devon will be able to access help and support following the launch of a dedicated Family Hub Advice Line and website [
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Family Hubs are a new way of bringing together all the help a family may need in one place. It’s part of a transition in Devon from children’s centres, which supported families of children aged 0-8 with a referral from a GP or other professional, to family hubs – which are open to all families with children aged up to 19, or 25 for young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and care leavers.
The new advice line and website are to complement the face to face opportunities for families to meet with staff at their nearest Family Hub. Advice line staff can connect parents and carers to trained family support workers, who can provide a listening ear when things get difficult or can signpost to other support.
Parents can make a request for a Family Hubs team member to contact them, through the website. Or you can call the Devon Family Hubs Advice Line on 0800 538 5458 [ tel:08005385458 ].
You can read the full story on our news page. [
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A pregnant woman receiving her vaccination [
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NHS reminds expectant mothers of importance of whooping cough vaccination
In a bid to protect the health of expectant mothers and their unborn children, the NHS is reminding people of the importance of whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy.
Whooping cough (pertussis) rates have risen sharply in recent years and babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at the greatest risk.
Whooping cough is characterised by uncontrollable, violent coughing fits. It poses a significant risk to newborns, who are particularly vulnerable to its effects, often leading to hospitalisation and, in severe cases, even death.
Vaccination remains the most effective means of prevention against this disease.
Pregnant women can help protect their babies by getting vaccinated – ideally from 16 weeks up to 32 weeks pregnant, but pregnant women can still have it up until you go into labour.
By receiving the vaccine during pregnancy, mothers pass on protective antibodies to their unborn babies, offering them crucial immunity during the vulnerable first few weeks of life when they are too young to receive the vaccine themselves.
You can read more information in the story on our news page. [
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Text reads: Did you know that from September more families can save on childcare [
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Catch up with the changes to childcare
Childcare is one of the biggest costs facing working families today.
The Government wants to make childcare more affordable and accessible to reduce the barriers that may be preventing some parents from working, so are expanding their childcare scheme to include more funded hours per week for more working families.
We've created a special edition of this bulletin to help keep you informed of what the changes are. If you missed it, here it is. [
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There's also a free online information session [
] later this month about how to access funded childcare, what funding is available, the eligibility criteria and how to apply.
*There is no need to book, just join by clicking on the link below:*
Wednesday 31 July 7pm to 8pm [
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Mark Baker, Grand Western Canal; Philip Brind, Tiverton Canal Co; Cllr John Hart, Chairman of Devon County Council [
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Devon’s Country Parks are top of the tree
Our two parks, the Grand Western Canal Country Park [
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] have, once again, been recognised as being amongst the best in the UK after they both received the Green Flag Award. [
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The award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
We manage both and this year marks the 21st consecutive year that Stover Country Park has received the award, and at the Grand Western Canal Country Park it’s 16 years.
You can read the full story on our news page. [
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Two people at work stood talking to each other with a laptop on the table in front of them [
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Almost 100 new free skills training courses launched
We’re offering thousands of adults across Devon and Cornwall the opportunity to learn new skills with almost 100 free Skills Bootcamp courses now on offer.
Train4Tomorrow Skills Bootcamps has 2,000 places available for adults across the region who want to ‘upskill’, change careers or explore new opportunities.
The latest wave of Train4Tomorrow Skills Bootcamps, delivered by us in partnership with Cornwall Council, directly responds to local skills need in priority sectors such as childcare, hospitality, healthcare and an increased focus on renewables.
For the first time, Skills Bootcamps in Early Years are now available, with 120 places available to fast-track individuals wanting to work in this sector and progress onto an accelerated level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeships. These Skills Bootcamps will support the growing demand for childcare provision.
The tutor-led Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses lasting from two to16 weeks, giving adults (aged 19+) the opportunity to build in-demand skills. The programme focusses on filling skills gaps within the local economy, with input from employers into the design and implementation to ensure all training aligns to their specific skills need.
Read more in the story on our news page. [
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A computer keyboard with a button reading 'survey'. [
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Devon Community Pharmacy Strategy
NHS Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB), which oversees and makes decisions about local health services, is developing a plan for Community Pharmacy in Devon, and would value feedback from people who use pharmacies to understand what works well and what could be better.
They are asking people to complete a short survey [
], which they've developed in response to feedback received from patients. The survey highlights the key areas that most patients think are important.
All feedback will be anonymous - you will not be identified. Your feedback will be used to help NHS Devon develop their future plans for Community Pharmacy in Devon.
Please answer as many of the questions as you can. [
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Text reads: Never bin them, recycle your batteries [
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Don’t let your old batteries go up in smoke
Did you know that while many of us are already recycling, over 1.6 billion batteries were thrown away last year?
It's important to know that there are hidden batteries inside all rechargeable electricals, vapes and some tech that can cause dangerous fires in bin lorries and on waste sites. Read further advice from Recycle Devon. [
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Read more at devon.gov.uk/news [
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