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Author: Martin Driver

Sefton business networking group for financial and professional sectors relaunched this month

13 April 2023
Martin Driver
No comments
Categories: Business and Economy, Front Page, Latest News, Uncategorized
Net Zero event at Formby Hall, hosted in partnership by InvestSefton and Liverpool John Moores University.
Net Zero event at Formby Hall, hosted in partnership by InvestSefton and Liverpool John Moores University.

‘Professional Sefton’, the business networking group previously known as the Financial & Professional Forum, is being relaunched at Southport & Birkdale Sports Club, at 8am on Thursday 27th April.

Free event

Organised by the Council’s InvestSefton team, ‘Professional Sefton’ brings together the financial and professional sectors, which are well represented in the Borough. The free event, which includes breakfast, is open to Sefton’s financial and professional businesses including accountants, solicitors, estate agents and surveyors.

Mark Borzomato, Chief Executive of River Capital (formerly the Merseyside Special Investment Fund), has been invited to make a presentation at this meeting. River Capital Limited is a Liverpool-based fund management business. Mark will be explaining its strategy for supporting business across the City Region and providing an overview on the range of products and services currently available to businesses.

Initiatives, support and funding

April’s ‘Professional Sefton’ will also be an opportunity for InvestSefton, Sefton Council’s Business Support and Inward Investment Service, to highlight any initiatives, support and funding that might be of interest to local businesses and their clients.

Anyone wanting to book free places at ‘Professional Sefton’ should call Dom or Sharon on 0151 934 3452 or email investsefton@sefton.gov.uk

Before COVID, InvestSefton hosted the Financial & Professional Forum network events twice a year. Gatherings were well-attended and regularly attracted attendees from over 50 local businesses.

‘Health is Wealth’

Representatives of more than 30 local businesses attended InvestSefton’s recent ‘Health is Wealth’ workshop, organised by InvestSefton Sefton and PACT Mantality.

InvestSefton, partnered with PACT Mantality, a Sefton based businesses, to deliver the event. ‘Health is Wealth’ was an informative and insightful workshop focused on improving mental health.

Held at the recently renovated Maghull Cricket Club, the workshop was led by Pact Mantality’s Paul Garrigan and Carly Skelly. Its aim was to provide local business leaders with ways of benefiting their personal and professional lives as well as their companies and their workforces.

Passionate

Paul is passionate about creating mental wellness for others after struggles in his own personal and professional life. He has worked with leading experts covering mental health, trauma and human development. He has also learned from doctors and other specialists to develop courses for his business to deliver.

As well as working in the NHS as a paediatric nurse, Carly is a professional boxer who has competed at the highest level. She is the current WBC bronze champion. She has immersed herself fully in the health and well-being industry, studying mental wellness and trauma-related holistic therapies.

Paul and Carly are currently receiving support from InvestSefton to help them grow their business as well as looking to help other businesses and to promote how good mental health can benefit both employees and employers.

Hand-in-hand 

After the event, Paul said: â€œAs PACT Mantality, we believe very strongly that good mental health in the workplace and good management go hand-in-hand, a view which is shared by the InvestSefton team. ”

Carly said: “High levels of mental health wellbeing in the workplace tend to result in organisations being more productive and more profitable as well as being better able to retain staff. 

“It was great to speak to so many Sefton businesses, to pass on our views and advice and hear their response.”

Beneficial

Stephen Watson, Sefton Council’s Executive Director of Place Economic Growth and Housing said: â€œI am pleased we have been able to work with PACT Mantality, a business that is itself being helped by InvestSefton, to organise this beneficial event for other local businesses.

“It is important that we all think about our mental health in the workplace and the recent ‘Health is Wealth’ workshop made that very clear and provided some good insights on how we can look after ourselves and our employees.

“Now I’m looking forward to another busy event with the relaunch of â€˜Professional Sefton’, later this month.”

Business support service

InvestSefton is Sefton Council’s enterprise, business support and inward investment service. It offers free information and advice and access to a wide range of services and is there to help any business, of any size, in any sector.

You can find out more  about Invest Sefton here.

As well as regular events such as ‘Professional Sefton’, InvestSefton also organises demand-led events. The topics for these are based on feedback from businesses and have previously covered Digital Marketing, Carbon Reduction, Branding and Access to Finance as well as a Meet the Buyer event for the construction sector.

A Marketing Workshop is planned for Thursday 18th May. 

Local businesses can book places and suggest topics for future events by calling InvestSefton on 0151 934 3452 or email investsefton@sefton.gov.uk

NHS advice during Grand National Festival at Aintree

12 April 2023
Martin Driver
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Categories: Health
Aintree racecourse image
Aintree, Race Course Signage and Grandstand.

This week’s Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse is taking place during what is an already busy period for the NHS, with the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and ongoing industrial action.

Each year, over the three days of the Grand National Festival, attendances at Aintree University Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital’s emergency Departments tend to rise.

Up to 20% more patients

Aintree Hospital can see up to 20% more patients than normal with minor injuries and numbers can rise at the Royal as people continue their evenings in Liverpool city centre.

The NHS is reminding local communities that people with non-life-threatening injuries can contact NHS 111 online or by phone, which will direct them to the most appropriate service for advice or treatment.

NHS 111 is staffed by a team of trained professionals and clinicians who provide instant over-the-phone triage and can arrange a face-to-face appointment with an out-of-hours GP, or at a local hospital Emergency Department if needed.

Walk In Centre

Alternatively, people in South Sefton can also attend Litherland Walk In Centre without an appointment. Walk In Centres are open from 8am to 8pm seven days per week. Before attending, we recommend you contact NHS 111 to check this is the service you require, as they may be able to help arrange your visit.

Walk In Centres are run by a team of highly skilled multidisciplinary staff, who can provide consultations, advice and treatment for minor injuries and illnesses in both children and adults.

People can also get advice and treatment for lots of minor illnesses and ailments by visiting a local pharmacy – without the need for an appointment.

Landmark event

Dr Jim Gardner, Chief Medical Officer at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Grand National Festival is a landmark event for Liverpool and we want people to have a brilliant time, whether they are attending Aintree Racecourse or enjoying the event elsewhere. But we also want our local communities to look out for one another and enjoy the festival sensibly. Please take care of yourselves, drink in moderation and look after friends and family.

“For anyone requiring urgent or emergency care, our Emergency Departments are always open and our teams are here to help you. However, if you do come to our hospitals with a non-urgent condition, please expect to wait much longer whilst we prioritise those who need our help most.”

Test of Government’s new, national Emergency Alerts system at 3pm on Sunday 23rd April

11 April 2023
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Uncategorized

Government ad explaining Emergency Alert on Sunday 23rd April 2023At 3pm on Sunday 23rd April there will be a test of the Government’s new, national Emergency Alerts system set up to warn people across the UK if there’s a danger to life nearby.

What happens when you get an emergency alert?

In an emergency, your mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe. Your mobile phone or tablet may:

  • make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent;
  • vibrate;
  • read out the alert.

The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.

If you receive an alert, it will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.

Any alerts sent to you will be based on your location at the time and not where you live or work.

You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts and the Government does not need to know your phone number or location to send you an alert.

Reasons you might get an alert

You may get alerts about:

  • severe flooding;
  • fires;
  • extreme weather

Emergency alerts will only be sent by:

  • the emergency services
  • Government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies.

This video shows more.

 

What you need to do if you get an alert.

If you get an alert, stop what you’re doing and follow the on-screen instructions.

If you’re driving or riding when you get an alert

  • Don’t read or otherwise respond to an emergency alert.
  • Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message. If there is nowhere safe or legal to stop close by, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, tune into live radio and wait for bulletins until you can find somewhere safe and legal to stop.
Remember, it is illegal to use a hand-held device while driving or riding.

If you cannot receive emergency alerts

If you do not have a compatible device, you’ll still be informed about an emergency. The emergency services have other ways to warn you when there is a threat to life.

Emergency alerts will not replace local news, radio, television or social media.
 

If you’re deaf, hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted

If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have an emergency alert.

Switching off the Emergency Alerts system if you are experiencing Domestic Abuse

To avoid being put at risk, people experiencing domestic abuse, who for their safety have a secret or secondary mobile phone, are being advised to run off Emergency Alerts.

This is because the alert will play a sound even if the phone is on silent. The alert will play a loud siren and vibrate, and the phone will not be useable until the alert is acknowledged.

Refuge has made this video explaining how to turn off the emergency alerts on both Android and iPhone.

Alert languages

Emergency alerts will be sent in English. In Wales, they may also be sent in Welsh.

 

Health services reminders for forthcoming Easter Bank Holiday weekend and industrial action

28 March 2023
Martin Driver
No comments
Categories: Health, Uncategorized

With the Easter Bank Holiday weekend – Friday 7th to Monday 10th April – fast approaching, people are being reminded to make sure they’ve got enough prescription medication left. It can take a couple of days for a repeat prescription to come through and you don’t want to run out.

Industrial action

In addition, the Easter Bank Holiday will be followed immediately by four days of industrial action by junior doctors, lasting from Tuesday 11th to Friday 14th April.

During this time the NHS, which is still busy caring for people, is expecting significant disruption. So it is important people are aware of the best way to access care at a time health service will be under severe pressure.

Urgent need

If anyone has an urgent healthcare need that can’t wait till the next working day, it is still possible to speak to a GP in the evening, at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

If you call your GP practice outside of office hours, you will hear a recorded message, with details of how to get in touch with a GP. This may be through contacting NHS 111.

NHS 111 online

The NHS 111 online service offers quick advice and the best options for getting the care you need. This including getting a call-back from a trained clinician or nurse, booking an appointment in A&E or providing advice on how to help you recover.

You can use the NHS App to put in a request for a repeat prescription or check your GP practice website for details of how to order a repeat prescription.

Emergency

Urgent and emergency care services will be open over the Bank Holiday and during the industrial action. People should always call 999 or attend A&E in the event of a life or limb threatening emergency.

Pharmacies

High-street pharmacies can provide you with expert advice and help on a range of health issues.

Pharmacy opening times

Council responds to Ofsted monitoring visit feedback

28 March 2023
Martin Driver
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council

Children playing - decorativeSefton Council’s Children’s Services was rated as “Inadequate” by Ofsted in 2022 and since then, a Government Commissioner has been appointed to support the Council to achieve a high-quality service for children, young people and families in Sefton.

Ofsted have now been back to Sefton to carry out a “Monitoring Visit” to review the progress made so far.  A letter to the Council from HM inspector, Lisa Summers, reports on the improvements that have been made, and those yet to be implemented.

Positive difference

Responding to the letter from Ofsted, Dr Risthardh Hare, Interim Director of Education and Children’s Services, said: “Whilst I acknowledge that Sefton Council Children’s Services and partners still have work to do on our improvement journey, I was pleased that Ofsted have recognised how changes over the last year are starting to make a positive difference in areas such as services for disabled children and children with complex needs, senior management oversight and stability in the workforce, which were all key elements of our initial phase of our Improvement Plan.

“Our dedicated staff are committed to delivering the improvements needed. Social workers feel valued and listened to and value the training opportunities they now have and have been able to implement their learning.

“Of course, I was disappointed to read that the inspectors thought the pace of improvement has been too slow in some areas. Recruitment and retention of social workers remains a significant challenge and barrier to improvement, as it is for others across the country, and we continue to depend on agency social workers, but we have taken steps to address this including the introduction of our Social Work Academy and recruitment of social workers from overseas.

“We’ve already sought to address some of the concerns that Ofsted raised when they visited us in February and have created a brand-new Transformation Team to push forward with our improvement plans.

“Demand is at unprecedented levels, which is why the Council has committed additional resources to support the delivery of our improvement plans and to address the challenges we face in the recruitment of permanent social workers and in the children’s care market.”

Top priority

Sefton Council’s ambitious plans are a collective top priority for everyone responsible for caring for vulnerable children; elected members, council employees across the organisation and various partner agencies – all playing a part in driving improvements to the system so we can all deliver better outcomes for children. 

Significant financial investment

Dr Hare continued: “There is still work to do, but we are confident that with our committed workforce and partners, the significant financial investment into Children’s Services, our ambitious plans can be delivered, and improvements made at pace.

“Improving our service is not just about improving the Ofsted rating, it’s about making sure children benefit from the best services, care and support possible, making sure they are safe, protected and inspired to reach their full potential.”

You can find Ofsted’s letter here.

 

 

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