People in Herefordshire are now able to pay council tax bills and other council payments at their local post office.
 
Herefordshire Council has teamed up with local company Allpay to provide more choice and convenience for residents, in a move that will promote greater use of village shops and post offices in rural areas.

From now, local people can also pay any council bill with a Pay Point outlet. All bills issued will be bar-coded to make it easier to use this service. Allpay.net Limited, the payment specialist company, will also be providing a fully automated, round-the-clock telephone payment service so that paying bills can be easy for everyone.

Head of benefits and exchequer services at Herefordshire Council, Mike Toney, said: “The idea is to provide a much greater choice of where and when residents can pay their bills.

“Many outlets will be also be far more convenient for people, with longer opening hours, and because rural shops and post offices will benefit from greater patronage, it helps sustain communities too.

“It means residents do not have to go to a council info centre, so those cash offices will from April, cease taking payments where a bar-coded bill is issued. As well as cutting down on unnecessary travel, the provision of a more local service helps the county to reduce its carbon footprint”.
 

Herefordshire Council is building on a successful pilot scheme by putting in place two extra part-time 20mph speed limits – one at Madley primary school and one at Walford primary school.

The schemes, which have been endorsed by the Department for Transport and follow an existing successful part-time 20mph speed limit outside Sutton St Nicholas primary school, are now fully operational.

The part-time limits, indicated by signs with flashing lights, will be in place for an experimental 18-month period during which people can comment on how successful they are. Herefordshire Council will monitor the effectiveness of the speed limits before seeking to make them permanent.  

Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for
highways and transportation, said: "These part-time signs will only operate at school opening and closing times. Flashing lights will warn motorists they need to slow down but, outside of school times, the limit will rise to the existing speed limits which will help to ensure traffic can keep flowing and prevent motorists from getting frustrated.

"We also want to encourage as many pupils as possible to walk and cycle to school and this 20mph limit will allow them to do this more safely as it will slow traffic when pupils are travelling to and from school," he added.

Sites for the part-time speed limits at Madley and Walford were chosen following consultation with the schools through the council’s Safer Routes to Schools Initiative.

To mark No Smoking Day (Wednesday 10 March), smokers are being urged to quit their habit or realise its danger, as national statistics reveal that cigarettes and smoking products are the biggest killer in accidental fires in the home.1

Despite this shocking wake-up call, less than half (40%) of smokers are aware that smoking is the biggest cause of deaths in accidental house fires.2 In the last three years, Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) attended 195 smoking related accidental fires in the home and, as a result, 25 people were injured and five people lost their lives.3

KFRS Community Safety Officers will be offering free fire safety advice alongside NHS Stop Smoking teams, encouraging smokers to cut out dangerous habits such as smoking in bed and to make sure they put properly extinguish their cigarettes. They will also be handing out free fire safety advice encouraging people to install smoke alarms on every level of the home and test them weekly.

A smoke alarm that works means you are more than twice as likely to survive an accidental house fire.4

Head of Community Safety, Stuart Skilton, said: “Without a working smoke alarm you lose valuable escape time in a fire. Just two to three breaths of the toxic smoke in a fire can render you unconscious - it affects your ability to breathe, just like drowning.”

“People need to be aware of the risks of smoking in the home and how smoking materials can very easily lead to fires. When extinguishing cigarettes, smokers must make sure they ‘put it out, right out’.”

The NHS offers every smoker free help to quit and encourages those who continue to smoke to make their homes smoke-free zones to protect loved ones from harmful second-hand tobacco smoke.

Dan Tickle, Chief Executive of the No Smoking Day Charity, said: "Seventy per cent of smokers want to stop, but aren’t aware that there is free, local help available to them. Your local Stop Smoking Service can increase your chances of success by four times. Why not take the first step this No Smoking Day and feel fitter, healthier and safer in your home.”

For smokers not ready to kick the habit this No Smoking Day, it is important to follow these simple precautions to prevent a fire at home:

• Put it out, right out! Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished
• Fit smoke alarm and test it weekly - a working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999
• Never smoke in bed, take care when you’re tired, taking any sort of drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It’s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning!
• Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down
• Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn.
• Close all inside doors at night - closed doors help to reduce the spread of fire, giving you more time to escape.

Ask the experts – for free home fire safety advice contact Kent Fire and Rescue Service on 0800 923 7000 or go to www.kent.fire-uk.org

1Source: CLG Fire Statistics, 2007; 2Source: 2009 Fire Kills Survey conducted via Opinion Matters on behalf of the Fire Kills campaign amongst a nationally representative sample of 2433 UK Adults in England; 3Source: KFRS figures from January 2007 to December 2008;  4Source: CLG Fire Statistics, 2007

Award Winning Wiltshire Chocolatier “Lick the Spoon” have launched their 2010 Chocolate Easter egg collection. The collection features a new development recipe in the form a Soft Boiled Egg table setting, complete with chocolate toast and spoon. It also draws inspiration from their new Cirencester shop with a Roman mosaic Chocolate Easter egg.

Company founder Diana Short said “We are delighted with our new collection particularly as 2009 was such a success for us. The challenge was how to top that collection.” Celebrity endorsements from both Nigella Lawson and Alan Titchmarsh in 2009 saw a complete sell out at Lick the Spoon’s stockists whilst their website crashed multiple times as people competed to buy following a live appearance on the Alan Titchmarsh show. “We were completely unprepared for the demand”, explained Diana, “this year we have upgraded our web site and have opened our own shop in Cirencester as well as a pop up Easter shop in Bath”.  The company has brought back the Mint Filigree and Raspberry spot eggs that were so popular last year and have redesigned their now famous keyhole Easter Egg box to mirror the filigree work featured on their Easter Eggs.

 Lick the Spoon pride themselves on the quality of the chocolate they use and the resulting taste. “One of the most exciting new eggs this year is the Soft Boiled Egg” Diana enthused. “Imagine a breakfast table scene, you break open the chocolate egg in a chocolate egg cup. Inside is a light fluffy marshmallow egg white and a soft orange flavoured ganache centre in which you can dip your chocolate toast or use your chocolate spoon”.  Luxury London store Liberty were so excited when they saw the egg that they ordered a large number the very same day as well as the Mint Filigree and Raspberry Spot Eggs. Unfortunately the table scene is too delicate to post and will only be available in store.

The new range also includes an Easter Egg hunt kit for those both young and young at heart.

Since starting their business in December 2006 Lick the Spoon have gained a reputation as one of the finest artisan chocolatiers in the UK. They now have a small chocolate factory in Corsham, Wiltshire and their flagship store in Black Jack Street, Cirencester. They will be opening a pop-up Easter shop in Milsom Place, Bath from Friday 26th March for one week only. Many of the 2010 collection Easter Eggs can be purchased online from Lick the Spoon’s website.

www.lickthespoon.co.uk/easter.asp

Children in some of Herefordshire’s primary schools have been enjoying a theatrical performance which promotes the uptake of school meals, healthy packed lunchboxes and a balanced diet.

School halls across the county rocked this month as Charlie and the Kitchen Cook performed by Pawprint Theatrical Productions sang and danced their way through a great interactive show which had the children shouting, laughing and joining in actions in true pantomime style.

Herefordshire Council’s healthy schools team arranged for the 30 minute show to be performed in ten local primary schools.  The show is about Cook Crumble who needs to recruit some new assistants (the school children).  Charlie is keen to work for Cook Crumble but needs to be trained first alongside the other new assistants so that together they understand some of the rules involved in providing school meals.  The key messages are about eating well, having a balanced diet, eating five portions of fruit or vegetables a day as a minim and reducing consumption of unhealthy foods like crisps and chocolate.

Kim Goddard, Herefordshire healthy schools manager, said: “We want our children to enjoy good health and benefit from well balanced diets.  What they eat at school plays a major part in their health and well being.  Nearly all Herefordshire’s schools have healthy school status now and have access to healthy, freshly prepared school meals.  School meals are a good way for children to receive the nutrition they need.  

“Charlie and the Kitchen Cook tour has been incredibly well received by the children who have enjoyed the performances and taken home lessons about eating healthy food to help them grow.”

Herefordshire Council has successfully bid for more than £2 million to invest in centres to support young people in their own schools and, where necessary, help them get back on track.

The grant is being used to fund centres within all 14 of the county’s maintained secondary schools.  

Occasionally, a young person may need extra time, effort and emotional support during a crucial time in their life. Schools want to help their pupils through such times, particularly when changes in behaviour may interrupt learning. The new centres are designed to provide targeted support and help these relatively small numbers of young people get back on track so that they can continue their education.

Unique to each school, the centres will consist of learning spaces, meeting rooms and reception areas located in the heart of the school where possible. The overriding premise will be that providing support early on will meet young people’s needs within their own school in a targeted way.  A mixture of refurbishment projects and extensions will help the cash spread across all 14 secondary schools.

The council began working with schools in June, to explore the type of help and support for students that schools have identified and the building or refurbishment work needed to make this happen.  Herefordshire Council has appointed contractors to undertake this work over the next few months.

“We need to make sure all our young people get the best possible start in life and this includes providing support during times when it is most needed,” said Councillor Phillip Price, cabinet member for ICT, education and achievement.  

He continued, “Once a young person starts missing out on learning, they can get so far behind that it becomes incredibly difficult for them to catch up and they can become demotivated.  The new centres will provide support to help young people through difficult times so that they can re-enter mainstream education when they are emotionally and educationally ready to do so.”

So far centres have been completed at John Masefield High School and John Kyrle High School and the results are already proving successful.

Andy Evans, head teacher of John Masefield High School, said: “As a result of the programme more than 60 students have been supported and over 60 percent of the young people in the school with the most challenging behaviour have made marked improvements this year.  Fixed term exclusions at John Masefield are very low for a medium size comprehensive and have fallen again this year.”

All 14 centres are scheduled to be completed by 2011.

Herefordshire Council is urging people to respect parking bays for blue badge users and is reviving its successful Baywatch campaign to get its message across.

Baywatch, a campaign to raise awareness of parking issues for disabled people, ran throughout February and March last year.  Its main objectives were to stop people parking illegally in disabled parking bays, reduce Blue Badge fraud, eliminate stereotypes of disabled people and reduce abuse received by Blue Badge users.  The campaign was such a big success that the council has decided to run it again during March this year.

For thousands of people living in Herefordshire, blue badges and disabled parking bays are vital facilities which improve the quality of their day-to-day lives.

Herefordshire Council’s diversity officer, Harriet Yellin, commented: ”An important part of the Baywatch message is to try to reduce the fraudulent use of badges. Carers, family members and friends of a Blue Badge holder may feel that a badge is associated with a vehicle, and that the vehicle is the badge holder; this is not the case. 

“All Blue Badges are issued purely for the use of the person named on the badge, and anyone who condones the misuse of the scheme is depriving legitimate badge holders of vital parking spaces.”

The Baywatch message will be spread across the county using bus advertising, Herefordshire Matters, leaflets and free car stickers!  Community Enforcement Officers will be particularly vigilant at this time, checking to see whether people using Blue Badges are the legitimate holders.

Anyone who would like to know more can phone 01432 260216 or visit the website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/baywatch. 

More than 400 young people in Herefordshire have signed up to start a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme this year.

The country has seen a big increase in the number of young people taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award nationally, with the number of teenagers taking part going up by 20% in the last two years.

Herefordshire has been part of this increase with record numbers signing up for the Award which is managed by Herefordshire Council’s youth service.  

Mal Mason, Herefordshire Council, said: “Each of the three levels of the Award recognise commitment, initiative and teamwork – exactly the qualities employers are looking for.  We all know the job market is extremely competitive at the moment, and as well as qualifications, any activities which can set you apart from the next applicant is very beneficial.  I have even heard of employers saying they always look for candidates with a Duke of Edinburgh Award when they are recruiting.”

As well as giving young people a great qualification and many experiences to add to their curriculum vitae, the Duke of Edinburgh Award is fun to do and anyone can join.  You don’t need any qualifications to start, and training and guidance are provided for you all along the way.

To give young people the opportunity to find out more and talk to some of the Award’s local leaders, the council is holding an open event at the Hereford Canoe Centre between 3pm and 7pm on Wednesday, February 24.  Just call in or email dofe@herefordshire.gov.uk for more information.

Herefordshire Council is on track to bring in its finances within budget at the end of the financial year – balancing its books for the seventh year running.

The council’s cabinet heard that the council will not overspend this year, despite another year of severe financial pressure, as a result of the escalating costs of providing social care for the county’s growing older population, safeguarding children and keeping primary routes open during the recent extreme weather.

Director of resources David Powell reported that the finance team were confident that the budget would balance by 31 March 2010. The position is in contrast to many other local authorities across the country, which are announcing major overspends, swingeing cuts to public services and job cuts.

The cabinet heard that there was a projected overspend of £2.7 million for social care and £0.6 million for children’s services. But recovery plans and spending controls in other directorates, the use of social care contingency funds and reductions on borrowing costs will achieve a balanced budget overall.

The budget report also showed that over 10,000 tonnes of grit have been used on Herefordshire’s roads this winter so far, mostly during the first two weeks of January. This has put pressure on the winter maintenance budget of £1.1 million and cabinet approved the transfer of £500,000 from reserves.

Herefordshire Council approved business proposals to share more of its central functions with the primary care trust and the county hospital. The cabinet (Thursday 18 February 2010) supported the move, which could save up to £5.4 million a year to be invested in protecting services for the most vulnerable members of the community.

The boards of the primary care trust and the hospital trust are also to consider the proposals during February and March. The aim is to avoid the scale of cuts in public services seen in other parts of the country by sharing central functions and making them more efficient. These administrative savings could then be reinvested in essential health and social care services.

Herefordshire Council, NHS Herefordshire and Hereford Hospitals Trust started work on a business case in April last year and proposals include the three organisations either setting up their own joint venture, or outsourcing many corporate functions to the private sector, or one of the three organisations providing the services for the other two.

Now the cabinet has given the green light, negotiations will continue between the three organisations and a formal report, seeking a formal decision will be presented soon.
 
Herefordshire’s unique approach to public services partnership, which is increasingly being seen as a model for other local authorities and trusts in the UK, means that many corporate functions and costs can be shared. These comprise information technology, finance, procurement, human resources, payroll and expenses, communications, internal audit, legal, transport, estates, printing and emergency planning across the three organisations.

The move is prompted by the need to protect services to the most vulnerable members of the community, including Herefordshire ageing population, disabled people and children looked after by the local authority. Local government and health will also focus on how together they can manage contracts, purchase goods and services and achieve further economies of scale across the three organisations.