Life More Ordinary Grant Scheme

SPARK is delighted to announce that the Life More Ordinary grant scheme, funded by the East Sussex County Council (ESCC) Short Breaks for Children & Young People with Disabilities Service, is now open. The grants provide support for organisations to help young disabled people aged 8–19 make new friends, enjoy social and leisure-time activities, take part in new experiences and lead a 'life more ordinary'.

Please note that the scheme can only fund projects that specifically benefit children and young people in East Sussex.

Applications are invited from voluntary, community and statutory organisations until the closing date of 4pm on 4 July 2016. Groups can apply for any amount from £300 up to £4,500 – an application form with guidelines can be found on the SPARK website.

If you have any queries about the grant scheme please email lisacoupal@sparknetwork.org.uk or call 07921 485813. Please note however that SPARK cannot except grant applications by email.

New East Sussex County Council Chairman and Councillor

After the local by-elections on 5 May in Hastings, Labour candidate Judy Rogers was elected. The poll was held following the death in February of ESCC Labour member, and ESSP member, Councillor John Hodges.

There have been some changes to senior council members following the full council meeting on Tuesday 10 May.

Councillor Michael Ensor is the new Chairman, taking over from Councillor Colin Belsey who has served as Chairman for the past three years. Councillor Peter Pragnell has been appointed Vice-Chairman.

To find out what else happened at the meeting, you can view the webcast online.

Round the clock care –24 hours in East Sussex acute hospitals, the patients’ view

In the week of 18-24 April, Healthwatch East Sussex visited hospital accident and emergency units, wards and departments during a 24 hour period.

Activity focused on gathering patient, carer and family views of the facilities they use, and the service they experience. This could be from car parking, cafes and toilets, to treatments, operations, and discharge, plus everything in between! 

Alice Webster, Director of Nursing for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said, “This continues the support Healthwatch East Sussex is providing to the Trust. Their recent visit to our maternity services has already provided substantial current insight to both the clinical unit and the Trust, on how maternity services are being experienced, and what can be improved”.

How will the information make a difference?

A key task for ESHT is to demonstrate how it has improved services, against the concerns raised in the September 2015 Care Quality Commission report. This is being managed through a Quality Improvement Plan. The information provided to Healthwatch East Sussex will be collated with the information our volunteers gather, and will be turned into a user experience report.

Healthwatch East Sussex will share this report with the organisations involved with scrutinising the Trust’s Quality Improvement Plan. Where appropriate, Healthwatch East Sussex will also submit recommendations for the improvement of services for women and their families.

The East Sussex Joint Strategic Needs & Assessment (JSNNA) 

The JSNAA is available at www.eastsussexjsna.org.uk. The site contains both local and national resources for those who commission, provide or use health and social care services in East Sussex.

On the site you will find:
• date in the form of scorecards 
• area summaries 
• local comprehensive needs assessments 
• profiles that compare our local data with national data 
• overview reports and briefings that pull information from a wide range of sources into one document 
• ... and much much more.

Keep an eye out in March for updated scorecards and area summaries. There will also be a consultation survey running about the site and its contents.

To keep up-to-date with any new content please subscribe to a short monthly email alert here: www.eastsussexjsna.org.uk/subscribe.

Don't forget for more news and updates in East Sussex you can follow the East Sussex Strategic Partnership on Twitter at @ESSP_eastsussex - www.twitter.com/ESSP_eastsussex 

Have your say at the East Sussex Have your Say Hub 

Please visit the East Sussex Have your Say Hub for opportunities to give your views. You can search for consultations by keyword, postcode, interest etc. You can also see how previous feedback has influenced our decision making process and what has happened as an outcome.

Included on the hub, we have opened a consultation on the draft Countryside Access Strategy. This is a proposed plan for how we could manage public rights of way and countryside sites.

ESCC manages 2,000 miles of public rights of way and ten countryside sites across East Sussex. If you like to walk, cycle or ride in the countryside, then it is very likely that you use these paths and sites.

East Sussex Assembly Annual Conference - Booking Now Open! 

Booking is now open for the East Sussex Assembly's Annual Conference taking place on Tuesday 13 September 2016 at the Hardwicke Suite, International Lawn Tennis Centre, Eastbourne (9am-1pm).

The theme of this year's conference is Mental Health, and will
consider how we can work in partnership to best support and improve
the lives of people living with mental health problems in East Sussex.

The conference will include presentations from public and voluntary sector organisations delivering mental health projects and programmes that support staff and members of the wider community with mental health problems, interactive table top exercises and discussions, and a networking break offering delegates the opportunity to visit market place stalls and find out more about organisations and projects working on mental health in East Sussex. 

Click here to book.

If you would like to recieve more information about the event when it is available please email essp@eastsussex.gov.uk. 

Brighton Housing Trust Training – Essential Training for the Voluntary Sector


Our courses have been designed to meet the training and development needs of people working in the voluntary sector, focusing primarily on work with vulnerable adults.

Training courses running in East Sussex in June, July & August:

Integrating MI & CBT to Support Behaviour Change - Monday 20th & Tuesday 21st June 
Supporting Volunteers - Wednesday 22nd June 
Working with Alcohol & Substance Misuse (Advanced) - Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th June 
Coaching Skills for Managers - Tuesday 28th & Wednesday 29th June 
Support Work & Emotional Resilience - Thursday 30th June 
Introduction to Managing People - Monday 4th & Tuesday 5th July 
Mental Health First Aid NEW FOR 2016 - Thursday 7th & Friday 8th July 9
Safeguarding Adults - Monday 11th July 
Emergency First Aid at Work - Tuesday 12th July 
Groupwork Skills (Intermediate) - Wednesday 13th & Thursday 14th July 
Benefits for Beginners - Monday 18th July 
Working with Survivors of Domestic Abuse - Tuesday 19th July 
Introduction to Housing Law - Wednesday 20th July (get 20% off when booking 2 x places on this course) 
Professional Boundaries - Tuesday 26th July
Equality & Diversity - Wednesday 27th July 
Managing Difficult & Aggressive Situations - Thursday 28th July (am only) 
Managing Poor Performance, Negativity, & Resistance NEW FOR 2016 – Tuesday 2^nd & Wednesday 3^rd August 

All of the above courses will be running in Brighton unless stated otherwise. 

If you would like further information about one of the courses listed, please contact the Training Team:

Tel:  01273 645401 Email: training@bht.org.uk  Website: www.bht-training.org.uk

National Alcohol and Drugs Conference

Evidence-based best practice in alcohol and drugs education - Empowering young people to make healthy choices.

Date: 19^th October 2016
Venue: Middlesex University London

A day for professionals to hear from leading experts on the latest research on alcohol and drugs prevention, attend a choice of workshops on evidence-based programmes, and receive planning & evaluation advice for effective PSHE.

Keynote (invited): Karen Bradley MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime)

About the conference
On 19th October 2016 two charities, The Alcohol Education Trust and Mentor UK, are bringing together a group of experts to showcase evidence-based and effective good practice that can be used in education settings across the UK for alcohol and drugs education and prevention. This conference and selection of workshops will offer teachers, PSHE leads, Local Authorities and those working in the field of alcohol and drugs with young people the opportunity to learn about the most highly trialled and rigorously tested programmes that are available across the UK. Alcohol and drugs are taught at a basic level through the science curriculum in schools, but the life and resilience skills that young people need to prevent drug use and enable them to make healthy choices about drugs and alcohol as they get older can be better developed through Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education or other teaching opportunities. Schools, Local Authorities and educators in non-formal education settings can benefit from guidance regarding effective, evidence-based alcohol and drugs prevention programmes, as well as support to improve training, content and delivery.

On the day
The morning session is dedicated to exploring drinking and drug use trends among young people in the UK, Government and Public Health priorities for preventative and early intervention work in drugs and alcohol in England and about evidenced-based programmes. The morning will conclude with a Q+A session where delegates will be invited to share their questions and experiences around drugs and alcohol education to a panel of experts. The afternoon will offer delegates an opportunity to attend workshops on: effective PSHE planning for alcohol and drugs education; bespoke approaches for children with special educational needs; and meeting OFSTED criteria. The afternoon will also include taster training sessions for evidence-based programmes such as Talk About Alcohol, SHARHP, Unplugged and the Good Behaviour Game. Delegates will leave with resources and have and access to training PowerPoints. See the Conference plan and workshop details here.

Who should attend

The National Alcohol & Drugs Education Conference will be beneficial to anyone working in the field of alcohol and drugs with young people.

FREE tickets are available for teachers and PSHE Leads. All others are asked to pay £90 for their ticket. This is to help offset the costs of the conference in such a way as to allow as many educators to attend. If you are unsure of whether you qualify for a free ticket, please email Kate Hooper at kate@alcoholeducationtrust.org

Upcoming Now! Charity Training and Workshops 

We provide many FREE! Training Courses and Workshops at our Training Site at Britland Estate, Northboune Road, Eastbourne.

We are holding FREE workshops for people claiming Employment and Support Allowance, the workshops are to help learners to build confidence and social skills.

Some of the workshops we offer include:

• Gardening
• Cooking
• Basic ICT
• Seaside Walks
• Meditation
• Art and music therapy
• Understanding Anxiety
• Understanding Depression
• Card Making and many more!

We are also offering 1-1 English and Maths sessions at both our Eastbourne and Hailsham training centres. We support learners with the very basic numerous and literacy skills to help with day to day tasks. Contact Sophie on 01323 887199 or email sophie@nowcharity.org.uk for details of all these courses and workshops.

Mental Health First Aid
Location: the above Eastbourne Site and at our Brand New Training Centre in Station Road in Hailsham

This course identifies the discrimination surrounding mental health and the signs of mental illness as well as relating to other people’s experiences and looking after your own mental health. This course is perfect for employers and employees and organisations that are working with learners that may be suffering with mental health conditions. Learners will receive a MHFA certificate of attendance.

We also have a new project coming up specifically designed for young people aged 16 – 25. There are going to be some amazing workshops – please contact Lynette on 01323 887199 or email lynette@nowcharity.org.uk for more details.

Upcoming Now! Charity events in 2016:

10th July - Cocktails and Comedy - Buxted Park Hotel - contact 08450727412 for tickets and more details
25th September - The Beachy Boys - Buxted Park Hotel - contact 08450727412 for tickets and more details
25^th September - Pearce Marketing are taking part in the extremely gruelling Tough Mudder UK to raise money for us! To donate please visit their JustGiving page. 
20th November - Michael Buble Tribute Night - Buxted Park Hotel - 08450727412 for more details

Events organised by the Chalvington Group:

23-27 June 2016 - London to Hamburg Cycle Ride - organised by The Chalvington Group and open to all.  Please contact Amie on 01323 445307 or email charity@chalvingtongroup.com to request an information pack and find out more!
7th July - Hypnotist Comedian
10th September - Abseil

Contact 01323 440555 for tickets or for more details of these fantastic events!

Please visit our website for more information on all of our up-coming events, training courses, jobs, volunteering opportunities etc. and for details of our Furniture Now! Stores. 

Free Marketing advice for Wealden businesses

Thursday 7th July 1pm to 3pm in Hailsham

Eastbourne & District Enterprise Agency Ltd (Edeal) is working in association with Wealden District Council to run free business workshops in the Wealden area. The workshops are available to Wealden businesses or anybody starting a business in Wealden.

The next workshop will be on Marketing. Effective marketing strategies can be the difference between success and failure for any business. It is important that you understand marketing and plan your marketing strategy to get the best results. Effective marketing is underpinned by sound knowledge of the market. Only by knowing exactly what your customers want can you hope to satisfy them and possibly even win their business from your competitors.

The Marketing workshop will cover the following:

• sending out the right message to the right customers;
• unravelling the benefits of the business product or service and see the business from the customer’s perspective;
• identifying the unique or tangible selling point;
• giving you guidance in getting the message across in the most effective manner to motivate the customer to buy;and 
• explore the options available for advertising and promotion and to boost marketing confidence.

Booking is essential – there are limited spaces available – to book please call 01323 641144.

Wealden Business Breakfast - Understand the Buyers - how to tender for Council contracts

When: Tuesday 28 June 2016
Where: Wellshurst Golf Club, North Street, Hellingly, East Sussex BN27 4ED
Time: 6.45am – 7am : Arrival / Registration / Networking 7.15am : Event starts / Breakfast served 9am - 9.30am : Main Event Ends / Further Networking
Cost: £10 per person. Enjoy tea / coffee and full English breakfast (or alternative option

Presentations:  
How local SMEs can win more Government contracts from the Borough and District Councils in East Sussex - Gerry Palmer, Corporate Procurement Manager, Wealden District Council (WDC)

Wealden is a district of ‘opportunity’ and WDC is committed to encouraging more local procurement by the public sector. The East Sussex Procurement Hub (ESPH) is a Procurement Service delivered by WDC creating maximum value for a partnership which includes Hastings Borough, Rother and Wealden District Councils. Collectively, the partnership spends £55m+ on goods, services and works each year. Hear how your business can benefit and find out more about the e-tendering system and selling to the ESPH.

Selling to the Public Sector made simple - Stephanie McCann, Category Manager, East Sussex County Council (ESCC) Procurement team

ESCC recognises the importance of Small & Medium Enterprises to the local community.
As one of the bodies with the greatest spending power in the county, spending c. £430m
on goods, services and works in 2015-16, ESCC is committed to engaging with and advising local suppliers to help them benefit from procurement and contract opportunities. We constantly review our procurement processes to ensure they are accessible to local suppliers and maximise the use of local providers in our supply chains.

Networking Opportunities: There will be an opportunity to mix and introduce yourself to the other delegates before, during and after the breakfast presentations.

Bookings: Can be made via the East Sussex FSB Eventbrite booking system here.

As an alternative to paying online you can contact the FSB Regional Office where card payments can be taken – E: eastsussex@fsb.org.uk or T: 01323 482018. No payments can be made at the door. All bookings should be made by Friday 24 June 2016.

For event related enquiries please email: regeneration@wealden.gov.uk or telephone 01892 602886 (Mon-Wed) or 01892 602757.

Older People’s Partnership Board Update

At its meeting on 12^th February 2016, the Older People’s Partnership Board discussed:

• Healthwatch have a volunteer task group which has been working with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust to raise the profile of Healthwatch. They have also been seeking input from women’s, whole family, and older people’s experience of using accident and emergency services and hospital wards.
• East Sussex Better Together (ESBT) Health and Social Care Connect went live in April 2016. Integrated Locality Adult Team (ILAT) Managers have been appointed to the 8 localities including the 2 in High Weald Lewes and the Havens where health and social care will sub-divide. The other 6 ILAT areas will have health and social care together as fully integrated teams.
• The Future of Partnership Boards Working Group has circulated the “Outline Survey for Partnership Board Review”, and asked for views which will inform the construction of a new model.
• The meeting of the ESCC Cabinet on October 13 2015, the papers for which are available to the public online. ESBT are working closely together to help achieve the planned ESCC savings of £70 – £90 million over the next three years.he ESBT programme is aiming to reduce the number of people going into acute hospital care and residential care, and support people to leave hospital in a timely way and into an appropriate community setting.

Full minutes of all meetings can be found here. 

Update on East Sussex in Figures – June 2016

East Sussex in Figures (ESiF) is the local information system (LIS) for the county.  It’s a website that provides access to essential data, information and analysis. 

Headlines
ESiF is ten years old – ESiF was launched in May 2006.  It has continued to develop, meeting the increasing and often complex data needs of its users.  Here are a few
facts of our own -

Thank you for your continued support and positive feedback.  Look out for new developments and solutions over the next few months.

New Publications
An interactive map has been created that explores the Indices of Deprivation in the county. Users can view all of the indices and map them by district, ward, parish and county electoral area.  The map was nominated for a national award at the 2016 Local Area Research and Intelligence Association (LARIA) conference.

A new briefing analysing the latest Claimant Count data and out-of-work benefits data is available.

 The latest Economic Update is now available, one of a series of papers giving an overview of key economic trends in the county covering topics such as business trends, the labour market and economic performance.

Latest datasets – highlights
Claimant Count including JSA and Universal Credit – April 2016 data added to all tables
Population of working age claiming benefits including out of work benefits – November 2015 data added
Disability Living Allowance by wards and by age and gender – August and November 2015 data added
Population projections (trend-based), 2014-2039 – latest ONS 2014-based projections added

 Please contact the Research and Information team if you have any specific data or information enquiries.