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SOMERSET YIn thois editiuon r Sedgemoor Spring 2019 Talking Cafes Could you foster? Get a degree in Social Care Sharing your health & care Supporting young people’s See pages 6 & 7 See page 9 See centre spread information emotional wellbeing See pages 12 & 13 See pages 14 & 15 are for the elderly and vulnerable Care in the spotpeoplle iis firgmly bachk in the t national spotlight thanks to BBC documentary-makers Panorama and CSomerset County Council. The pressures The BBC spent ten months following Somerset faces our Adult Social Care teams helping “ individuals and families across the are being faced county, with the resulting two programmes being broadcast at across the the end of May and in early June. country The films showcase our inspiring social workers, occupational therapists, care providers, health colleagues and the many different voluntary and community ” organisations helping support thousands of people in the county and really making a difference to their lives. The programmes powerfully highlight the huge pressures and difficult decisions that come with the growing demand for care from an ageing population at a time of limited funding. We got involved with the programme because we want to play our part in putting the future of care at the top of the national agenda. Alison Holt, BBC Social Affairs Correspondent, said: We know it took courage for the Council to let us follow its staff as they juggle the needs of families against tight budgets, but it is hard to think of a more important issue than how we care for people who are older and disabled. The pressures Somerset faces are being faced across the country and seeing these really difficult decisions in action will help many more of us understand the pressures on the care system. “ Somerset is playing a key role in raising this issue up the national agenda. continued on page 2... ” Contact us Visit, www.somerset.gov.uk David Fothergill Council Leader If you can’t find lthough they maybe difficult to watch, I hope what you need the films Panorama made with our social care on our website: teams reach households across the county and Athe country. ...continued from cover. We are the case study, but the same stories, pressures and challenges ● Phone 0300 123 2224 In ten years-time almost Phone lines are open from 8am are being played out in communities up and down the country. These one third of Somerset until 6pm on Mondays, and films pose some very difficult and fundamentally important questions residents will be aged 65 8.30am to 5.30pm, Tuesday to about what we want for our loved ones - and ourselves - when we or over, compared to 21 Friday. need care. per cent nationally. ● Write to us at Whose responsibility is care? Who pays for it and how much are we Somerset County Council, County Hall, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4DY willing to pay? There are no easy answers but doing nothing is not It also an option. asks Please phone the numbers difficult below for the following services: What shines through is the passion, compassion and skill of our staff questions Fostering enquiries and care providers. It’s inspirational and I thank them all for what they 0800 587 9900 do every day. The need for a long-term funding plan for social care is a massive issue, but we also have to push for a wider fairer funding deal Adopt South West for Somerset. 0345 155 1076 Panorama starkly sets-out Somerset Heritage Centre The Government is reviewing how much money councils get and how the national need for a (01823) 278805 it’s shared between them. We are well on our way to being more long-term plan to Somerset Road Safety financially sustainable - we have sound plans for this year - but beyond sustainably fund social (01823) 423430 that we have no certainty of Government funding, so our plans for the care as one the biggest following two years, can only be based on assumptions. To be confident challenges facing the Somerset Waste Parnership country as a whole. (01823) 625700 about the long-term we need certainty. About £58m of our £328m net budget for this year could be described It also asks difficult ● Other useful numbers as ‘one-off or ‘uncertain’. It’s really hard to plan ahead and get the most questions about the role Citizens Advice Consumer for your money with that much unpredictability. We need to know what communities and families Service Helpline we have to work with in years to come. We also need a deal that play in care as more 03454 04 05 06 acknowledges the costs that come with a rural county – a huge road people live longer - but Street Lighting Faults network, high travel costs, more Rights of Way, and an ageing not always healthy – lives. 0845 601 0939 (office hours) and population, to name but a few. 0845 795 9639 (for out of hours emergencies) Yes, we get £730 of Government funding per head, but that’s 11 It’s not per cent less than the national average . Our school transport costs just about Student Finance Direct nearly £100 per child in Somerset compared to about £14 in urban more (Higher Education Students only) money 0845 607 7577 areas. Our Public Health funding from Government is only £36 per head, compared to £56 nationally. These inequalities and others across Wellington Community Office Somerset and the wider South West have to be addressed. (01823) 667279 It’s not just about more District Councils ● money. We’ve shown that Mendip District Council EDITOR’S INFO we can help people stay 0300 303 8588 To get in contact with Your Somerset or to advertise in this publication, contact healthy and happy in their Sedgemoor District Council Lauren Fellingham on (01823) 359176 , email yoursomerset@somerset. gov.uk own homes by working 0300 303 7800 or write to us at Your Somerset , Somerset County Council, FREEPOST NAT 9109, with our communities and South Somerset District Council County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY. voluntary groups (see (01935) 462462 pages 6 and 7). But long- Somerset West and Taunton Council We gratefully acknowledge the support of organisations that advertise in Your Somerset , but Somerset County Council can accept no responsibility for the products term funding has to be 0300 304 8000 or services advertised. We advise readers to make their own enquires before part of the answer and a purchasing products or services. national priority. Pssst... Your Somerset costs 5p per copy to produce. 2 - In the news GETTING TO KNOW YOUR HEALTH VISITING SERVICE NEWS in Brief schools and nurseries to offer support to all families from pregnancy until children are First Somerset Community nineteen years old. Library Partnerships signed How we can help Health Visitors can help parents with specific issues, such as difficulties sleeping, fussy eating, challenging behaviours, immunisations, healthy weight, postnatal depression and other emotional difficulties. They can also support with safeguarding children, parental smoking, drug and alcohol s part of the review of Somerset’s misuse, access to housing and medical Library Services, Somerset County services and sexual and contraceptive Council agreed to retain 19 of its his April the Council welcomed almost advice. Aexisting libraries and seek help from 200 public health nursing staff into communities to run 15 other library the fold, as Health Visitors, School School Nurses provide a confidential service buildings as Community Library TNurses, Assistant Practitioners and to parents, carers, schools, children and Partnerships (CLP). Administrative Support officially transferred young people. They deliver the national So far nine * CLPs have been signed – across from the Somerset Partnership NHS childhood measurement programme as well with more expected shortly. Foundation Trust to the County Council. as advice and information on being healthy, stopping smoking, drugs, alcohol, sexual Existing library buildings will remain open and will be run by a mixture of paid What we do health and emotional health and wellbeing. These teams of nurses work incredibly hard staff and volunteers in the following nine communities: Bruton, Castle Cary, Nether to provide support to families, giving children Contact us Stowey, North Petherton, Porlock, in Somerset the very best start in life. They To find out more about the Public Health Somerton, South Petherton, Watchet work with local communities and families in Nursing Teams, visit and Wiveliscombe. homes, children’s centres, GP surgeries, www.somerset.gov.uk/nursing For more information, check out www.somersetlibraries.gov.uk , phone JUNCTION 25 THE NEXT MAJOR IMPROVEMENT FOR SOMERSET 0300 123 2224 or contact library staff. *At time of going to print he multi- Throughabout – the first of its kind in million-pound Somerset. The scheme is already reducing Recycle sites new opening hours uTpgrade of the peak-time queuing, improving facilities for busy M5 Junction pedestrians and cyclists and supporting the 25 roundabout in economy of Yeovil. Taunton has started. And in Bridgwater, the £18.4m Colley Lane Southern Access Road is taking shape and It’s the third major scheme the Council has is on track for completion later this year. secured investment for to improve roads This important link road consists of two new and transport links for Somerset – joining bridges (including the longest single span the Western Corridor improvements in Yeovil bridge in Somerset), 840m of new road, and ecycling sites across Somerset and the Colley Lane Southern Access Road pedestrian and cycling improvements. now have a new and improved timetable. All recycling sites will in Bridgwater. Ropen until 4pm on both Saturdays and In total the three schemes are worth over Sundays through winter and until 6pm £50m , with the majority of the funding over the summer months (April – (£45m) coming from external partners September).