Drive your business costs down with workshops for young drivers at work
With twenty per cent of work related road casualties involving drivers under 25, road safety experts have launching a new scheme to tackle the problem.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership have offered free workshops for young drivers in their own workplace to help them understand the different challenges they face when driving for work. Employers have hosted their own workshops, delivered by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership Officers to 8-15 young drivers per half-day workshop, and have them tailored to their own business needs.
In research conducted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA, 2009), three-quarters of employers said their young drivers were driving in situations not covered by the current learner test. The researchers also found more than two-thirds of young employees are driving vehicles at work which they were not trained or tested on when learning to drive.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "It is a sad statistic that so many drivers under the age of 25 are injured driving in work related incidents.
"Employers have a duty to ensure their employees have the right to use their work based equipment - this includes vehicles. Our half-day workshops addressed the young driver's attitudes towards driving for work, as well as practical skills such as journey planning and the safe carriage of goods. We hope they will bring down what are often avoidable incidents."
Children's services continue to perform well - OfSTED
Children's services in Cambridgeshire have sustained their good performance from last year, according to Government inspectors. OfSTED - the Office for Standards in Education - said the large majority of services, settings and institutions inspected were good or better and effectively supported children and young people to learn and stay safe.
The OfSTED report identified several strengths within the Children's Services provided by Cambridgeshire County Council:
- Considerable and effective action has been taken to improve the recruitment and retention of Children's Social Care staff. Inspectors found this had resulted in good staff morale with staff feeling well supported by managers.
- An improvement in the quality of early years and childcare provision.
- For children under five, the very large majority of provision in nurseries and in primary schools is good and some is outstanding.
- Of the 11 secondary schools inspected during the academic year, seven are good and five of those have improved from satisfactory.
- For learning after the age of 16, sixth form college provision is either good or outstanding.
- The large majority of special schools, including those with secondary sixth forms, are good or better. Two of the three pupil referral units are outstanding and one is good.
- A recent inspection of the Council's adoption agency found a good service with outstanding features.
- The County Council's strategic plan appropriately identifies the need to close the gap in health and education outcomes for vulnerable groups.
- Inspectors said the proportion of children and young people from low-income families achieving expected attainment levels at age 16 and 19 was improving and the gap with their peers in Cambridgeshire was reducing, but added that the proportion of those aged 5, 16 and 19 from low-income families achieving expected standards for their age was still below average.
Inspectors identified just two areas for further improvement. They highlighted the decline in the proportion of good or better primary schools and noted that education standards that are average for five to 11-year-olds were not rising as quickly as the national rate.
After good progress in recent years, Cambridgeshire's GCSE performance in 2011 has largely flatlined and not kept pace with improvements nationally this year. A strategy for improving GCSE performance is to be developed in partnership with secondary schools, including academies, and will include a specific focus on addressing attainment gaps for vulnerable groups.
After a decline in achievement at Key Stage 2 over the last two years there have been improvements in performance in 2011. Attainment is now above the national average in English and in line in mathematics, progress in English and maths has risen by 1 percentage point respectively. A strategy to increase the numbers of schools graded ‘good or better' by OfSTED is well underway. Area Primary Teams are targeting these schools to accelerate their improvement.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "I welcome OfSTED's recent findings and recognition of the continuing progress we are making across Cambridgeshire to improve the lives of our children and young people. This is down to the hard work of all staff within Children and Young People's Services.
"Our achievements are particularly impressive given the many changes in the way Children's Services in Cambridgeshire are operating today - implementing the new Social Care unit of working with vulnerable families, targeting services more towards early intervention and prevention, redesigning the way we engage with and challenge the performance of schools and how we work constructively with academies, and managing the huge demographic growth in the county. This has all been achieved while saving £44m over five years.
"However, there is more we can and will do to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families and we are working in partnership with colleagues across Cambridgeshire to achieve this."
Contracts signed in groundbreaking Hinchingbrooke Hospital franchise
Contracts were signed recently between Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust and Circle, paving the way for a groundbreaking new model of management for this Huntingdonshire NHS acute hospital. Via a unique franchise, Circle will take over the management of the hospital from 1 February 2012.
Circle was chosen as the preferred bidder to run the Trust in November 2010 following a rigorous thirteen month procurement process, which began in October 2009. Today’s announcement follows an extensive 12 month period of scrutiny by the Department of Health to ensure the new franchise will provide the best outcome for patients, the local community and staff working at the Trust. Following the announcement last year, both Circle and Hinchingbrooke staff have met regularly to build the solid foundations that will take the Trust forward for the next ten years. Now staff will be invited to contribute their ideas to plan for the hospital’s future.
The Hinchingbrooke Next Steps project is being managed by the Strategic Projects Team at NHS Midlands and East. Dr Stephen Dunn, its Director of Policy and Strategy, said: “This is a momentous day. Without this partnership, the future for Hinchingbrooke could have been uncertain. Now, we have a solution which aims to repay the hospital’s taxpayer debt of almost £40m, as well as giving it the best chance of a sustainable future. Patients will continue to receive high quality NHS services from NHS staff in the NHS hospital they know. This is not privatisation. Staff and assets will remain in the NHS.”
Dr Dunn continued: “Circle secured this franchise following an open competition. They outshone the best of the best from the NHS and independent sectors. This will usher in a new era for this much loved local hospital.”
The announcement followed 12 months’ scrutiny by the Department of Health to ensure the new franchise will provide the best outcome for patients, the local community and staff working at the Trust, although the final decision was taken by the Treasury – “Negotiations were the responsibility of other ministers and the Treasury,” said Health Secretary and South Cambs MP Andrew Lansley.Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust, NHS Cambridgeshire and NHS Midlands and East have been working together to find a new partner to manage Huntingdonshire’s Hinchingbrooke hospital. The clinical and non-clinical services at Hinchingbrooke hospital - other than where identified below - will be provided, from 1 February 2012, by the Trust under the management of Circle, via an innovative franchise agreement. This arrangement ensures that a full range of high quality acute hospital services - including accident and emergency and maternity services - will continue to be provided for local people at Hinchingbrooke, as agreed at the end of the 2007 public consultation, for as long as commissioners request it.
Under the contract staff and assets will remain within the NHS, and patients will continue to receive NHS services. Circle is a 49.9% employee owned social enterprise that forms the largest partnership of clinicians in Europe - over 2000. Circle is co-owned and managed by the doctors, nurses and all staff who work in Circle’s hospitals, treatment centres and clinics. Circle has significant experience of transforming NHS services from their Nottingham and Burton day surgery hospitals, where they treat around 130,000 NHS patients per annum.
Hinchingbrooke hospital, which opened in 1983, is a modern purpose-built building, with 223 general and acute beds providing quality up-to-date healthcare, with an additional 23 beds within the maternity unit, nine beds in critical care and 24 specifically for day cases, alongside 23 cabins located in the Treatment Centre, the £22million unit which opened in November 2005. More than for 161,000 people in Huntingdonshire and the surrounding areas rely on the hospital for a range of services.
Services on the Hinchingbrooke hospital site provided by other organisations, such as Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, through contractual arrangements with NHS Cambridgeshire, are unaffected by this franchise.
Don’t ruin your look with fake Ugg boots
Criminals are continuing to target those who want to take to the streets in Ugg boots by targeting shoppers online. Trading Standards Officers in Cambridgeshire have seen an increase in complaints from residents who have bought fashion favourite 'Ugg' boots online, only to discover they were fakes. This marks a familiar trend which saw over 30 complaints received by the service on the run up to Christmas last year.
Customers typically find that the boots are very poor quality or fall apart after only a few uses, and because these consumers are not dealing with law abiding businesses, many are having difficulty getting their money back, particularly when these businesses are based in China and other countries outside the European Union. Price is not the definitive tell-tale sign - some customers are paying large amounts of money for these boots and still finding they are fake.
Cllr Mathew Shuter, Cabinet Member for Enterprise at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "Our Trading Standards Service works incredibly hard to support legitimate businesses and tackle rogue traders. They act on information which they receive – often from members of the public – to ensure those who try to sell counterfeit or dangerous goods are caught and, when necessary, dealt with by the courts. This often unseen and unheralded work, allows consumers in Cambridgeshire to buy with confidence and helps business who abide by the law to grow and succeed."
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "Fake Ugg boots are not the only product we receive complaints about. Last Christmas for instance we also saw an increase in complaints about fake designer hair straighteners, which, in addition to being poor quality, can actually pose a safety risk. In fact last year on the run up to Christmas, the Metropolitan Police shut down more than 1,800 websites selling fake or non-existent goods.
"We advise shoppers to use a new website, www.brand-i.org, to locate retailers who are selling genuine designer or branded products. The website allows customers to search for webstores selling a type of product, a specific brand (eg Nike, GHD or Ugg) or to check that a webstore is an authorised supplier of a particular brand. The website is supported by the Trading Standards Institute and the listings are approved by the brands themselves, so consumers can shop in confidence knowing that they are buying genuine products."
Further tips for safe shopping online include making sure the website provides a UK postal address in case of problems, checking the business is really based in the UK by looking on www.nominet.co.uk for websites that end in '.co.uk' or www.allwhois.com for websites that end in '.com' and making sure the website address begins with 'https' and has the padlock symbol denoting it is a secure site. Just because the website address ends 'co.uk' does not mean the website it based in the UK.
Anyone who thinks they may have bought fake goods, and would like to report it or seek advice, should contact our advice partner, Consumer Direct, on 0845 4040506.
Partnership approach to beat the winter blues
Agencies across Cambridgeshire are working together to help people in the county stay safe, warm, and well when the winter weather hits. Under the guidance of the newly created shadow Health and Wellbeing Board, health services, road safety experts and care support services are sharing information, expertise and support to ensure that a comprehensive range of services is available to vulnerable residents, when they need it most.
Gritting and treating a wide network of highways, footpaths and cycleways, working with district and parish councils to grit community areas such as paths outside shops, community centres and doctors surgeries and schemes designed to cut drink driving and raise accident awareness among drivers will help to reduce hospital admissions and trips to GP surgeries or A & E as well as keep people safe.
The local NHS will be working with District Councils and with voluntary sector agencies such as Age UK to provide advice on how to keep warm and well over winter, as well as encouraging vulnerable people to take up flu vaccinations, and avoid slips and trips.
Cambridgeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Tony Orgee, said: "By working ever more closely together, health, welfare and safety agencies across Cambridgeshire, can do even more than in previous years to support our communities to keep safe, warm and well during the winter months.
"By treating the roads and footpaths we can limit the number of slips and trips, reduce hospital admissions and ensure that wherever possible road users and the public can go about their business in a safety and secure environment.
"I would encourage everyone who is eligible for a free seasonal flu jab this winter to take up the opportunity to protect their health."
This includes:
- All pregnant women irrespective of their stage of pregnancy.
- Adults and children who suffer from:
Chronic respiratory disease such as asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis.
Heart disease.
Diabetes.
Kidney or liver disease.
Lowered immunity due to disease or treatment.
Dr Simon Hambling, GP, Chair of the NHS Cambridgeshire Clinical Commissioning Senate, and member of the shadow Health & Wellbeing Board, said: "This is a new approach to tackling winter for our patients and residents. Working together, we hope to keep more people well through the winter months so that we can concentrate resources on the most vulnerable in our community."
Cllr Sue Ellington, South Cambridgeshire District Council's Cabinet member responsible for public health, said: "We are all aiming to make sure the best possible advice and services are available to Cambridgeshire residents when the bad weather hits this winter. Transport is always important in rural districts and our budding community transport schemes will help connect the most vulnerable people."
For further information, contact
- Glenn Thwaites in the Communications Team on 01223 699282.
- Jessica Bawden at NHS Cambridgeshire on 07801 816767.
- Gareth Bell at South Cambridgeshire District Council 01954 713289.
Cambridgeshire future transport
The Cambridgeshire Future Transport (CFT) initiative is looking to set up three local pilots, trialling a franchising approach to providing local public transport. This is an exciting opportunity to develop an innovative way of providing local transport services.
The franchise model is based on stimulating the set-up of small local companies providing mini-bus based transport in areas with poor accessibility. CFT could provide central business support and vehicles in return for a franchise fee, giving the franchise more chance of creating a successful business and therefore open up more opportunities to provide transport in the local community.
The three areas identified for pilots are currently:
- Duxford / Whittlesford / Linton area.
- Haddenham / Wilburton area.
- An area around Huntingdon including villages surrounding the Busway.
For the pilots, we will work with an existing provider or community to develop services in these areas and will test the viability of franchises. The pilots will be an opportunity for local communities to help shape these services to ensure they provide transport that takes them where they want to go when they want to go.
The pilots will launch on the 5th of December for an initial period of 6 months. During this period we will develop services within your area which if successful will continue on beyond this period. As part of this process we would welcome a discussion with you and your community on what the transport need is within your area and how a franchise could potentially meet that need.
We would be more than happy to discuss the project, and we will also be contacting the county councillor from your division to keep them informed. In addition, we'll be contacting those parishes (and county councillors) not currently included in the pilot areas, to invite suggestions for future potential franchise areas if the initial pilots are successful.
A14 begins to move thanks to Cambridgeshire – led campaign
The new Secretary of State for Transport has been praised by Cambridgeshire council chiefs for listening to their arguments and moving improvements to the A14 a step closer.
Cambridgeshire County Council has been leading discussions for partners with the Department for Transport (DfT) on finding ways to improve the congestion blighted A14 corridor. This week the DfT has announced that money has been made available to carry out the first two stages of a new A14 survey with the first phase due to be completed by Christmas.
The first short stage will see experts reviewing the problems and challenges surrounding the A14 corridor given the cancellation of the previous road improvement scheme. The second stage will be looking at what solutions, including rail freight and public transport as well as road measures, could meet these challenges. All parties are clear that this work is not about revisiting the detailed study work done some time ago (the Cambridge to Huntingdon Multi Modal Study, or "CHUMMS"), but rather looking at the current situation and deciding how best to move forward.
Ever since the Government announced there was not enough money for the original proposed improvements the County Council has been leading on negotiations with Government for the importance of this transport corridor not to be forgotten. Together with support from a wide range of partners, including District and City Councils, neighbouring County Councils and the Local Enterprise Partnership the County Council has made sure that Cambridgeshire will be part of any future decision making for the A14 corridor. The improvement of this corridor is critical if jobs are to be created and Cambridgeshire is to play its full part in the national economic recovery.
Andrew Lansley MP said “We need the A14 rebuild to get Cambridgeshire and the economy moving.”
Cambridgeshire County Council Leader Nick Clarke, said: "Addressing the transport problems along the A14 corridor is a top priority for this council. It is of local, national and international importance that we can find a way forward, to reduce congestion and delay, unlock development opportunities and, most importantly, save lives
"From the point when the Government announced they did not have the funding for the original scheme we have been campaigning for action on these issues, and made sure Cambridgeshire and our partners have been able to have a say. I am very pleased to see the new Secretary of State for Transport has listened to us and given the green light for the funding of these important stages of the survey. We will continue to work with the DfT and our partners and to campaign for the much needed improvements along this corridor."
Local County Councillor John Reynolds added: "Finding a solution to east-west movements across this part of our area is absolutely critical to our economic growth aspirations. We know that we have many of the right ingredients to generate significant private sector job growth and to allow our existing companies to grow, and to attract others from overseas. However, until a solution is in the offing for the problems of the A14 corridor, it will continue to hamper our growth prospects.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority
The Joint Fire Control Centre opened at Huntingdon Fire HQ on October 25th 2011. This initiative, driven by Cambridgeshire, will result in annual savings year on year in excess of £400K. We have recently been in negotiation with Buckinghamshire Fire Authority who wish to join with us.
Contact John Reynolds
County Councillor John Reynolds
4 Holly Trees
Bar Hill
Cambridge
CB23 8SF
T 01954 200 571
F 01954 200 571
M 07720 379699
E john.reynolds@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
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