The re-elected leader of Herefordshire Council has made the following appointments as chairmen and vice-chairmen of the council’s committees:

Chairman of audit and corporate governance committee: Councillor Chris Chappell
Vice-chairman of audit and corporate governance committee: Councillor Richard Smith.

Chairman of planning committee: Councillor Tom Hunt
Vice-chairman of planning committee: Councillor Roy Stockton

Chairman of regulatory committee: Councillor Brigadier Peter Jones CBE
Vice-chairman of regulatory committee: Councillor John Hope MBE

Chairman of strategic monitoring committee: Councillor Phil Edwards
Vice-chairman of strategic monitoring committee: Councillor Sebastian Bowen

Chairman of adult social care and strategic housing scrutiny committee: Councillor Polly Andrews
Vice-chairman of adult social care and strategic housing scrutiny committee: Councillor Sebastian Bowen

Chairman of children’s services scrutiny committee: Councillor Sally Robertson
Vice-chairman of children’s services scrutiny committee: Councillor Ursula Attfield

Chairman of environment scrutiny committee: Councillor Bob Matthews
Vice-chairman of environment scrutiny committee: Councillor Keith Grumbley

Chairman of health scrutiny committee: Councillor Kay Swinburne
Vice-chairman of health scrutiny committee: Councillor Aubrey Oliver

Chairman of community services scrutiny committee: Councillor Terry James
Vice-chairman of community services scrutiny committee: Councillor Patricia Morgan

Chairman of central area planning sub-committee: Councillor Josie Pemberton
Vice-chairman of central area planning sub-committee: Councillor Glenda Powell

Chairman of northern area planning sub-committee: Councillor John Hope MBE
Vice-chairman of northern area planning sub-committee: Councillor Peter Watts

Chairman of southern area planning sub-committee: Councillor Phil Cutter
Vice-chairman of southern area planning committee: Councillor Jo Fishley

Chairman of standards committee: Robert Rogers

The chairman of the council, Councillor John Stone, was re-elected unopposed, as was his deputy Councillor Beris Williams.  

Herefordshire Council’s fostering team provide a good service with some outstanding features according to an inspection report published by Ofsted this month.

The council operates both adoption and fostering services which are inspected separately by the regulatory body Ofsted.  The fostering service recruits, assesses, supports and trains carers so that they can look after children in a number of different ways.  A variety of placement types are required for children in care depending on the child’s needs including emergency, short-term, long-term, kinship, respite care and teenage placement schemes.

Herefordshire Council’s Fostering team was inspected on the 8th January by Ofsted inspector, Suzanne Young.  In her report, she commented on the excellent consultative practices being developed by young people and the team’s work to encourage children and young people to share their views n the services they receive and need.

Last year’s inspection (2007) judged the service to be good and Ms Young praised the improvements that had been made in 2008, particularly in relation to the revision of a smoking policy and compliance to make sure children and young people are looked after in a safe environment.

In consultation with the young people, the fostering service has created a comprehensive health passport for each looked after child and young person to keep and share with future carers.  The inspector reported this initiative was excellent practice ensuring all children’s health needs are accurately identified and understood by everybody involved.

The report says that children and young people’s welfare is promoted within the fostering service by actively encouraging positive contact with birth families and through excellent consultative practices.  The Voices project was singled out for praise as a service dedicated to ensuring young people’s views are heard.  Helping children make a positive contribution was judged to be outstanding.

The report concluded that children in Herefordshire are protected from harm or neglect, are helped to stay safe, receive well organised services, achieve well and enjoy what they do.  Children and young people also receive excellent support to meet their educational needs and to maximise their potential in education which is promoted through links between the school and foster placements.

Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “We are proud of the service we provide for our young people and are delighted to have received so many positive comments in the inspection report.  

“We will continue working with our children and young people to improve the quality and standards of care even further and to make sure the services they receive give them the best possible start in life.  

“Well done to the fostering team and the young people themselves who have played such an instrumental role in shaping the services they enjoy.”

Herefordshire Council has published population forecasts for the county to 2026, which show that the county’s population of older people will continue to grow, while the number of children is expected to decline until 2016, before stabilising at this lower level.

Herefordshire Council’s research team produces projections and forecasts of the future resident population of the county of Herefordshire.  These are based on Office for National Statistics estimates and take account of nationally predicted trends in fertility, mortality and migration, as well as the likely number of new houses in the county.

The results are used to help plan for the future, to make sure there are the right levels of services for different groups in the population.

Key results from the newly published 2006-based principal population forecasts suggest that the total population in 2026 will have grown by nine percent from 2006, but that the number of under-16 year olds will continue to fall until 2016.

The number of 16 to 64 year olds will continue to increase very slightly until 2011, but will then begin to fall steadily as the post-war ‘baby-boomers’ move into retirement age and are replaced by smaller groups of young adults.  By 2026 this age group will have reduced to 103,600 people (five per cent fewer than in 2006).

Whilst the younger population is declining, the number of people aged 65 and over is forecast to continue increasing, but more rapidly than in recent years.  By 2026 the number of Herefordshire residents of this age is forecast to be 68 per cent higher than in 2006.  In particular the number of people aged 85 and over is expected to more than double from 4,800 in 2006 to 10,200 in 2026.

Councillor June French, cabinet member for corporate, customer services and human resources, said: “Herefordshire Council is continually planning for the future and such population forecasts are a very important part of that planning process.”

The population forecasts will be used by organisations and agencies across the county to plan commercial and public services.  They are available on the council’s website www.herefordshire.gov.uk/research.

Herefordshire Council’s customer services staff are celebrating as the Info by Phone service reaches its first official birthday.

Following a modernisation of the council’s switchboard technology last year, a new service called Info by Phone was set up to help residents get their queries resolved more quickly and efficiently.

More than half a million telephone calls come through the council’s main switchboard every year, of which around 192,000 require specific information from Info by Phone.  

Customer care staff have been trained to deal with a wide range of subject matter, so that residents can have their queries dealt with immediately and by one person.  

The system also has a tracking device so that queries can be checked up and duplication avoided.  This saves residents having to wait to receive return calls and reduces the amount of time spent on the telephone waiting to be put through to someone.  By customer services staff being able to deal with some of the council’s administrative functions, less time is spent by officers dealing with such queries, allowing them more time to deal with their core business.

Currently, Info by Phone staff are able to provide information on waste management, animal health and welfare, commercial enquiries regarding environmental health, pollution, licensing and trading standards, planning (including planning applications and enforcement, conservation and building control), blue badges, concessionary parking, library book renewals and any other general information which may be requested.  More recently staff have been trained to deal with council tax issues and the new national bus pass. The next services anticipated to come on board are registrars, highways, electoral registration and school transport.

“We’ve had all sorts of queries during our first year,” said Gina Lane, Info by Phone manager.  “The majority of calls tend to concern council tax, pest control, stray dogs, missed bin collections and queries about litter and recycling.  Our busiest times are when there is something topical in the media like virus scares, flooding and local campaigns.

“We get asked for an incredibly diverse range of information from details of highways works to bird flu and belly dancing.  We even had one elderly gentleman wanting to know where he could learn to do Tai Chi – we managed to find out where his nearest club was and put him in touch.”

Councillor June French, cabinet member for corporate, customer services and human resources, said:  “Info by Phone has been a great success and continues to grow as more and more services come on board.

“It makes sense to equip customer services staff with the skills to deal with routine enquiries from residents. The number of calls being diverted from the switchboard to Info by Phone continues to grow, freeing up officer time to deal with more technical issues, and providing customers with a more cost effective, efficient service.”

Herefordshire Council provides a face to face service for residents calling into its Info Shops in Hereford and the market towns, an efficient telephone service with Info by Phone and a service to respond to email enquiries on the council’s web site, as well as a community information portal called myherefordshire.com.

Herefordshire youngsters are being given the chance to go for gold in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.

Just as many athletes will be competing for medals at the Olympics in Beijing this August, youngsters in Herefordshire have the chance to bring home their own medal by taking part in the Team Read challenge.

Team Read will be taking place in all Herefordshire Libraries this summer and will be launched on Friday, July 4 at The Youth Games at Hereford Leisure Centre.

There will also be special activities taking place in all county libraries during the summer holidays, including chances to take part in some sporty workshops, read great new sports stories and non-fiction, as well as play games and tell library staff all about what books children have been reading throughout the challenge.

The Summer Reading Challenge is designed to encourage children to continue reading during the summer holidays, with rewards, stickers, a medal and certificate if they read six books.
 
And just like the athletes at the Olympics, youngsters can aim to reach bronze, silver and gold medal levels.

Emma Stevens, Herefordshire Council’s library learning officer, said: “As a key part of the Year of Reading celebrations in libraries and with the added focus on the Olympics, we hope that this year more children than ever will be involved in the Summer Reading Challenge.

“We also have some Halo Leisure vouchers to give away in a prize draw for children who complete the challenge,” she added.
 
Further details and our programme of events will be released shortly.

Anyone who has questions about the challenge should contact Emma Stevens on 01432 383280 or via the council email.  

One of the very first schemes in this country to recognise and reward the use-and-promotion of local produce, the annual "Flavours of Herefordshire" competition, will reach a new milestone in 2008 as organisers prepare to mark its 10th birthday.

Now widely viewed as one best examples of how an area of Britain can celebrate its regional flavours, the scheme has also been responsible for raising standards of quality and service throughout the county since its inception ten years ago.

And the launch of this year's competition is certain to once again spark a flurry of activity amongst the county's chefs, restaurateurs, publicans, accommodation providers and food producers.

The link between Herefordshire's rural landscape and the food and drink which is on offer to its residents and visitors alike is set to become even stronger this year, with the introduction of a new competition inviting members of the public to devise a recipe for a main meal, costing under £5 and using only local produce.

Entrants will be invited to submit their recipes throughout the summer, before being short-listed, and then asked to attend the annual Food Festival at Hereford Racecourse for a "cook-off".

The full range of categories for the 2008 Flavours of Herefordshire awards scheme is featured at www.visitherefordshire.co.uk.  One of the biggest changes from previous years is that the "Producer of the Year" now features two separate awards – food, and drink.

One of last year's big winners was Bridge House Hotel in Wilton, near Ross-on-Wye which scooped a much-prized “Outstanding Achievement Award” – having been winner of the Restaurant of the Year category for two years, and short-listed for the Regional Food Awards.

The tenth annual Flavours competition will reach its conclusion on Friday, October 24, on the eve of the 2008 Herefordshire Food Festival.

Television's "Hairy Bikers" have been invited to be the guests of honour at the Flavours of Herefordshire prize-giving dinner, as well as participating chefs at the Food Festival - which will give all members of the public the chance to try and buy some of the UK's finest local produce over the weekend of October 25 and 26.

Copies the current Flavours of Herefordshire Food Festival leaflet can be obtained free of charge by telephoning 01432 260621 or visit www.visitherefordshire.co.uk for further details.

Ever fancied trying aromatherapy, Indian head massage or yoga for free.

If so why not come along to a series of events being run by Herefordshire Learning Champions throughout the county as part of Adult Learners Week (May 17 to May 23).

William Dereham, Herefordshire Council’s learning champions project officer, said: “With the current focus on healthy living, these sessions offer an exciting opportunity to find out how a variety of alternative therapies can improve people’s quality of life.

“All of the sessions are free but booking is essential,” he added.

The sessions are:

Saturday, May 17: Reiki taster at Leominster Community Centre, 10am until 5pm. Contact Jo Alker on 07792 881073 for details.

Monday, May 19: Total relaxation session at Healing Earth, Blackfriars Street, Hereford, 10am until 3pm. Contact Karan McKelvie on 07792 881071.

Tuesday, May 20: Tai Chi Chi Kung taster session at Larruperez Centre, Ross on Wye, 10am to 11am. Contact William Dereham on 07792 881071.

Tuesday, May 20: Aromatherapy at Belmont Library, 10am to 1pm. Contact Karan McKelvie on 07792 881071.

Tuesday, May 20: Reflexology demonstration, Ross Library, 2pm to 3pm. Contact William Dereham on 07792 881072.

Wednesday, May 21: Indian head massage taster session, The Bromyard Centre, 10am to 5pm. Contact Jo Alker on 07792 881073.

Wednesday, May 21: Yoga taster session, Woolhope Room, Hereford Library, 12.15pm to 2.05pm. Contact Karan McKelvie on 07792 881071.

Wednesday, May 21: Acupuncture demonstration, Ross Library, 2pm to 3pm. Contact William Dereham on 07792 881072.

Thursday, May 22: Bach flower remedies, Healing Earth, Blackfriars Street, Hereford, 10am to 3pm. Contact Karan McKelvie on 07792 881071.

Thursday, May 22: Microsoft Publisher and digital cameras, Ross Library, noon to 2pm. Contact William Dereham on 07792 881072.

Thursday, May 22: Animation at Ross Library, 2pm to 4pm. Contact William Dereham on 07792 881072.

Friday, May 23: Bach flower remedies workshop, Burton Hotel, Kington, 10am to 11am. Contact Jo Alker on 07792 881072.

One of the very first schemes in this country to recognise and reward the use and promotion of local produce, the annual Flavours of Herefordshire competition will reach a new milestone in 2008 as organisers prepare to mark its 10th birthday.

Organised by Visit Herefordshire – the collaboration between Herefordshire Council and the local tourism industry – the event is now widely viewed as one best examples of how an area of Britain can celebrate its regional flavours. The scheme has also been responsible for raising standards of quality and service throughout the county since its inception ten years ago.

And the launch of this year's competition is certain to once again spark a flurry of activity amongst the county's chefs, restaurateurs, publicans, accommodation providers and food producers.

The link between Herefordshire's rural landscape and the food and drink which is on offer to its residents and visitors alike is set to become even stronger this year, with the introduction of a new competition inviting members of the public to devise with a recipe for a main meal, costing under £5 and using only local produce.

Entrants will be invited to submit their recipes throughout the summer, before being short-listed, and then asked to attend the annual Food Festival at Hereford Racecourse for a "cook-off".

The full range of categories for the 2008 Flavours of Herefordshire awards scheme is featured at www.visitherefordshire.co.uk.  One of the biggest changes from previous years is that the "Producer of the Year" now features two separate awards – food, and drink.

One of last year's big winners was Bridge House Hotel in Wilton, near Ross on Wye, which scooped a much-prized 'Outstanding Achievement Award' – having been winner of the Restaurant of the Year category for two years, and short-listed for the Regional Food Awards.

The tenth annual 'Flavours' competition will reach its conclusion on Friday, October 24th, on the eve of the 2008 Herefordshire Food Festival.

Television's "Hairy Bikers" have been invited to be the guests of honour at the Flavours of Herefordshire prize-giving dinner, as well as participating chefs at the Food Festival - which will give all members of the public the chance to try and buy some of the UK's finest local produce over the weekend of October 25th and 26th.

Copies the current Flavours of Herefordshire Food Festival leaflet can be obtained free of charge by telephoning 01432-260621.  Or, visit www.visitherefordshire.co.uk for further details.

Students from schools across Herefordshire have been urged to keep on flying the green flag and spread the word about the need to reduce the amount of household waste produced in the county.

Brigit Strawbridge of BBC2’s “It’s not easy being green” fame, told an inter-schools event hosted by Whitecross High School and Specialist Sports College: “We are in a dire situation here and we need to think of creative solutions.

“My main message to you would be reduce, reduce, reduce and reuse and use your voice to influence parents, teachers and politicians,” she added.

Brigit spoke at the start of the event and told pupils she believed the most important thing was to reduce the amount of waste produced, reuse things and also recycle.

She also showed the students, ranging in age from 11 to 16 years, how to use rags to make colourful rugs and how telephone wires can be turned into funky jewellery.

The event saw students from seven of the county’s Eco-Schools – Whitecross High School and Specialist Sports College, Wyebridge Sports College, Weobley High School, Lady Hawkins at Kington, John Kyrle High School in Ross-on-Wye, Fairfield High School and Wigmore High School – take part in the Democs discussion game.

Sixth formers from John Kyrle High School, Ross-on-Wye, acted as facilitators for the Democs game which looks at the impact household waste has on the environment, how best to reduce the amount produced and how to deal with the problem of sending rubbish to landfill sites.

In their feedback, students said they felt the public needed to be more aware of the issues regarding the waste, recycling needed to be made easier and it was important to consider the cost of collecting waste not only in terms of finances but also in the impact it has on the environment.

Councillor John Jarvis, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for the environment and strategic housing, thanked the pupils for attending and taking part in the debate.

He said: “Herefordshire is now second in the national league table for successful authorities supporting the environmental award scheme and a staggering 86 per cent of schools in the county are registered for the Eco-School scheme.

“It is wonderful students at our schools really understand the importance of reducing waste and recycling and the ball is now in their court to help influence their parents and other adults throughout the county into thinking the same,” he added.

Herefordshire Council’s cabinet has commended the children and young people’s plan for approval by full council. This three year plan sets out how services and organisations can work together to help the county’s children and young people be healthier, safer, perform well at school, enjoy life and be good citizens.

The plan has been put together by Herefordshire’s Children’s Trust and spells out the priority areas that services for children and young people need to concentrate on over the next three years.  It brings together the work of schools, health services, the council, police, youth offending services, Connexions and other groups who work with children in a comprehensive strategic plan.  This plan stipulates what the priorities are, what actions are needed to tackle the priorities and how successes will be measured.

Some of the county’s main priorities include improving the emotional health of children so that they do not become involved in risk-taking activities such as substance misuse including alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Tackling obesity and dental decay in the county is also a key priority area.  

Other issues include reducing bullying in and out of school, and raising awareness of how to use the internet safely. Improving educational attainment to ensure children and young people get the best start in life and move on to good jobs are also key areas, as well as providing more positive activities outside of school.

Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “This plan has been put together by all the organisations involved in delivering services for children across the county.  It has been consulted on widely and amended to incorporate as many views as possible.  In particular we have been delighted to receive feedback and challenge from the Shadow Board of the Children’s Trust which is made up of young people aged 11 years and older.

“Our vision is to achieve the very best for all our children and young people by ensuring all those involved with them work effectively together to improve their life chances.  Once the plan has been considered and approved by full council it will be published, implemented and monitored to make sure that collectively, the actions bring about real changes for our children and young people.”