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14 March 2022
Families and industry experts are being invited to be part of West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) drive to provide the best possible SEND services.
Senior officers from other authorities in the East Midlands and Eastern England across education, health, social care and parent carers groups will work with the council and its partners to assess how they identify and meet the needs of children and young people 0-25 years without an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP).
Cllr Fiona Baker, WNC’s Cabinet Member for children, families, and education, said “SEND services are for some of the most vulnerable members of our community and it is up to us to ensure they have the best possible opportunities in life."
"I, and the team around me, passionately feel that the children and young people of West Northamptonshire deserve the very best and that is why we are not afraid to open our doors and invite industry experts and the people who use the service to tell us what they think."
The SEND Peer Review will be on Wednesday, 30 March.
West Northants has focused on the following four areas:
Early Identification
How effective was the identification of your child’s additional needs when they first went to nursery, school, or college, or by the health visitor or other specialists your child saw. Was it early enough? Did they make an accurate identification?
Provision and Support
What was the experience of the support and provision that your child received? What worked well, what did not work and what could have been better?
Training Needs
How could training improve the support your child received? What are the training needs that should be put in place for professionals and parent/carers?
Good practice
Where is the best practice in identifying children and young people with SEND and how can we share this effectively across the region?
WNC is keen to involve all parents, carers, young people, and professional partners in a transparent approach to highlighting its strengths, areas of development, and how it moves forward in this vital area.
If anyone would like to take part in the Peer Review or share experiences electronically of how the council and its partners identify the needs of children in West Northamptonshire, and how this could be improved, please email the Local Offer team via - [email protected].
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14 March 2022
Residents across West Northamptonshire are being reminded they can sign up for the forthcoming year of optional, chargeable garden waste collections which begin next month.
The garden waste subscription service has been running successfully in the Northampton and Daventry areas for some time, but is new to households in the South Northants area.
How to sign-up
The annual subscription charge for the fortnightly service from 4 April 2022 to the end of March 2023 is £42 per bin and can be paid online via debit or credit card
Those who are unable to get online can subscribe to the service by phoning the council on 0300 126 7000.
You can sign up any time, and once payment is processed, you will receive your new 2022/23 garden waste permit for sticking onto your bin so it will be collected.
Home composting
If you do not wish to sign up to the service you have the option of home composting, with the chance to buy a discounted composter bin for £10 at www.getcomposting.com by typing in your postcode. You can also recycle garden waste at any of our household waste recycling centres.
More information
If you live in South Northants and decide not to sign up to the service then you will receive your final garden waste collection in the week beginning either 21 or 28 March. After the service launch, further details will be available on returning your unused garden waste bins, should you wish to do so.
View a list of FAQs, tailored to households living in each area of West Northants
Find out more information on our garden waste pages
I would encourage residents to remember to subscribe if they wish to receive garden waste collections for the year ahead. The quickest and most popular way to sign up is on our website using a debit or credit card, but if they can’t access the internet or don’t feel confident to do so then they can also phone us on our main number or pop along to our offices where we’ll be happy to guide them through the process.Cllr Phil Larratt, Portfolio Holder for Climate, Transport, Highways and WasteDue to large demand there are times that the website and phone lines can be particularly busy, but there’s still plenty of time to subscribe so I would encourage residents to try again later if this happens.
Extending the service across the whole of West Northamptonshire is a further step towards ensuring that all of our residents receive fair and equal services no matter where they live. We realise this is a change for our South Northants area residents, but we are doing everything we can to make the transition as smooth as possible.
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10 March 2022
A commemorative oak tree was planted in Abington Park on Wednesday 9 March, as part of West Northamptonshire Council’s activities to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, through the Queen’s Green Canopy tree planting initiative.
The Friends of Abington Park, the council’s grounds maintenance contractors Idverde and the park’s rangers arranged the planting close to the park’s aviary and were joined by Councillor Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste.
Residents, schools, businesses and community groups across the United Kingdom are being encouraged to mark the Platinum Jubilee by planting trees, which can then be pinned on the Queen’s Green Canopy interactive map, providing a digital record of the Jubilee tree planting projects, along with a photo of the trees and the names of those who planted them.
Councillor Pinder Chauhan, who is helping to coordinate the Queen’s Green Canopy planting efforts in West Northamptonshire, said: “Abington Park is extremely popular and is steeped in history – it opened to the public in June 1897 in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria - so it was fitting to plant the oak at the park in commemoration of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
“The current tree planting season finishes at the end of March, so there is still time for people to take part in the Queen’s Green Canopy and plant their trees. And if you’re short of time this month, the planting season starts again in October, through until the end of the year.”
Towns, parishes and communities are also being invited to get involved in this year’s Jubilee celebrations across the 2 – 5 June bank holiday weekend, from lighting beacons to hosting street parties and big lunches.
West Northamptonshire Council is organising a packed weekend of activities, including official beacon-lighting ceremonies on the Bank Holiday Thursday, a countywide jubilee pageant through Northampton on the Saturday and a Big Lunch at Delapre Abbey on the Sunday.
See Jubilee arrangements and the Queen’s Green Canopy for more information.
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11 March 2022
The iconic 27-feet-tall statue will be visiting Northampton as part of its nationwide tour to highlight the issue of knife crime in the UK.
The statue, which was designed by Alfie Bradley at the British Ironwork Centre (BIC) in Oswestry, has been created from over 100,000 knives and blades confiscated by the UK’s 43 police forces.
The Knife Angel will be on display at the All Saints’ Church plaza in Northampton town centre for two weeks from Friday, 29 April to Friday, 13 May.
First unveiled in 2017, it travels around the country in a bid to help reduce violent crime.
Councillor David Smith, cabinet member for community engagement and safety at West Northamptonshire Council, said: “Having the knife angel in Northampton gives us the opportunity to highlight the blight that is knife crime is.
"All violent crime is abhorrent, the devastation left by knife crime is simply not acceptable and this initiative will raise awareness across the whole of West Northamptonshire.
“We are delighted to welcome the angel to West Northamptonshire, and I very much encourage everyone to visit the town to experience this sculpture, and the activities we are running alongside this important initiative."
The Explore Northampton app (downloadable for free from the App Store) will offer an interactive experience with the option to view the Knife Angel in augmented reality along with other activities.
Angie Kennedy, CEO of C2C Social Action said: “I can't believe that after nearly 3 years of planning, the Knife Angel will be visiting Northampton this May.
I hope that its presence will bring unity across the county, highlight all the amazing work that is already being done by CIRV, Eve, Sunflower Centre, Police, NN off the Streets, and so many more voluntary sector organisations, including churches, to make this county a safer place to live.
“The Knife Angel campaign is looking for 10,000 people across the county to sign up to be ‘Anti Violence Ambassadors’, with a pledge to turn away from violence and aggression as a solution to disagreements and conflicts."
There will a service and vigil at All Saints’ Church on Saturday, 30 April at 7.30pm to mark the Knife Angels visit to the town. Following the service candles will be lit around the sculpture as a symbol of light against darkness.
There will be a range of events supporting the Knife Angel throughout its stay, including school workshops aimed at giving pupils from across West Northants an understanding of the statue’s message.
A march against knife crime is also planned through Northampton town centre on Saturday 7 May, followed by a series of performances organised by local charity Off the Streets.
The Northamptonshire Emergency Cadets and the WNC Community Safety Team will be in the town centre giving emergency first aid training and safety demonstrations on Saturday, 30 April, Sunday, 1 May, Saturday, 7 May and Sunday, 8 May.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold said; “Knife crime is a serious issue, and one that is high on my agenda. I am pleased to have provided funding towards hosting this remarkable sculpture that is a striking visual reminder of the devastating affects knife crime can have on individuals and families.
“Whilst the sculpture is in the county, we will be working with key partners to help raise awareness of and educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives and the lasting impact it can have on their lives."
A knife amnesty will also be taking place, with anyone able to dispose of blades with no questions asked and no fear of reprisals.
The Knife Angel has been brought to the town by West Northants Council (WNC), C2C Social Action and the Office of Northamptonshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner (OFPCC).
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11 March 2022
'Grab a jab before you meet up with Granny' is this week’s message from West Northamptonshire’s interim Director of Public Health, as a further 3,486 residents test positive
In two weeks’ time families will be meeting up in restaurants, pubs and homes all over Northamptonshire with loved ones to celebrate Mothering Sunday. However, with COVID-19 still in circulation it’s vitally important that we do what we can to protect those we love.
As the COVID-19 vaccination takes around two weeks to take effect, this weekend (or early next week) is the ideal time to get a jab for you or your youngsters if you’ve been putting off getting it.
The school vaccination programme has been running since September, with second jabs offered since January. However, we are aware that some youngsters have missed out on their jabs.
If your youngster is aged 12-15 and hasn’t yet had their first, or missed out on their second, dose of the vaccination why not pop in to one of the many vaccination sites across the county? These are drop ins, so there’s no need to book ahead.
Vaccinating children can help stop the spread of COVID-19 to other people so it’s important to make it a priority if they’re meeting up with their grandparents in a couple of weeks.
Vaccination drop-in sites in West Northamptonshire
Northampton
Kings Heath Vaccination Centre, North Oval, NN5 7LN (ages 12+)
Tuesday 15 March - 10am to 2pm
Ramgarhia Sikh Temple, Cromwell Street, NN1 2TE (ages 16+)
Sunday 13 March - 2pm to 6pm
Regent Pharmacy, 10-11 Regent Square, NN1 2NQ (ages 16+)
Friday 11 March - 10am to 6pm
Monday 14 March - 10am to 6pm
Tuesday 15 March - 10am to 6pm
St Michael and All Angels' Church, Perry Street, NN1 4HL (ages 12+)
Friday 11 March - 9am to 6pm
Saturday 12 March - 9am to 6pm
Unidrugs Pharmacy, Camp Hill Local Centre, Hunsbury Hill Road NN4 9UW (ages 12+)
Saturday 12 March - 9:30am to 12pm
West Chemist, Kingsley Park Terrace, NN2 7HG (ages 12+)
Friday 11 March - 10am to 4pm
Saturday 12 March - 10am to 3pm
Monday 14 March - 10am to 4pm
Tuesday 15 March - 10am to 4pm
Whitefields Surgery, Hunsbury Hill Road, Camp Hill, NN4 9UW (ages 12+)
Sunday 13 March - 9am to 12:30pm
Find drop-in sessions available without an appointment. Please check eligibility criteria before attending a drop-in session.
It’s really important to get youngsters vaccinated even if they have already had COVID-19 as we’re seeing more re-infections in this age group than others which often then translates into household transmission.Sally Burns, Interim Director of Public Health for West Northamptonshire CouncilThis age group has to wait twelve weeks (84 days) after infection with COVID-19 so its possible they have missed out on the opportunity to have their jabs at school. Our drop in sites provide the quickest and easiest way to get them vaccinated, and several are open this weekend.
Children do not need to be registered with a GP or have an NHS number to be vaccinated.
Covid-19 in the county this week
An analysis of the county’s recent coronavirus cases and rates over the period 28 February to 6 March 2022, shows:
- 3,486 residents tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Of this number, 369 were reinfection cases. ‘Reinfections’ are a new measurement now appearing in the county’s weekly data surveillance report and are defined as, ‘an infection of COVID- 19 from any of the variants after 90 days from the date of the last positive test.
- Northamptonshire’s infection rate per 100,000 population is 389.2. West Northamptonshire’s rate per 100,000 population is 417. Both are statistically significantly higher than the national average (332.1).
- The highest rates locally are Northampton (427.4) and Kettering (412.7).
- Five people died in Northamptonshire within 28 days of a positive test.
- Overall, more women than men tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 28 days.
- The age group with the most positive cases was 30-39.
- 10-19-year-olds had the most reinfections, likely due to school environments.
View the weekly Covid-19 Surveillance Report