Thursday 20 August 2020

In this update:
- Growth Support Kickstart Grant Scheme
- Advice for car sharing
- Second stage of Self Employment Income Support Scheme opens
- Could you be Proud to Care?
- GCSE results questions answered by Department for Education
- Advice for travelling abroad
- Self-isolation period extended to 10 days
- Stronger enforcement measures
- Do you want to take part in vaccine trials?
- What you can do to help stop the spread
View the full document here |
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Friday 24 July 2020

In this update:
- New powers to help us respond quicker to cases
- Care homes start to open carefully to visitors
- Face coverings to be worn in enclosed public places
- Eid al Adha guidance for our Muslim communities
- One in five targeted by COVID scammers
- 31 August deadline for 30 hours funded childcare
- Support available for farmers
View the full document here
Friday 17 July 2020

In this update:
- We’re working hard to ensure we keep residents safe
- Residents and visitors asked to ‘stick with us’
- Changes at Newton Abbot recycling centre
- More libraries reopening
- Face coverings – all you need to know
- Eat out to help out campaign
- Devon Together newspaper
- A reminder to get tested
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View the full document here
ocument herePublic: coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for Devon on our website
Please pass this onto district, borough, parish and town councillors as appropriate. The bulletin can be shared as a link by clicking the ‘View it as a Web page’ link at the top.
Local Outbreak Plans will be supplementary to national testing and tracing arrangements
Last Friday (22 May) the Government announced that Councils will receive a share of an extra £300m to help establish Local Outbreak Plans which will include local coordination and management of infection control and of local testing and tracing arrangements.
We welcomed that announcement because it’s something we’ve been calling for. We’ve been asked how those plans sit alongside the Government’s recent announcement about national testing and tracing.
These arrangements, to establish local outbreak plans, are supplementary to the national testing and tracing arrangements, and are to be in place across the country by the end of June.
We will be one of 11 national Beacon Councils – the only one in the South West – to help lead and share good practice across the region.
There are local concerns that if lockdown is released too quickly or if there is a huge influx of visitors then that this could cause a second peak of infection. At the same time many local businesses, particularly in the tourism and leisure sectors, are reliant on visitors.
A locally managed outbreak response which can quickly spot and then mobilise all our local resources to contain any new clusters of infection or hotspots is seen as a good way to ensure that the release of lockdown can be managed more effectively and safely.
Our Council Leader, Councillor John Hart, said:
“Devon County Council welcomed the Government’s announcement late last week that local councils were to be asked to play a more central role in developing new local track and trace plans for their local areas.
“These local outbreak plans will supplement and support the national track and trace system launched today and will put local authorities at the forefront of responding swiftly to help manage any local outbreak or hotspot before it spreads too far.
“The expectation is that local plans covering the whole country will be in place by the end of June, but as a Beacon Council for the South West we expect arrangements in Devon to be place sooner.
“We are currently working as fast as we can with all our local partners to build on the great work already done by everyone so far to develop plans that really work for Devon and the wider South West and can help our communities get back up and running again as safely and as soon as possible. Districts will be fully involved and the new policy builds on the statutory role of local government Directors of Public Health.
“A key part of this will be to ensure public trust and confidence in the process locally and we will be making sure we are as transparent as possible and that as many people as possible feel they are a part of this process.”
To read the information in full, please click here
Tuesday 19 May 2020
This week we’re celebrating mental health awareness, and with it the power and potential of kindness.
As we adjust to a very different way of living, being kind to each other and to ourselves has never been more important.
We know from research that kindness and our mental health are profoundly connected. It strengthens relationships, develops community connections and deepens solidarity.
An antidote to isolation, kindness creates a sense of belonging. It helps reduce stress, brings a fresh perspective, it deepens friendships and sees no boundaries.
This week, while we go about our now usual routines, let’s make kindness to others and to ourselves the goal. After all, protecting our mental health is central to our recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19). The psychological and social impacts of this virus are likely to outlast the physical symptoms, so let the kindness we show be our way of coping.

In this update:
- It’s Mental Health Awareness Week
- Join our #COVID19ShoutOut campaign
- Share your random act of kindness
- TALKWORKS support
- Letter from our Head of Education about returning to school
- Helping young people stay connected
- On-street parking enforcement to resume
To read the information in full, please click here |
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Friday 15 May 2020
We’ve seen some changes this week. Recycling centres have started to reopen in a limited way; we’ve moved from staying at home, to staying alert, and since Wednesday we’ve been allowed more exercise and travel.
Unlike lockdown, which came quite suddenly, the re-starting of things has to be a gradual process. Relatively simple announcements – some schools will open from June 1, for example – need a lot of consideration and planning to ensure that these things happen safely.
As we move into this next phase, we’re doing so gradually and with care to make sure that the decisions we make are the right ones.
You too will be doing that, in the decisions and actions that you take.
The sun may be shining again this weekend, and as limits are lifted a little, we may be tempted to flock to the beach or moors.
We’d like you to please ‘think twice’. Think about risks and please continue to wash your hands regularly and abide by the social distancing guidelines.

In this update:
- ‘Think Twice’ campaign launched
- Supporting social distancing for walkers and cyclists
- Tour of Britain postponed
- A plea to not queue on the roads at our recycling centres
- Remember to #BeTickAware
- Missed something? Access the Connect Me back catalogue
To read the information in full, please click here |
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Tuesday 12 May 2020
No doubt you will all have seen the Prime Minister’s plans for the next phase of tackling the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, aiming to reopen society a little and kick-start the economy. It signals a change, but it doesn’t herald the end. The changes to the lockdown are limited, it has not been lifted and we still have a long way to go. While this next phase feels significant, it is certainly not a return to normality.
We should all still be staying at home as much as possible, but from tomorrow, (Wednesday 13 May), people in England can spend more leisure time outdoors, which is important for our mental and physical health. However, if you do go out, please remember to make sure you observe social distancing and good hand hygiene. After all, the reason why Devon has relatively fewer cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) is because we have all done well to comply with the government guidance so far – let’s keep it up.
We celebrated the 75th anniversary of VE Day at the weekend, and it was fantastic to see such community spirit as we marked the day at home in our own ways. It’s that community spirit and personal resolve that we need to hold on tight to still. Although it’s encouraging to see the gradual opening back up of the things we once took for granted, let’s make sure we give deliberate thought and care to what we do next and not undo the enormous effort that we have made so far by letting down our guard now.
In this update:
- Vulnerable residents should remain at home
- New government guidance
- Emergency financial help available for those struggling
- HM Coastguard ask you to respect the coastline
- Increased concern about online grooming
- Additional cash to boost active travel
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To read the information in full, please click here
It’s not easy, we know, but let’s keep it up
Social distancing, staying at home – it’s all part of the collective response, and they’re the things that we can do ourselves. We’re pretty good at it too it seems. The South West still has the lowest number of reported cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), thanks largely to compliance. So when we hear analogies of marathons rather than sprints, let’s keep at it. Let’s keep it going.
We’re aware that there’s a lot of anxiety around. It’s natural that people are feeling worried, but it’s important that we recognise it and that we share our concerns with others where we can and that we take steps to look after our own wellbeing as well as those around us. There’s a lot of advice out there to help you take care of your mental health and wellbeing, so please look after yourself.
We’re continuing to work with all of our partners to keep communities safe and well. It’s brilliant to hear of the excellent work being done locally by volunteers, and of communities coming together to look out for each other. We’ve now got 386 local support groups identified on our interactive map, offering local initiatives to support those in need.

In this update:
- Millie is Proud to Care
- Keeping children safe when they are online
- Drive through testing centre to open in Exeter
- £59k dontated to community projects
- Keeping the wheels of democracy turning
- Thank you from our waste teams
To read the information in full, please click here
Keep it up, you’re doing great
It’s tempting isn’t it to project forward, and speculate on easing the national lockdown to regain some level of normality. But right now, amidst talk of ‘peaks’, it’s vital that we keep on with the social distancing currently in place as we move into the weekend.
It’s thanks to the way we’ve changed our behaviour and complied with these measures that the infection rate in Devon is slower and lower than in other parts of the country.
We know it’s getting tough but stay at home, exercise locally. Go out only if you need to, and respect social distancing if you do.
It’s also important that we continue looking out for each other, particularly the vulnerable and isolated in our communities. Let’s stand together and give our support to all those experiencing real hardship or difficulty.
In this update:
- Let us know your dietary requirements
- Thanks for your community equipment
- Be kind to key workers
- Return to social work
- Stay home for Ramadan
- Beware Coronavirus scams
To read the information in full, please click here