Kent County Council has been awarded £1.6 million from the Department for Transport for schemes to promote active travel, such as walking and cycling.
The Covid lockdown in March produced both a reduction in overall travel and a major shift in travel patterns. Walking and cycling increased, though the big drop in use of public transport, coupled with fears for future usage because of concerns about infection risk and the requirements of social distancing, threatens a return to car dependence. The aim of policy now is to lock in the gains in increased walking and cycling.
The announcement at the end of last week represents success in the first round of bidding for DfT support for active travel schemes. Councils had to produce in short order (barely a week) a set of proposals for the first round of allocations. KCC stood to secure up to £1.6 million, and in gaining 100% of its possible allocation was more successful than some areas. Over the next eight weeks the council must successfully implement its schemes, with the aim of securing a bigger (£6.4m) second tranche of funding.
Schemes going ahead over the next eight weeks include those in Tunbridge Wells, Canterbury, Faversham, Hythe and Margate. The extremely rushed nature of the first round meant that KCC officers had to put forward 'off the shelf' schemes that had already been proposed or considered at some point. However, in the second round there will be a greater focus on working with local County Councillors and others to bring forward schemes.
Tuesday, 30 June 2020
Sunday, 21 June 2020
October date proposed for the Kent Test
The many uncertainties over how long children, and in particular the current Year 5 cohort, will stay out of school has raised questions over the best approach to this year's Kent Test for grammar school entry.
The Kent Test has for over a decade been sat in September, soon after the new Year 6 children return to school. As soon as schools closed to the majority of pupils in March, the question of whether this timeline could be sustained was raised. Recently, it has become increasingly clear - and subsequently confirmed - that the children currently in Year 5 will return to school only at the start of the school year in September.
On Friday, KCC announced that a proposal has been submitted to Richard Long, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, to delay this year's Kent Test by a month until 15 October (for children in Kent schools). The proposal from the Children, Young People and Education directorate, recognises the major impact of school closures on children's learning (and on some more than others) and will allow pupils to settle back into the classroom before taking the Test.
The Test was sat in September so that families could know its outcome before making their choices on the Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF) at the end of October. Under the proposal, that would not be possible and so it proposes that the number of schools that parents can name on the SCAF form is increased from four to six for one year only. Families considering a grammar school for their child should ensure that they register them for the Test by the deadline of Wednesday, 1 July.
You can find our media statement about the proposal here. The proposal will be considered over the coming weeks, and a formal decision made by the end of term; however, in setting this out, we hope to ease some of the uncertainty confronting families considering a grammar school for their child.
The Kent Test has for over a decade been sat in September, soon after the new Year 6 children return to school. As soon as schools closed to the majority of pupils in March, the question of whether this timeline could be sustained was raised. Recently, it has become increasingly clear - and subsequently confirmed - that the children currently in Year 5 will return to school only at the start of the school year in September.
On Friday, KCC announced that a proposal has been submitted to Richard Long, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, to delay this year's Kent Test by a month until 15 October (for children in Kent schools). The proposal from the Children, Young People and Education directorate, recognises the major impact of school closures on children's learning (and on some more than others) and will allow pupils to settle back into the classroom before taking the Test.
The Test was sat in September so that families could know its outcome before making their choices on the Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF) at the end of October. Under the proposal, that would not be possible and so it proposes that the number of schools that parents can name on the SCAF form is increased from four to six for one year only. Families considering a grammar school for their child should ensure that they register them for the Test by the deadline of Wednesday, 1 July.
You can find our media statement about the proposal here. The proposal will be considered over the coming weeks, and a formal decision made by the end of term; however, in setting this out, we hope to ease some of the uncertainty confronting families considering a grammar school for their child.
Thursday, 11 June 2020
Asylum seeking children: some real progress
This post is a bit behind events, but it has been a frenetic week.
I have posted before about the challenges Kent faces regarding the arrival of large numbers of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC). Adult asylum seekers (and children accompanying their families) who arrive in Kent are dispersed across the country (with relatively few remaining in the South East) but UASC remain the responsibility of KCC. So far this year some 215 UASC have come into the care of the County Council, more than in the whole of either 2017 or 2018, and more than twice the level of the same time last year. In the month of May alone, 65 UASC arrived, the highest level for any month since the crisis summer of 2015.
With our reception centres and other services under severe and growing pressure, I wrote to the Home Secretary urging action. At the start of this week, I warned that the new quarantine regulations would add to the pressures because the requirements for lengthy isolation would stretch our reception facilities further.
On Monday, I spoke to the Immigration Minister Chris Philp, and shortly after this government announced a package of improved financial support for councils for UASC. The following day saw a remote meeting, in which Sue Chandler (Cabinet Member for Integrated Children's Services), KCC officers and I spoke with Minister Philp, Children's Minister Vicky Ford, their officials and representatives from local government and children's services bodies.
The government measures have raised the rates paid in support of 16 and 17 year old UASC for authorities with more than 0.07% UASC in their young people's population (the measure set for the purposes of the National Transfer Scheme, set up after the 2015 crisis but in abeyance in the last couple of years). There is also a 20% increase in the rates paid for the support of UASC care leavers (former children in care aged 25), with the Home Office support now extended to the age of 25. Alongside this government committed to give strong support to efforts which KCC has begun to place UASC young people with local authorities across the country.
This is very good news in many ways. The enhanced financial support is worth some £5 million to KCC, and hence to Kent taxpayers. The personal commitment of the ministers has been impressive, and it is to be hoped (and some of the early signs are encouraging) that we can make progress in placing UASC in other local authorities. There will be continuing dialogue with ministers on longer-term issues.
There are perhaps two caveats. The first is that, while we may well see placements with other local authorities in the immediate future, it is not clear whether the measures announced can get the National Transfer Scheme back up and running on a sustained basis. Secondly, if arrivals continue at a rapid rate over the summer (in spite of ministers' commitment to work with the French authorities to reduce the boat journeys across the Channel), then our services could soon be under pressure again. Still, we are in a much better position than seemed possible a week ago, or when I pre-recorded an interview for BBC Radio 4's File on 4 (you can find the programme here; my comments are in the closing minutes of this very informative episode). KCC's media release can be found here.
I have posted before about the challenges Kent faces regarding the arrival of large numbers of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC). Adult asylum seekers (and children accompanying their families) who arrive in Kent are dispersed across the country (with relatively few remaining in the South East) but UASC remain the responsibility of KCC. So far this year some 215 UASC have come into the care of the County Council, more than in the whole of either 2017 or 2018, and more than twice the level of the same time last year. In the month of May alone, 65 UASC arrived, the highest level for any month since the crisis summer of 2015.
With our reception centres and other services under severe and growing pressure, I wrote to the Home Secretary urging action. At the start of this week, I warned that the new quarantine regulations would add to the pressures because the requirements for lengthy isolation would stretch our reception facilities further.
On Monday, I spoke to the Immigration Minister Chris Philp, and shortly after this government announced a package of improved financial support for councils for UASC. The following day saw a remote meeting, in which Sue Chandler (Cabinet Member for Integrated Children's Services), KCC officers and I spoke with Minister Philp, Children's Minister Vicky Ford, their officials and representatives from local government and children's services bodies.
The government measures have raised the rates paid in support of 16 and 17 year old UASC for authorities with more than 0.07% UASC in their young people's population (the measure set for the purposes of the National Transfer Scheme, set up after the 2015 crisis but in abeyance in the last couple of years). There is also a 20% increase in the rates paid for the support of UASC care leavers (former children in care aged 25), with the Home Office support now extended to the age of 25. Alongside this government committed to give strong support to efforts which KCC has begun to place UASC young people with local authorities across the country.
This is very good news in many ways. The enhanced financial support is worth some £5 million to KCC, and hence to Kent taxpayers. The personal commitment of the ministers has been impressive, and it is to be hoped (and some of the early signs are encouraging) that we can make progress in placing UASC in other local authorities. There will be continuing dialogue with ministers on longer-term issues.
There are perhaps two caveats. The first is that, while we may well see placements with other local authorities in the immediate future, it is not clear whether the measures announced can get the National Transfer Scheme back up and running on a sustained basis. Secondly, if arrivals continue at a rapid rate over the summer (in spite of ministers' commitment to work with the French authorities to reduce the boat journeys across the Channel), then our services could soon be under pressure again. Still, we are in a much better position than seemed possible a week ago, or when I pre-recorded an interview for BBC Radio 4's File on 4 (you can find the programme here; my comments are in the closing minutes of this very informative episode). KCC's media release can be found here.
Thursday, 4 June 2020
Drainage works in Farningham
Kent Highways is carrying out drainage works in Farningham High Street between Sparepenny Lane and the river east of Dartford Road. The particular focus of the works is to tackle problems affecting Lion Cottages, where surface water run-off from the road comes over the footway and into houses. There will be a range of work done on pipes, catch pits and cleansing. The required road closure began on 3 June; the aim has been to get the works completed in advance of businesses reopening. The closure will be in two phases (river bridge to Dartford Road; then Dartford Road to Sparepenny Lane) to create the shortest possible diversion route at any given time.
These works are quite separate from ongoing investigations into the very long-standing flooding problems in Eynsford Road. Since my previous post in mid-April, a crew visited and successfully identified a hidden chamber and the full course of the pipe in the private road near South Hall Close; several previous attempts to identify this had been unsuccessful. This pipework is heavily silted and cleansing is being arranged of this and the whole related network. Accessing the system is quite complex (and may need to be done in Oliver Crescent) but a job should be raised for this shortly.
At the other end of the parish, works were as I reported due to be carried out at the intersection of Button Street with the A20 in early May. The drainage system there was cleansed and no defects found. However, the soakaways on either side of the M25 bridge need emptying and there is more work to be done with specialist equipment on one drain on the junction with the A20. Officers are awaiting a full CCTV report before ordering the follow up works.
These works are quite separate from ongoing investigations into the very long-standing flooding problems in Eynsford Road. Since my previous post in mid-April, a crew visited and successfully identified a hidden chamber and the full course of the pipe in the private road near South Hall Close; several previous attempts to identify this had been unsuccessful. This pipework is heavily silted and cleansing is being arranged of this and the whole related network. Accessing the system is quite complex (and may need to be done in Oliver Crescent) but a job should be raised for this shortly.
At the other end of the parish, works were as I reported due to be carried out at the intersection of Button Street with the A20 in early May. The drainage system there was cleansed and no defects found. However, the soakaways on either side of the M25 bridge need emptying and there is more work to be done with specialist equipment on one drain on the junction with the A20. Officers are awaiting a full CCTV report before ordering the follow up works.
Monday, 1 June 2020
Care Home Support: Kent's submission
On 14 May, the Care Minister Helen Whately wrote to Council Leaders (including me) setting out the government's plans for supporting care homes in tackling the impacts of Covid-19, including a £600 million Infection Control Fund. It also has a significant role for local authorities.
The Infection Control Fund (Kent's share of which is almost £19 million) will be channelled through local authorities, although three quarters of it will be allocated to care homes on a sum per bed formula. However, local authorities will have a role in assuring that the money is spent on infection control, as well as drawing up, along with local NHS leaders, a Care Home Support Plan. This is incorporated in a letter setting out both the financial (and other) support that the local authority is providing to the sector and the mechanisms of monitoring and support to the sector in tackling infection. The letter is accompanied by a completed template profiling the situation of the care sector in terms of infection control.
As the County Councils Network pointed out, this is a significant extension of the role of local authorities in social care, both in terms of taking us into a more regulatory role and in building connections with the many care homes with whom we do not have a direct relationship (since they support only 'self-funders' rather than those supported by KCC). Although it raises legal, capacity and other challenges for local authorities, it is in my view (and that of KCC0 overall a welcome and certainly important step.
Care Home Support Plans were required to be submitted on Friday, 29 May. You can find Kent's letter and completed template via this page of the KCC website.
The Infection Control Fund (Kent's share of which is almost £19 million) will be channelled through local authorities, although three quarters of it will be allocated to care homes on a sum per bed formula. However, local authorities will have a role in assuring that the money is spent on infection control, as well as drawing up, along with local NHS leaders, a Care Home Support Plan. This is incorporated in a letter setting out both the financial (and other) support that the local authority is providing to the sector and the mechanisms of monitoring and support to the sector in tackling infection. The letter is accompanied by a completed template profiling the situation of the care sector in terms of infection control.
As the County Councils Network pointed out, this is a significant extension of the role of local authorities in social care, both in terms of taking us into a more regulatory role and in building connections with the many care homes with whom we do not have a direct relationship (since they support only 'self-funders' rather than those supported by KCC). Although it raises legal, capacity and other challenges for local authorities, it is in my view (and that of KCC0 overall a welcome and certainly important step.
Care Home Support Plans were required to be submitted on Friday, 29 May. You can find Kent's letter and completed template via this page of the KCC website.
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