25 October 2023

Last week West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) joined Northamptonshire police to support the National County Lines Intensification Week of Action.

Community Safety Officers visited Northampton Railway Station working with staff and the general public to raise awareness around child exploitation; spotting the signs and how to report it.

The team also visited banks and independent phone shops distributing over 1,200 business cards and leaflets which detailed common locations to spot child exploitation and how to approach potential victims.

Young people can be exploited anywhere. These are some of the common signs:

• Children travelling alone, especially if this is in school hours, late at night or on a regular basis. If they are being criminally exploited, they may be sent significant distances and may be missing from home
• They may be lost or appear as though they are in unfamiliar surroundings
• They may appear anxious, frightened, or angry, but they may also appear disruptive or aggressive - a common response to trauma
• They could be in possession of multiple phones
• They might appear under the control or instruction of others, including people who are older than them and do not appear to be family members
• You may see them with large amounts of cash
• Signs of a child being at risk online, could include them talking about older or new friends they have met online, talking about gifts, money or in game credits they have received online, receiving large numbers of calls or messages, being worried about being away from their phone and having a new phone or more than one phone

It’s great to see the strong partnership between West Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire police during National County Lines Intensification Week. Public spaces such as bus and train stations, service stations and shopping centres are all places where victims of child exploitation are most visible.

By working together to raise awareness and equipping our communities to recognise the signs of child exploitation, we can create a safer environment for our children and young people and stop this abuse from happening.

Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Engagement and Regulatory Services

I'm pleased with the positive results we've seen during this intensification week.

Illegal drugs cause an enormous amount of harm in our communities. We want to get rid of the criminals running these drug gangs and provide help to those exploited by them, as well as educating young people about how to spot and avoid getting caught up in County Lines activity.

Northamptonshire Police is committed to tackling county lines and safeguarding vulnerable people.

I want to thank all the officers and staff who were involved in this intensification week and in particular, the Home Office for supporting our activity by providing funding.

Detective Inspector Carrie Powers, Serious and Organised Crime Team

More information around child exploitation and how to report it can be found on the Children’s' Society website. If you are concerned about a child and think it’s an emergency, dial 999 or if it’s not an emergency call 101.

25 October 2023

The West Northants Public Health team are urging all women to take the time to get to know their breasts through the TLC (Touch, Look, Check) approach as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths across the UK impacting individuals of all backgrounds and ages, causing around 11,500 fatalities each year. That’s why Public Health in West Northants are encouraging all women to check their breasts and take up the breast cancer screening offer if eligible, to help early diagnosis and treatment.

The Touch, Look, Check approach involved the following simple steps:

• Touching your breasts - can you feel anything unusual or new?
• Looking for changes - does anything look different?
• Checking any new or unusual changes with your GP

The NHS breast screening programme is vital in early diagnosis and treatment, with screening available every three years to all females between the ages of 50 and 71 at their local NHS breast screening centre. If you are eligible and registered with a GP in West Northamptonshire, you will be invited to attend your appointment.

If your appointment is not suitable or you did not attend, please contact the Northampton Breast Screening Service on 01604 545825 or 01604 545830.

I am encouraging all women to increase their awareness around being “Breast Aware” and to attend screening appointments when you are invited.  Across West Northamptonshire we are seeing a decline in the uptake of breast screening, resulting in many missed early diagnoses. Please ensure you take the time to attend your appointment or reschedule if unable to attend your appointment.

If you are not eligible, please do make sure you are checking your breasts regularly through the TLC approach – following these simple steps to check, can really help early diagnosis.

Dr Annapurna Sen, Consultant in Health Protection for West Northamptonshire Council

Breast cancer can also be prevented through making small changes. These include introducing healthier meals options into your diet, being more physically active, reducing alcohol consumption and if you smoke, looking to quit.

For further information on Breast cancer, please see: NHS: Breast cancer in women.

23 October 2023

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has applied for and secured over £400,000 worth of funding from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capability Fund.

An initial £73,000 worth of funding was secured earlier in the year, and the Council have now successfully received an additional £335,000 from the fund.

The LEVI Fund is designed to support local authorities to develop their electric vehicle charge-point infrastructure. It has two main objectives, to transform the deployment of on-street EV charging infrastructure across England and to accelerate the commercialisation of the local EV charging sector.

As part of the next steps WNC will go to the market to select the best partner to deliver EV charging across West Northamptonshire, using private investment alongside the Government grant to extend the range of opportunities across our towns and villages.

Wider access to on-street EV charge-points will make owning an electric vehicle more convenient and increase access more readily available across West Northamptonshire.

Increased use of EVs across West Northamptonshire will help the Council reach the broader residents and business 2045 net-zero carbon emissions target.

The capability funding, which is what we have received so far, will enable the Council to build a team that will be responsible for developing an EV charging infrastructure strategy. Once we have a strategy in place for the planning and delivery of the charge-point infrastructure we will be able to apply for a £2.8m capital funding from the LEVI fund to implement the strategy

The green transition is vital as we continue on a journey to make West Northamptonshire a more sustainable place to live and work. We are pleased to have received this initial LEVI funding, it will enable the Council to further our sustainability goals by allowing us to develop the capacity to plan and deliver an innovative EV charging strategy.Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

23 October 2023

Residents are invited to have their say about possible options regarding Ridgway House Care Home, located in Towcester due to significant under-occupancy experienced over the last few years.

This residential care facility is currently owned and managed by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and currently only has 19 residents occupying the home, primarily due to the inadequacy of its design and amenities in meeting the requirements of individuals seeking residential care and support in their later years.

While the demand for registered care homes has remained relatively constant over the years, the nature of care required has evolved, with an increasing number of residents needing nursing care as opposed to the residential care that Ridgway House is currently able to provide. Due to the building being old and its design, it is difficult to meet these more complex care needs and falls short of today's accessibility and facility requirements stipulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for new care home constructions.

We recognise that for those who reside at Ridgway House that this is their home, is where they feel comfortable and supported. We are committed to ensuring that we deliver a high standard of care for all our residents and as their needs change or become more complex, that we can adapt the support we provide to meet their changing care needs.

It is important that we can provide the right support for more complex health and social care needs and we know that we are seeing an increase in our older population, that this level of support is only going to increase. There will always be a need for residential care, and the proposed changes aim to ensure that individuals receive this care in modern, adaptable facilities that can meet their evolving needs.

I therefore ask for residents at Ridgway and their loved ones to please take part in the consultation as it is vital to gain your thoughts on how we can provide the right care support now and in future.

Cllr Matt Golby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health at WNC

The Council acknowledges the news of this consultation may cause worry or concerns for the residents at Ridgway and their families, and any potential changes or relocations may understandably be distressing. At this time, this is a consultation to seek the views from residents and their loved ones to enable us to understand the impact of any future decision that is made. However, it is important that as a Council, careful consideration is given to the state and age of the building and to consider all options for the care home.

WNC are also interested to know how residents feel about living at Ridgway House and would like to understand the impact of allowing the current position at Ridgway House to continue or what the impact would be if we commenced with a safe closure programme of the home.

To learn more about the available options and provide your feedback, please visit the Council’s Consultation Hub by November 19, or you can also share your thoughts by emailing [email protected] or through written correspondence using the provided contact details.