NEWSLETTER ISSUE #3    
 
 

Welcome to e-News

New ESSP Chairperson elected 

The ESSP elected a new Chairperson, Keith Stevens at its Board meeting on 18 April. Keith represents East Sussex Association of Local Councils on the ESSP and the Board are pleased to welcome him into the position. The Board also extended thanks to Robin Smith (Sussex Police) who has Chaired ESSP for the last two years. In his time as Chairperson, Robin has not only made a difference by reviewing the ESSP’s remit and by being personally involved in starting the successful SPACES project.

New welfare reform information video for East Sussex

The East Sussex Welfare Reform Project group have commissioned a video explaining the changes to benefits for people of working age in East Sussex as a result of the Welfare Reform Bill March 2012. Please share the information with members of the public and other interested parties.

Watch the video on the East Sussex County Council website. 

Health and Wellbeing in East Sussex

The East Sussex Heath and Wellbeing Board has agreed ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People’, the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016 and an accompanying action plan.

The ESSP has adopted the Strategy as the partnership’s approach to Health and Wellbeing in the county. The refreshed version of ESSP’s sustainable community strategy ‘Pride of Place’ now focuses on a new set of priority areas in line with the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Pride of Place and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy are now available on the Health and Wellbeing section of the ESSP website. 

Waste and Minerals Plan adopted

A Plan for dealing with waste and minerals has been adopted by East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and the South Downs National Park Authority outlining how the Authorities will tackle waste through the planning process. It aims to support residents and businesses in cutting waste and significantly reducing the amount being sent to landfill.

The Plan covers East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and the part of the South Downs within those areas and includes some of the most ambitious targets in the country for the recovery of waste and aims for the virtual elimination of landfill by 2015/16. There is currently one landfill site in the area at Pebsham near Hastings and it is expected that once this is full, no new landfills are envisaged in the Plan. The Waste and Minerals Plan will now be used by the Authorities as the basis for determining planning applications for waste and minerals-related development.

The adopted Waste and Minerals Plan and the Government Planning Inspector’s Report can be found at http://consult.eastsussex.gov.uk/portal

Update on East Sussex Community Voice

Message from Director of East Sussex Community Voice, Julie Fitzgerald:

Healthwatch East Sussex is an important part of the new health and social care architecture and is replacing the Local Involvement Network (LINk). It is totally different to any previous system of public and patient involvement. Healthwatch East Sussex will be delivered by East Sussex Community Voice a new community interest company.

By engaging with communities and providing information and signposting services along with access to independent complaints advocacy Healthwatch will promote and support the voice of local people in the monitoring, commissioning and provision of local health and care services.

Involved in decisions that affect how services are planned and commissioned, Healthwatch has a seat on the Health and Wellbeing Board and a number of statutory powers such as the ability to enter, view and observe services as they are being provided. Over the coming year, Healthwatch East Sussex will develop into a dynamic organisation working closely with local people to make sure that the voices of people in East Sussex are heard and used to inform how services are provided.

Having started on April 1st Healthwatch East Sussex will go through a short period of set up before concentrating on engaging widely with local people to make sure they can have their voices heard and that what they have to say makes a real difference.

Healthwatch East Sussex will develop real intelligence about the things that matter to local people. It will do this through a core team of staff and partnerships with others to develop a strong volunteer base including liaison with the community, providing high quality health and social care information and signposting services and generating local intelligence that will be underpinned by evidence and insight.  

We will be holding meet the team events in the summer where you can find out more. More news soon. If you would like to contact one of the team please email: info@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk, or visit our new website, www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk.

  
 
  CONSULTATIONS    
 
 

Wealden Community Engagement Strategy

Community engagement can encompass a wide variety of activities ranging from simple information giving to detailed consultation questionnaires, focus groups and projects. Wealden District Council's existing Community Engagement Strategy was adopted in 2007/08. However, due to changes such as the Localism Act 2011 and the changes proposed as part of the Council's move toward a more enabling and facilitating organisation, it is timely to revise the strategy.

The new draft strategy outlines the way in which the Council will engage with communities, individuals and organisations to involve them in shaping the policies, plans and services that affect life in Wealden. It has been developed to help strengthen the Council’s existing practices and provide a coordinated approach to engagement activities.

View the draft Community Engagement Strategy: Community Engagement Strategy: Getting Involved - make participation count

The draft Community Engagement Strategy is available for comment until Wednesday 17 July 2013.

Wealden District Council would like to hear from Wealden Residents, Wealden Businesses, Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations, Town and Parish Councils, Service Users and Partners in the Public Sector.

Take part in this survey online.

For more information including other ways you can complete the survey, please see the website, or contact Fiona Berry on policyandreview@wealden.gov.uk or 01323 443268.

Shaping Hastings – The Planning Strategy

The Examination in Public into the Hastings Planning Strategy continues.

Following the revocation of the South East Plan (the regional plan that set overarching housing targets), newly published population projections and the Inspectors preliminary conclusions on the Planning Strategy, we will now be publishing proposed “Main Modifications” to the Plan. Main Modifications are significant changes that we need to make to help the Planning Strategy proceed towards adoption.

It is important that local communities and other stakeholders are given the opportunity to consider these changes and whether they have an impact on policies in the Planning Strategy.  We will therefore be undertaking further consultation commencing 20 May for a 6-week period, closing at 4.30pm on Monday 1 July 2013.  

All the documents you need, including guidance notes to help explain more about this consultation will be available from 20 May online at www.hastings.gov.uk/localplan/consultation or you can pick them up from Hastings Information Centre.
 
Please contact the Planning Policy team on fplanning@hastings.gov.uk if you require any further information, and don’t forget you can also keep up to date through Facebook or by following Shaping Hastings on Twitter.

  
 
  WHATS ON    
 
 

Eastbourne’s Disability Roadshow

Eastbourne’s Disability Involvement Group (EDIG) present Eastbourne’s Disability Roadshow, this is an exhibition promoting goods, services and facilities available to disabled people in Eastbourne. The exhibition also incorporates ‘Scooterbility’, where people can try out mobility scooters in a safe environment, under expert tuition provided by local mobility organisations. 

Please come along and support the event and find out what support is available to Disabled People in Eastbourne.

When and where: 16th May 2013, 10.30am-2pm at Floral Hall, Winter Garden, Eastbourne

Further details can be found at www.eastbourne.gov.uk/dig or on 01323 415163 or email: equality@eastbourne.gov.uk

3VA Spring/Summer Training

3VA offers an extensive programme of training which includes: Treasurer’s Handbook Part 1 & 2, developed and run by 3VA;  Child Protection Awareness, Introduction to Volunteer Management, Improving your Presentation Skills and lots more.

For full information and booking please contact: Jane Mepham on 01323 639373, or email her at jane.mepham@3va.org.uk  you can also view the full 2013 programme and complete your booking on-line at: www.3va.org.uk.


Federation of Small Businesses events
  

Date

 Time/location Information
Monday 13th May Relax and Meet EveningRegency Tavern, 32/34 Russell Square, Brighton, BN1 2EF6.00pm Free(Food and drink available to purchase at the bar)
Tuesday 14th May Breakfast MeetingBritish Queen, The Triangle, Eastbourne, BN20 9PG 6.45am £7 per person(pay at the door)
Wednesday 15th May Lunch and Meet Regency Tavern, 32/34 Russell Square, Brighton, BN1 2EF12.00pm Free(Food and drink available to purchase at the bar)
Thursday 16th May Breakfast MeetingAzur (downstairs) Marina Pavilion, St Leonards-on-sea, TN38 0BU6.45am £7 per person(pay at the door)
Thursday 16th May Let’s Do Business ShowBrighton Racecourse, BN2 9XZ10.00-4.00pm Free. Visit the FSB stand.www.letsdobusiness.org/brighton

 

 Welfare Reform Training


East Sussex Welfare Reform Project has commissioned Shelter to provide welfare reform training for statutory and voluntary sector staff in East Sussex who have clients of working age. The Adult Social Care Training team at East Sussex County Council are organising the programme of Welfare Reform training courses. This training will support staff to understand the welfare reform changes and acquire the skills to appropriately support the East Sussex residents to whom they deliver a service to manage the changes.

Thirty courses are on offer and are targeted at four main groups, for whom the course content will be ‘tuned’ to help them understand the changes for their specific client groups. The four groups are:
1. NHS, Adult Social Care and voluntary sector staff working with people with mental health problems/ disabilities/ long term conditions and their carers.
2. Staff working with vulnerable families through the children’s centres, parent support advisors, the troubled families project and independent domestic violence advisors.
3. Staff, including voluntary sector staff, working with offenders
4. Staff working in housing options/ homelessness section within the housing authority.

Who for

When

Where

NHS Staff & Adult Social Care

29 May 13

17 June 13

24 June 13

25 June 13

27 June 13

01 July 13

08 July 13

11 July 13

16 July 13

18 July 13

31 July 13

Eastbourne House (ChoicES)

Eastbourne House (ChoicES)

Westfield House, Lewes

BPEBusiness Connections, Eastbourne

Eastbourne House (ChoicES)

Newhaven Enterprise Centre

BPE Business Connections, Eastbourne

Cooden Beach Hotel, Bexhill

BPE Business Connections, Eastbourne

Eastbourne House (ChoicES)

BPE Business Connections, Eastbourne

Children’s Services

21 June 13

26 June13

28 June 13

02 July 13

05 July 13

09 July 13

12 July 13

15 July 13

19 July 13

26 July 13

29 July 13

30 July 13

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Egerton Park Children’s Centre, Bexhill

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Crowborough Children’s Centre (6th Form Site)

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Crowborough Children’s Centre (6th Form Site)

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Hailsham East Children’s Centre

Probation Services

28 May 13

25 July 13

Cooden Beach Hotel, Bexhill

Newhaven Enterprise Centre

Housing

14 June 13

20 June 13

04 July 13

22 July 13

23 July 13

BPE Business Connections, Eastbourne

Cooden Beach Hotel, Bexhill

Uckfield Civic Centre

Cooden Beach Hotel, Bexhill

Azur, St Leonard’s



































For booking forms, please contact the training team at asct@eastsussex.gov.uk

Transport Open Day – Hastings 

Hastings Town Hall is the venue for the Hastings & St. Leonards Seniors’ Forum’s free Transport Open day on Friday the 12th of July 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Amongst the transport service providers who are participating and having stalls are;
Stagecoach, the Sussex Community Rail Partnership and Hastings Dial-a-Ride.
It is a unique opportunity for the public to obtain information from and ask questions of various transport service providers.

Hastings & St Leonards Seniors’ Forum – Transport Special Interest Group.

Farley Farm House “Home of the Surrealists” and Farley Farm Gallery

Famed “home of the surrealists” Farley Farm House near Chiddingly, East Sussex has long been one of the most accessible and romantic “living museums” featuring the lives and work of its former residents, Lee Miller and Roland Penrose. Previously only open for occasional visits, now for the first time ever the house, which is still owned by the Penrose family, will be regularly open for tours every Sunday from April to October 10:00am – 4:30pm. 

Address: Farley Farm House, Muddles Green, Chiddingly, East Sussex, BN8 6HW

For more information on prices, tours or to make a booking, contact 01825 872 856 or tours@leemiller.co.uk, or look on the website.


 

BHT Training – Essential Training for the Voluntary Sector

Training courses running in East Sussex  –  May & June 2013   
Groupwork Skills & Understanding  – 8th & 9th May  
Introduction to Welfare Benefits – 13th & 14th May
Introduction to Project Management – 16th May
Fire Warden Training – 21st May (am)
Transgender Training – 23rd May (pm)
Safeguarding Adults – 31st May
Relapse Prevention – 4th June
Personal Effectiveness – 13th June
Supporting Volunteers – 18th June
Intermediate Mental Health – 24th & 25th June
Introduction to Housing Law – 27th June – Eastbourne

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, or would like to order a copy of our new training brochure (April 13 – March 14), please contact the Training Team: Tel:  01273 645401 oremail: training@bht.org.uk

  
 
  MEETING UPDATES    
 
 

East Sussex Strategic Partnership Board Meetings

To view papers and minutes of previous ESSP Board mettings, see the meetings page of the ESSP website. 

  
 
  EAST SUSSEX IN FIGURES    
 
 

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. For further details contact 01273 482030 or email esif@eastsussex.gov.uk

2011 census portal

We are continuing to develop our landing page within ESiF which is designed to inform users about the latest developments regarding 2011 census data, analysis and publications for the county. We also census news on the front page of ESiF.

The ONS have announced the release of census 3.1. This will start in May and include tables covering the following topics at local authority level:

  • Migration 
  • Ethnicity
  • Identity
  • Country of birth
  • Language and religion
  • Health

ESiF will be publishing data and analysis on these topics towards the end of May. The data will be available at lower geographic levels (ward, parish) later in the year.

Key census data currently available on ESiF at district, ward, parish and lower super output area level:

Searching ESiF

You can search for resources on ESiF by using the search button which is located at the top left of the ESiF welcome page. Use simple terms like population, farm, school etc.

JSA claimant count unemployment – April 2013

Please find the latest briefing. Two key points:

  • The number of people in East Sussex who are unemployed and claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) fell in March 2013, in line with regional and national trends. The number of young claimants is also falling.
  • The number of young people claiming has fallen by 22% in the last year, from 3,165 to 2,475, although claimant rates among young people (4.8%), especially young men (6.3%), remain high.

Comprehensive monthly JSA statistics are also published on the East Sussex in Figures.

  
 
 
    Follow us on twitter    
 
 
Has this newsletter been forwarded to you? Subscribe to the ESSP newsletter
 
Go to essp.org.uk  |  About us  |  News  |  What we do  |  Get involved  |  Contact us