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LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering Week

10 March 2023
Charlene Smith
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News, Uncategorized

This week we’ve been celebrating LGBT+ Fostering and Adoption Week (6th – 12th March).

For LGBTQ+ people thinking about fostering or adoption the question absolutely shouldn’t be “will my sexual orientation or gender identity count against me?”

We encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender+ people to think about giving a loving home to a child and foster with Sefton Council.

Sefton needs more foster carers from all backgrounds regardless of their sexuality, gender, single, married, in same-sex relationships, race, ethnicity or religion.

We would like to share Mark and Dave’s inspirational story. The couple have been fostering with Sefton for 16 years and say that they have loved every minute.

Mark: At the moment we’ve got three foster children 6, 10 and 13. We also have other previous foster children who are still with us and are a massive part of our family.

Sometimes we have to count how many plates we need at the table and how many seats we need there is that many of us. That includes children their friends their partners, we’re just one big family and we love it.

Dave: We have different experiences of fostering children of all ages. It’s great to see the young ones coming through, they are such a delight. They’re learning and their minds are like sponges. They want to be loved and to be hugged and its beautiful.

When you’re looking after the teenagers you can really get stuck in with sports and games. We like the outdoors so it’s great for us to get out and about with them.

There’s never a shortage of one of them wanting to play a game of pool, badminton or have a rounders tournament in the back garden. Seeing them wanting to engage is heart-warming.

Mark: When our eldest came to us he was sad. We gave him the stability and support he needed during difficult teenage years. 10 years on and he’s working and he’s really doing well in his life and being in foster care hasn’t held him back because we’ve pushed him forward and encouraged him.

Dave: If anyone from the LGBT+ community is concerned or worried or apprehensive about fostering, please find out more. We started 15 years ago, and it has been an amazing journey we’ve never been held back, and we’ve always been encouraged to be the carers that we are today.

Mark: I completely echo what Dave has said. If you are thinking about fostering honestly it is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It can be challenging at times, but you are bringing happiness and life to children who actually need love, a good home and support.

Sefton’s Foster Carers are paid for their skills, receive full training and support, plus allowances.

Anyone who is thinking about fostering can find out more by speaking to one of the team or by visiting the dedicated website at https://seftonfostering.co.uk/ 

Or call the freephone number – 0800 923 2777

If anyone is thinking about adoption, please visit www.adoptioninmerseyside.co.uk.

Groundbreaking trans health service making a difference to lives in Sefton

10 March 2023
Sian McCosh
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News

A dedicated trans health service is providing medical support and guidance for residents across Sefton.

Trans Health Sefton was set up in 2017 by Sefton’s two former Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) before they became part of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, which now funds the service, in 2022. It was designed with the support of patients and healthcare professionals, to provide medical support for people whose gender identity is different from their assigned gender at birth.

Dr Anna Ferguson and Jenny Owen receive the award
Dr Anna Ferguson and Jenny Owen receive the award

Award winning

The service has been recognised as the first of its kind and won an award in the Primary Care Innovation category at the National Healthcare Transformation Awards in 2019.

Based at Bootle Strand, Trans Health Sefton has proved to be a great success with trans residents in the local community, with one patient saying: “I don’t think that I can imagine better care.”

Speaking about the service, Dr Anna Hunter, Service Lead for Trans Health Sefton said: “Trans health is so often overlooked, and it leaves people not knowing where to turn to get the support they need.

“I started Trans Health Sefton to provide a safe space for people who are struggling with their gender identity or whose gender differs from what they were assigned at birth.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to help patients of all ages and to be there for them as they take the brave steps to being who they want to be.”

Support and guidance

Anyone who is registered with a Sefton GP can be referred to Trans Health Sefton. This referral can be made by a healthcare professional or via a self-referral through the practice.

Following referral and assessment, Trans Health Sefton can support patients with care planning, assistance with hormone therapy treatment, administrative tasks such as making a legal name change. It can also help with guidance for patients and their families.

The service works closely with health and support organisations across the region to signpost residents to the best and most appropriate healthcare available to them.

You can find out more about Trans Health Sefton, here. 

Making a difference

Anna added: “Trans Health Sefton is a real example of grass roots innovation and co-design, where service users and voluntary, community and faith organisations worked together with medical and other health professionals to develop the service.

“We are proud of the work our service has done and the difference it has made.

“It has been so successful that our assessment and treatment pathways were adopted in 2020 as a pilot for gender identity clinics across the country.”

Anthony Griffin, chair of Sefton based trans non-binary and intersex support group In-Trust and who played a central role in the design of the service, said: “Looking back over the last few years on the overwhelming success of Trans Health Sefton, it’s important to remember there is much still to be done, so that this important service is available across the region.

“Now more than ever the former Sefton CCG are to be commended for ensuring the future of this unique service.”

Councillor Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “It is deeply important to us at Sefton Council along with our partners in health and care that all of our residents have access to the right level of healthcare.

“We are delighted to have Trans Health Sefton providing life-changing care for residents in Sefton and I’m sure it will continue to go from strength to strength.”

You can find out more about Trans Health Sefton, here. 

Bin collections affected by snow – Friday 10th March

10 March 2023
Martin Driver
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council
Thanks to the improving weather situation, we now have a limited number of crews out collecting refuse and recycling bins.
 
Please leave you bins out for collection, if they are not collected today they will all be collected by Monday 13th March.
 

If you have a scheduled green garden waste collection due on Monday 13th, please present your green bin as normal. There will be a limited number of crews collecting these so please be patient as there will be some delays.  If your green bin is not collected on Monday leave them out and our teams will continue to clear through the week.

 Other services scheduled for Friday 10th March, including bulky item collections, bin deliveries, trade waste and clinical waste collections will be subject to delays. Teams will catch up throughout next week.

We would like to thanks people for their patience.

You can find out more about our bin collections and recycling here.

Merseyrail takes steps to protect services in cold weather on Friday 10th March

9 March 2023
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News

El Pollock / Merseyrail Class 507, 507010, Birkenhead North railway stationMerseyrail’s first, pre-rush hour services will run without passengers on all lines, on Friday 10 March, due to a Met Office issued weather warning for snow.

Third rail

A build up of snow on the powered third rail can preventing trains from making electrical contact and operating so to ensure the track is safe, the very first trains on each line will run empty.

In Sefton, this means:

  • Southport line: 05:37 (Southport – Hunts Cross) starts at Sandhills at 06:21. The 05:59 (Sandhills – Southport) is cancelled.
  • Hunts Cross line: 06:01 (Hunts Cross – Southport) will start at Liverpool Central at 06:24.

Disruption possible

Merseyrail hope to be able to run a full service following these cancellations, however some disruption is still possible. Anyone planning to travel tomorrow or over the weekend is strongly advised to check the Merseyrail website, app or social media channels before starting their journey.

Mitigation plans will be in place overnight and in the morning as Merseyrail takes steps to protect commuter services.

Tracks on the 75-mile Merseyrail network will be treated overnight to protect them from snow build-up, while station staff will ensure that platforms and car parks are well gritted, so they are safe for passengers.

Preventative measures

Greg Suligowski, Head of Customer Service at Merseyrail, said: “The Met Office weather warning for snow across the region, means that we need to take immediate preventative measures to ensure that we can start services at the earliest time possible tomorrow.

“Our teams will be working closely with colleagues from Network Rail both overnight and in the morning to get passenger services moving. However, further disruption beyond the cancellations announced is possible.

“We apologise for the disruption this will cause and would recommend anyone planning to travel tomorrow or over the weekend checks our social media channels, app or website for the latest advice before starting their journey.”

You can find out more from Merseyrail, here.

‘Health is Wealth’ is theme of latest InvestSefton event for Borough’s businesses

8 March 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.

Sefton businesses of any size or sector are being invited to a ‘Health is Wealth’ workshop focusing on mental health wellbeing.

InvestSefton has teamed up with PACT Mantality to host the workshop at Maghull Town Hall, from 10am to 1pm on Thursday 23rd March.

More productive

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Cabinet Member for Skills and Regeneration said: “Good mental health at work and good management are acknowledged as going hand-in-hand and workplaces with high levels of mental health wellbeing are more productive.

“Our ‘Health is Wealth’ event will provide ‘food for thought’ and highlight practices that Sefton’s business leaders can incorporate to create a positive impact in their personal and professional lives and on their companies and workforces.”

Passionate

InvestSefton is Sefton Council’s enterprise, business support and inward investment service. PACT Mantality is a Sefton based business who are passionate about raising awareness and transforming people’s mental health.

To book places at ‘Health is Wealth’, Sefton businesses should call Dom or Sharon on 0151 934 3452 or email investsefton@sefton.gov.uk

Resounding success

Local online news channel Stand Up for Southport recently described InvestSefton’s latest event, the first ever ‘Sefton Huddle’ for digital, creative and tech companies, as ‘a resounding success’.

Also, the InvestSefton team was recently praised for its Economic Forum and Growth Hub Marketplace event which was attended by over 120 business delegates.

As Sefton Council’s enterprise, business support and inward investment service, InvestSefton 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.

People wanting to find out more about how the InvestSefton can help support their business, can visit www.investsefton.com  or contact the team on 0151 934 3452 or investsefton@sefton.gov.uk .

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