19 February 2024

West Northamptonshire Council has launched a new £770k grants scheme to support Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisation initiatives providing debt and money advice and immigration support services in West Northants.

The grant funding will be available from 1 April 2024 to 30 March 2026 for eligible projects or services. These can be new initiatives, existing projects or services, or expansions of existing projects or services that:

• help to prevent people from experiencing debt and financial crisis by providing early intervention and support around issues such as bankruptcy, foreclosure and eviction
• provide debt management and money advice services to enable people to contain and manage their debt obligations. This can be by creating manageable repayment plans, advocating services, negotiating with creditors and landlords, or other forms of support to avoid people falling deeper into debt
• provide tailored welfare and benefit advice enabling people to maximise their entitlement to welfare support and reduce and contain their debt obligations
• promote financial stability and security by helping people to build a foundation that reduces future financial stress and uncertainty
• improve financial literacy by providing support, education and resources, particularly in the areas of how to budget and manage debt effectively
• empower residents to take control of their financial lives and equip them with the knowledge, skills and resources to overcome financial obstacles, achieve goals, and work towards a brighter financial future
• reduce socioeconomic inequality by providing communities who may be disproportionately affected by financial challenges with access to quality debt and money advice
• improve overall economic impact by reducing personal debt levels and contributing to economic growth and stability at both the individual and societal levels

In addition, grant funding is available for existing projects or services that provide immigration support, including those that:

• provide individuals with legal guidance to understand their rights, options, and obligations under immigration law. This also includes the navigation of the immigration processes, which can be complex and daunting, especially for individuals who may not be familiar with the legal system or who face language barriers
• protect Human Rights and ensure that individuals fleeing persecution, violence, or other forms of harm have the opportunity to seek protection and immigration in accordance with international Human Rights standards. These services should also safeguard the rights and dignity of vulnerable immigrants
• empower individuals to make informed decisions about their migration journey and reduce their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse by unscrupulous individuals or organisations
• help individuals to understand their eligibility for various services and benefits such as healthcare and education and support with applications and documentation to ensure that migrants can access the resources they need to rebuild their lives in a new country
• support family reunification, promote integration and enable social cohesion and contributions to society

Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services at West Northamptonshire Council, said: “This grant funding will not only help to improve the lives of local people by supporting them to become debt free and avoid financial crisis, it will also help those on their migration journey who might be at risk of abuse and exploitation.

“We are extremely grateful to all of our fantastic VCSE partners who continue to deliver this vital work and support our residents and communities, and I encourage all those who are eligible for this funding to apply.”

Further information and the full criteria for applications can be found on the WNC website and in the Council’s Community Funding Grants Framework.

If you would like an application form or wish to speak to the Community Funding Grants Team about your project or your eligibility to apply for this grant, email: [email protected] including your contact telephone number.

19 February 2024

Significant improvements to fostering services in Northamptonshire have led to their Ofsted rating rising to ‘Good’ from ‘Inadequate’ in just 12 months.

Ofsted today published their report following their weeklong inspection of Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Independent Fostering Agency (NCT IFA) last month (15 to 19 January 2024), finding that ‘since the last inspection, there have been significant improvements in how well foster carers are supported and supervised.’

Today’s Ofsted findings have been welcomed by North and West Northamptonshire Councils, which have been working closely with NCT on its journey to improve children’s services countywide.

In their report, inspectors said 'supervising social workers spend time with children on a regular basis. This has helped to improve the overall quality of relationships between children, foster carers and their supervising social workers.’  In turn this means ‘children are settled and make good progress. Many children remain with their foster carers for many years and into their adulthood.’ This leads to positive outcomes for children in giving them stability and consistency.  

They also saw that ‘The fostering agency is working hard to better understand the quality of children’s lived experiences. Care practice is now more meaningful and child centred. Children have their own separate recordings that are, overall, written in a child-friendly way.’ Evidencing that children and young people are at the heart of all that NCT do.

Inspectors saw that the fostering service are working collaboratively within NCT, saying ‘There is a better understanding and appreciation of each other’s professional roles. Collaboration between supervising social workers, children’s social workers and foster carers is improving.’

Achieving permanence for children and young people is evident and inspectors noted that ‘Managers have been creative in linking across the children’s trust to support good outcomes for children. Good relationships between the fostering agency and the voluntary adoption agency mean that children benefit from early permanence in their care.’

It is fantastic that Ofsted judge our independent fostering agency as ‘good’. Attaining this has been no mean feat and it is a real testament to the commitment and hard work of colleagues in the service to reach this.

Of course, our foster carers are critical to this and are an incredible asset, providing guidance, stability, support, and care to some of the most vulnerable children and young people.

With a huge shortage of foster carers we would encourage anyone who has been considering fostering to get in touch with us.  Our expert, friendly team will guide you through every step of the process. You could make a huge difference to the lives of children and young people in Northamptonshire.

Colin Foster, Chief Executive of Northamptonshire Children’s Trust

I am assured by the news that Ofsted has recognised the significant improvements in our fostering service and the positive impact it is having on the children and young people that are cared for. There are few things more important than the lives of vulnerable children.

As the report states, there is still work to do, and as acknowledged in the findings, the members of the current senior leadership team have the capacity to achieve the remaining changes and developments. We will work openly and collaboratively with them to ensure this happens.

Cllr Scott Edwards, Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Education and Skills at North Northamptonshire Council

This is positive news for our children and young people, our foster carers and colleagues who work hard to improve outcomes and help give our young people the best start in life.

To see improvements in care being more child centred, for educational needs to be met and understood as well as our young people regularly taking part in extracurricular activities is all really encouraging. I am pleased to hear there are much better relationships with our foster carers as they play a vital role in helping us to improve the lives and outcomes of our children and young people – and it is absolutely necessary that they feel supported in all they do.

I would like to share my thanks to colleagues who have been committed to making necessary improvements over the last 12 months and who I am sure, will continue to support this improvement journey.

Cllr Fiona Baker, Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Education and Skills at WNC

15 February 2024

Cabinet members set out budget proposals for 2024/25 while protecting the most vulnerable in our community and tackling a significant rise in costs and demand for services.

In common with local authorities across the country, the Council is facing financial pressures due to a range of factors including the current economic climate, inflation rates and a rise in demand for services, particularly around supporting children in care and vulnerable adults.

However, given these pressures, the authority is proposing to deliver a balanced revenue budget for 2024/25 of £889.5m (£414.5m excluding dedicated Schools Grant).

The budget was presented to Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday and follows a six-week public consultation which allowed residents, businesses, partners and other stakeholders to review and provide feedback on the proposals. It has also been subject to continuous review and scrutiny, including consideration by the cross-party group of members of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The proposals seek to raise the average Council Tax by 4.99%, which is in line with the Government’s allowance, generating extra funding of around £13.1m – with 2% of the increase going towards funding adult social care and represents an increase on a Band D property of £84.52 a year, the equivalent of £1.63 a week.

The budget follows a strong commitment to making services as efficient as possible and reviewing income streams in order to maintain and protect services, with £24.1m of savings proposals put forward.

These will be found through savings in operating costs and includes restructuring departments, introducing back-office savings without impacting on how services are delivered to residents.

In the face of severe financial pressures, rising costs and the continuing increase in demand for services, such as those supporting vulnerable adults and children, putting this budget together has been extremely challenging and we’ve faced some really tough choices. However, despite these pressures, we have still managed to protect services and there are no service reductions contained within these budget plans which I believe is a great achievement.

Every decision we've made, every penny we've allocated, has been with you, our residents, in mind. 

Balancing the budget hasn't been easy, but it's necessary to ensure we can continue to provide the vital services our community relies on. 

We’ve therefore focused hard on how we can save more money and raise extra income to address inflationary pressures and cover the increasing costs of high service demand. Your needs are at the forefront of everything we do. We're dedicated to finding ways to ease the burden and ensure that our community thrives, even in challenging times.

Councillor Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

At their meeting, Cabinet members agreed to recommend the final 2024/25 budget to next week’s Full Council, which will take place in Northampton’s Guildhall on Thursday, 22 February at 5pm. The agenda will be published this week on the Council’s website.

15 February 2024

Students from Primary Schools across Northampton learned about being a good citizen and personal safety in the second Young Citizen’s Day Event of this academic year.

Over 650 Year 6 students from 12 Primary Schools attended the event at The Deco Theatre, Northampton, on February 6 and 7.

The day was developed by West Northamptonshire Council’s Community Safety and Engagement Team and funded by the Northamptonshire Serious Violence Prevention Partnership.

Watch our video of the event.

The two-day event aimed to give young people a greater understanding of emergency services, to instil an understanding of personal safety and to encourage being considerate towards others.

The students took part in a variety of engaging interactive workshops and group presentations delivered by agencies from across Northamptonshire. These included substance abuse, rail and road safety, crime prevention and personal safety, hate crime, online safety and serious violence. During their lunchbreak students watched an engaging performance by Rushden Academy.

The Young Citizens schemes gives us the opportunity to work proactively with children and young people to explore community safety issues and encourage them to be good citizens. The event provides a greater understanding of emergency services, imparts essential safety skills and cultivates compassion towards others.

We are proud to be involved in such an impactful event and hope that the experience gained will equip these students for their futures.

Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Engagement and Regulatory Services at West Northamptonshire Council

It’s so important that local partners work together to help inform young people and encourage them to make the right choices in life.

I am delighted that the Serious Violence Partnership has been able to fund such a fantastic event. I’m sure the students who attended will have found it really beneficial in helping to improve their awareness and ensure they can stay safe in their local communities.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold

15 February 2024

Future plans to lease out parts of the former County Hall buildings in Northampton aim to ensure a positive future for these important heritage buildings.

County Hall, along with other historic buildings like the Guildhall, holds significant importance in the town and county's history and forms an integral part of West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC's) collection of heritage assets. However, after a thorough review of WNC office space and assets, it became clear that there is a surplus of office and administrative meeting rooms within these historic sites, which could be better utilised whilst reducing costs on the public purse.

In a move aimed at ensuring these buildings have a productive future and have the best chance of retaining their character and historic significance, the Council’s Cabinet has approved the following:

• Judges’ Lodgings: The property will be transferred on a long leasehold basis, with potential use as a hotel or private residence, maintaining its character as a dwelling.
• Centre Block and Former Constabulary Block: the Council will seek to transfer this on a long leasehold basis for restoration and conversion, probably to flats, to maximize the property's potential, ensure its preservation, and allow people to enjoy its historic features.
• Sessions House and Front Block: whilst elements may be leased for commercial food and drink operations, the Council will continue to investigate alternative uses which retain public use of these historic spaces and enhance the regeneration of the town centre seeking to attract and increase future footfall. Separately, work will be pursued on options for greater public access to experience the history of justice in Northampton.

We appreciate the significance of our cherished County Hall buildings and the role they play in our town and county's history. This week, we announce a decision aimed at securing their preservation and beneficial future use.

Our goal is threefold: first, to increase public access and enjoyment of these heritage assets, allowing them to play a valued role in our community. Second, by transforming County Hall, we contribute to the preservation of our heritage and the regeneration of Northampton. Thirdly, we make good use of public money and reduce our operating costs, allowing us to put more money into services for our residents.

By approving the transfers, we pave the way for restoration, preservation, and where appropriate, conversion, ensuring a brighter future for these significant landmarks.

This decision aligns with our commitment to the community, aiming to enhance public use and enjoyment of County Hall's rich history. We will continue to engage with the public and stakeholders throughout this process, ensuring transparency and collaboration.

Councillor Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

For more information, please visit our website.