Latest News

Students in Sefton have been given the chance to take part in their very own COP26 session on the last day of the UN conference in Glasgow.

Students have the chance to quiz local leaders and each other on the future of our planet, our emissions targets and will ask themselves what more can be done at a local and individual level to protect our planet.

Students will take part in a conference of two distinct but linked sessions, moving from UN-style dialogue through to what’s happening locally and what difference students can make.

Key speakers include:

• Cllr Diane Roscoe, Cabinet Member for Education
• Jon Gordon, Head of Enterprise at Autism Initiatives, Food (Community Farm)
• Balazs Nagy from Hungary, our EU Independent Rapporteur
• Anne-Marie Clegg, Environmental Education Officer, Sefton Council

Cllr Diane Roscoe, Cabinet Member for Education said:

“I was delighted to be invited to the Sefton Mock COP26 sessions to talk about climate action in Sefton.

“The Council declared a climate emergency back in 2019 and pledged to be net zero carbon by 2030 for all council operations so to come to this mock COP26 session and be quizzed on our plans by the climate leaders of the future has been a fantastic experience.

“There is so much passion for our planet among young people in Sefton and from everything I have seen today, we are in safe hands!”

The event was run by the Liverpool World Centre and aimed to bring students closer to global climate negotiations. Y7-Y11 school students were invited along to bring them closer to the international decision-making process, and to inspire local action.

Active Workforce have been recognised for their work on raising awareness of menopause in the workplace this week in an article by the Daily Mail.

Active Workforce work with local organisations across Sefton to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees. Menopause has been high on the agenda since World Menopause Day in October 2020 when Sefton UNISON launched their menopause policy for employees of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council and New Directions, two participating organisations of Active Workforce.

The menopause seminars provide employees with information on how to recognise the symptoms and what treatments and support is available. The one-hour recorded sessions are delivered online and are available to watch any time. The seminars are tailored to four groups; managers, women experiencing the menopause, women who are yet to experience the menopause, and colleagues, particularly men, who want to learn more. In addition to this, Active Workforce facilitate monthly Menopause Groups for employees to listen to specialists in this area and share their experiences.

Dwayne Johnson, Sefton Council’s Chief Exec attended a group session for men and said: “I found the seminar very enlightening and educational. This has been a great session and well worth the hour of my time. I encourage all staff at Sefton Council and organisations across the Borough to get involved and continue to raise awareness of the menopause in the workplace.”

Peter Moore, Head of Highways and Public Protection at Sefton Council, also attended the session for men and said: “I don’t think the impact of the menopause is fully understood by many people, particularly men, I can’t recall any previous workplace conversations where this has been discussed but I know that I must have worked with women who’ve been through the menopause, or are going through it now, and I guess they’ve mostly suffered in silence. This is a life-course event that all women go through. As an employer and as a society we need to recognise this and be prepared to adapt accordingly.’

Active Workforce are encouraging all employees of participating organisations to attend the seminars and group sessions which are now available to employees of local organisations across Sefton.

To find out more about the seminars and how Active Workforce can help your organisation, please contact the team at active.workforce@sefton.gov.uk

Registered nursing and residential homes in Sefton are now eligible to apply for up to £20,000 to make physical improvements or purchase technology. The aim of the grant is to make care homes more dementia friendly, improve health and wellbeing and to enhance outcomes for residents.

Round One saw 38 care homes receive £400k in grant funding and Round Two is open now and runs until Friday 17^th December 2021.

Cllr Paul Cummins, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Sefton Council said:

“I am delighted to see the launch the Capital Improvement Programme Round Two and encourage Care Home Providers to engage with this exciting opportunity.

“The programme will help the sector to further enhance the quality of life of their residents and shows the continued commitment the Council has to supporting and developing these important services.”

Round 1 of the funding has led to providers successfully implementing a wide range of projects which have improved the environment for residents. Projects included the installation of sensory spaces both indoors and outdoors, artwork, summer houses and conservatory refurbishments, cool touch radiators, and dementia friendly technology such as interactive tables.

One Sefton Care Home said:

“There is a noticeable difference already in the amount of service users that are spending longer periods of time in the dining areas due to the increase suitability and comfort of the chairs. Staff have found it easier to serve meals to the residents and assist those who need help during mealtimes.”

Another Sefton Care Home said:

“I would like to thank Sefton Council for providing us the opportunity and the grant to make the Home more Dementia-friendly. The council is heading in the right direction in terms of offering support to people with dementia.”

All care homes in Sefton will now have received an application form. For further information and an application form please email asc.development@sefton.gov.uk

On Regions and Cities day of COP26, Sefton Council has called on the government to provide more support to local government to tackle the issue of climate change at a local level, empower community led action and address crucial adaptation concerns.

Sefton Council has declared a climate emergency and has pledged to be net zero carbon by 2030 for all council activities.

The Council has now urged the government to revise it’s 2050 target for net zero to reflect the emergency we currently face and to provide more support to local authorities to be net zero carbon much sooner.

Cllr Paulette Lappin, Cabinet Member for Regulatory and Corporate Services said:

“COP26 has been a big moment for the UK and the international community and we have seen political will across the world to tackle one of the biggest issues facing humanity. Now that COP26 is drawing to a close, we call on the government to tackle this problem together, across all levels of government, right down to our local authorities.

“We want the Government to see the opportunities for bottom-up, locally led climate action to be of equal importance as the Levelling Up agenda and to invest in our regions to enable us to truly lead on this work.

“We need to see greater investment in adaptation measures, particularly for coastal areas and areas at risk of flooding. The carbon we emit will stay in the atmosphere for around 100 years and therefore the effects of climate change will have an impact on us. As a coastal borough, Sefton will be affected more than most by extreme weather events to come and we must be prepared.  

“There is no one thing that the Government alone can do to end this climate emergency and we must approach this problem as a problem for all, to be solved by all. Everything we do has a cumulative positive effect and the Government must provide more support to local authorities to ensure that we can protect our communities from climate change and invest in net zero ambitions.”