dumnonia

Thursday 6 September 2012

South Gloucestershire Hawk and Owl Trust


Stolen Hawk and Owl Trust mobile unit recovered after eBay sighting

The mobile education trailer was towed from a driveway in Stapleton in May 2011

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A Bristol conservation group has had its stolen mobile education trailer returned after its chairman saw it for sale on eBay.
The unit belonging to the South Gloucestershire Hawk and Owl Trust

Owls in the United Kingdom

Barn owl huntingSix species of owl occur naturally in the United Kingdom, while controversy rages over whether a seventh, the European Eagle Owl, is living wild in England as a result of natural migration from the Continent, or as a result of escaping from bird collections.
 was stolen in Stapleton in May 2011.
It contained display boards, show equipment and thousands of leaflets.
Chairman Paul Golledge spotted it on the internet auction site and contacted Avon and Somerset Police who launched an investigation.
The trailer was subsequently recovered earlier in the year and it has now been returned to the trust.
Mobile education trailerA police spokesman said no-one had been charged over the matter.
The trailer had been stripped of its branding so it has been refurbished and will resume its role in transporting the group's promotional tools to shows across the West.
Mr Golledge said the trust had been "devastated" when it was stolen.
He said: "We are incredibly grateful to Avon and Somerset Constabulary for its dogged detection work in solving this crime. It means the important work of the trust can continue unhindered."
Vice-chairman Stuart Robson said he was "delighted" to celebrate the trailer's return and added: "Our education unit enables us to explain to people the work we do and why we do it.
"It also gives them the opportunity to get involved with us as conservation volunteers."
Hawk and Owl Trust volunteers work for wild birds of prey and their habitats.
The mobile education trailer is used at festivals, shows and events to help promote the trust's work while providing information.

Thursday 30 August 2012

how not to safeguard adults from abuse and neglect


Safeguarding adults from abuse and neglect

Safeguarding Adults Logo
  • Everybody has the right to live their life free from violence, fear and abuse.
  • Everybody has the right to live in safety. 
You have these rights especially if you are disabled, ill or an older person. A vulnerable adult is someone who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.
Abuse is when someone does or says something to you which harms you and makes you upset and scared. You may be afraid and do not know how to get the help you need. Abuse can be a single act or continue over months or even years. It can be accidental or deliberate. Just because there is no injury doesn’t mean there is no
abuse.
Under ‘No Secrets’ (Department of Health/Home Office 2000) local authorities have the responsibility to coordinate a multi agency approach to safeguarding vulnerable adults.
In South Gloucestershire there is a multi agency partnership called the Safeguarding Adults Board(SAB) which oversees the Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures and the multi agency Workforce Development Plan.
The Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures aim to safeguard all adults resident in South Gloucestershire aged 18 or over who are or may be eligible for community care services and whose independence and well-being would be at risk if they did not receive appropriate health and social care support.
This includes: adults with physical, sensory or learning disabilities and those with mental health problems. It also includes carers, family and friends who provide personal assistance and care on an unpaid basis.
A direct link to the Department of Health Guidance can be found in the 'other websites' box on this page.

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Our role in Winterbourne View and the changes we will make to protect people from abuse


Our role in Winterbourne View and the changes we will make to protect people from abuse

7 August 2012

Our role and that of five other organisations involved in the events at Winterbourne View have been drawn together in the serious case review published today.
The serious case review looks at our role and that of Castlebeck Ltd, NHS South Gloucestershire, NHS South West, South Gloucestershire Council and Avon and Somerset Police during the events at Winterbourne View.
You can find the serious case review on South Gloucestershire Council's website.
After the events of Winterbourne View, we carried out a full review of our systems and processes that showed failings in the way we involved whistleblowers and processed the information they gave us.
We have already made significant changes to various areas of our work to ensure that we are better placed to respond to concerns of whistleblowers in order to protect vulnerable people.
Other changes relate to the way we:
  • follow-up on action plans when services aren’t meeting government standards.
  • build new ways to work with local safeguarding teams.
  • develop the way we analyse safeguarding alerts so we can spot trends in care.
Dame Jo Williams, CQC chair, said,  “Winterbourne View was a watershed moment for CQC.  We did not respond as we should have and we have offered our apologies to the patients and their families.
“We have been honest about our limitations at the time and willing to learn from them.  We carried out an urgent and thorough internal review to strengthen our processes and to ensure that we are better placed to play our part in protecting people in vulnerable care situations.”
Chief Executive David Behan said, “There is much for all the organisations involved with Winterbourne View to consider…I will ensure that the Care Quality Commission responds fully to all the recommendations for CQC. We will continue to work with other organisations to improve communications and sharing of information to ensure we all protect those who are most vulnerable.”

Wednesday 22 August 2012

most expensive locations to rent in the country


Bath has been named one of the - but property experts in the city say demand is as high as ever.
Specialist letting agents’ insurer Endsleigh this week rated Bath as the fifth priciest town or city for tenants in the UK.
  1. Bath view
    Bath view
According to the insurance firm the average cost of renting a property in the city is £963 a month - £257 more than the national average.
The report shows the average monthly rent across the UK rose for the third year running in 2011 to £706 – compared with £688 in 2010 and £663 in 2009.
Bath was placed fifth behind Slough, Guildford, Watford and London, where the monthly average was £1,247.63.
Grant Stevens, general manager of letting services at Endsleigh, said the results proved that despite tough economic times, the lettings market remained buoyant.
He said: “Rents in London have been rising for a long time so it is no great surprise that there is finally a cooling in prices. However, nationally, year-on-year, the picture is one of a very buoyant rental market and, with the overall rise in-keeping with inflation, it won’t unduly affect the pockets of either Bath’s landlords, who are enjoying good yields, or renters, who are able to access a whole range of properties.”
Ben Tilling, partner at Bath Property Shop, said there was strong supply and demand in Bath which had created a successful rental market for the city.
He said: “The city is a one of a kind in terms of rental.
“There are a lot of quality properties in Bath and they are the ones that always rent.
“There is real value for money for tenants in terms of quality, and tenants have got selective about what they want.
“Bath has a very strong rental market but it’s a vicious circle because people can’t afford to buy in Bath so they rent.
“We get a lot of families from London who relocate from London because of the very good schools.
“We also have good links with London and Bristol, and a lot of people commute to Bristol because Bath offers a better quality of life.”

Monday 13 August 2012

Gloucestershire gets new rapid response water rescue centre


Gloucestershire gets new rapid response water rescue centre


Gloucestershire gets new rapid response water rescue centre


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A new water rescue centre in Gloucestershire will enable rescue teams to attend incidents anywhere in the county within 30 minutes, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) said.
The centre at Moreton Fire Station "completes the provision of strategically-placed water rescue teams in Gloucestershire".
The need for such a facility was highlighted in the service's Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) and DEFRA provided £56,000 funding for it.
The IRMP advised an improved water rescue response was necessary in the event of further major flooding in the area.
A similar centre was set up at Tewkesbury Fire Station in 2011.
Deputy chief fire officer Geoff Sallis said: "Since the floods in 2007, we have significantly increased the number of swift water rescue technicians located around the county."
Firefighters have completed specialist water and mud rescue training and now have technical rescue equipment designed to perform rescues from water.
The water response team is also trained to support the large animal rescue team and to work alongside the rescue boats and the GFRS hovercraft.

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Sunday 12 August 2012

england


The Dobunni were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Isles prior to the Roman invasion of Britain. There are seven known references to the tribe in Roman histories and inscriptions.[1][2] The latter part of the name possibly derives from Bune, a cup or vessel. The name seems to have had a similar meaning to the later tribal name Hwicce; both being related to the recognisable cult of a Romano-British goddess.[3]
Various historians and archaeologists have examined the Dobunni, including Stephen J. Yeates in his book The Tribe of Witches (2008).

[edit] Territory

The tribe lived in the part of southwestern Britain that today broadly coincides with the English counties of North Somerset, Bristol, and Gloucestershire; although at times their territory may have extended into parts of what are now Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire.[4][5] Their capital acquired the Roman name of Corinium Dobunnorum, which is today known as Cirencester.
Their Territory was bordered by the Cornovii and Corieltauvi to the North; the Catuvellauni to the East; the Atrebates and Belgae to the South; and the Silures and Ordovices to the West. Some of these suggestions are, however, speculative.
There is evidence for a cult associated with the tribe in the Romano-British period; the evidence being coterminous with the tribe's territory. Sculpture has been found at: Gloucester, Cirencester, Nettleton, Bath, Wellow, and Aldsworth.[6]

[edit] Iron Age period

The Dobunni were a large group of farmers and craftsmen, living in small villages concentrated in fertile valleys. A major study of the Iron Age material was carried out by Tom Moore.[7]
Remnants of several fortified camps, otherwise known as hillforts, thought to have been occupied by the Dobunni can be seen in the Bristol area at Maes Knoll, Clifton Down, Burwalls and Stokeleigh - all overlooking the Avon Gorge - and at Kingsweston Down and Blaise Castle.
In the late Iron Age period, southern Britain saw the development of sites generally referred to as oppida (towns). An example of such a site has been recognised for some time at Bagendon, near Cirencester.[8] It has now been realised that the Bagendon site was not as important as first thought, as other extensive sites are now known to have existed at places such as Salmonsbury.[9]

[edit] Roman period

Dio Cassius referred to the tribe as "Bodunni", probably a misspelling of the Dobunni. Tributary to the Catuvellauni, they capitulated to the invading Romans when Caratacus and Togodumnus withdrew.[10]
Unlike the Silures, their neighbours in what later became south east Wales, they were not a warlike people and submitted to the Romans even before they reached their lands. Afterwards they readily adopted the Romano-British lifestyle.
Even though the Dobunni were incorporated into the Roman Empire in AD 43, their territory was probably not formed into Roman political units until AD 96-98. The tribal territory was divided into a civitas centred on Cirencester, and the Colonia at Gloucester. The Colonia was established during the reign of the emperor Nerva (AD 96-98).[11]
At the beginning of the 4th century, Britain was reorganised into, initially, four and then five provinces. The Dobunnic territory lay in the province of Britannia Prima, as described in an inscription found at the base of a Jupiter column.[12] The area remained a Roman Civitas until approximately 409.
The Dobunnic territory contained two large towns (Corinium Dobunnorum now Cirencester, and Colonia Nerviana Glevum now Gloucester). Besides this there were numerous smaller towns, and many rich villas.
A study of the religion of the Dobunni has shown that there was a focus on the worship of the natural world It is possible to identify deities associated with the landscape; for example: Cuda, a mother goddess associated with the Cotswold Hills, and its rivers and springs, and Sulis Minerva at Bath. Other cults were defined by social action, such as mining, for example at Lydney Park, and hunting, for example at Pagan's Hill near Chew Stoke.[13]

[edit] Sub-Roman period

After the collapse of the Roman Provincial Government, the core of this area retained territorial identity until the Battle of Deorham in 577, (now largely regarded as a dubious event [14]) when the Saxons made advances as far as the River Severn. These gains were reversed 50 years later when Penda of Mercia fought the West Saxons at the Battle of Cirencester, and the area came under the influence of Mercia as the sub-kingdom of the Hwicce. It has been suggested that the area retained a distinct identity as a Christian sub-kingdom, instead of being simply absorbed into Pagan Mercia, as a reward for an alliance against the West Saxons; and that this is evidence of a cultural continuity between the Dobunni Civitas and the Hwicce Kingdom.[15]

Sunday 29 July 2012

Bristol care home cuts could be illegal


Solicitors' firm claims Bristol care home cuts could be illegal

John Rogers Jon Rogers, deputy leader of the council, said the whole service needed an overhaul
Proposals to close care homes and day centres in Bristol could be illegal, a firm of solicitors claims.
Bristol City Council is considering three options for services, all of which involve closures.
But, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors is concerned that an option involving no closures has not been put out to public consultation, infringing the law.
The Lib Dem-run council, which could close up to 13 centres, says it is consulting widely on the plans.
Nine council-run care homes and at least four day care centres have been mooted for closure.
An Irwin Mitchell spokesman said it appeared the public had been given no choice on which of the homes and centres to close.

Options for day care

  • Close four buildings, which require investment to be fit for purpose accommodating displaced users in remaining centres, where possible
  • Develop three service hubs and close 10 centres
  • Close 11 day services based in council-owned buildings, or transferring their ownership
Polly Sweeney, from the firm, said: "The law is quite clear in saying that the consultation process must be open and allow people to respond adequately, and they must be given sufficient information to be able to respond properly.
"One of the concerns that people are telling us is that they just aren't being given the option to keep care homes open when they feel that's the right option for their loved ones."
Julie Wilson, regional organiser for Unison in Bristol, said: "Across the whole of health and social care the council is proposing to make savings of £5.1m and in order to do that is proposing making approximately 150 posts redundant.

Residential elderly care options

  • Explore potential to manage three homes - Redfield Lodge, Grenville and Brentry - in a council-led partnership, doubling capacity at Westleigh to 20 beds, and closing nine homes
  • Maintaining Redfield Lodge as a home for people with dementia
  • Retain Westleigh and double capacity to 20 beds, and closing 10 remaining homes
"In day services it is a third of all staff... that's a very significant cut in services."
But Jon Rogers, deputy leader of the council, said the whole service needed an overhaul.
"We actually had a lot of debate internally about whether we should have a 'do nothing' option on the paper," he said.
"We thought the difficulty is that everybody who has a resident there will say 'let's do nothing'.
"And they won't think about the impacts of actually closing this particular home or that particular home."

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Monday 16 July 2012

homeless


Gloucester council's homeless plan criticized by Gear agency


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A homeless agency says people will be turned on to the streets if a council plan to cut emergency accommodation in Gloucester goes ahead.
Gloucestershire County Council said it was unfair that the only provision for the whole county was at the Gear project unit on Southgate Street.
It plans to provide six emergency beds in Cheltenham and reduce the Gloucester bed provision from 21 to eight.
Gear's Brian Jones said the council's £1.5m proposal was "nonsensical".
He said: "At a beds allocation meeting in Gloucester last week, 70 people were chasing just four vacancies.
"There is an accountability issue here. Difficult decisions must sometimes be made but as the life expectancy of homeless people is just 42 years, more not less care needs to be taken of them and in the decision making process.
"Unless something is done to address the reduction in beds tragedy will result."
'Take pressure off'
A Gloucestershire County Council spokesman said support for homeless people was "inconsistent" across Gloucestershire, largely centred in Gloucester itself and "too reliant on emergency shelter".
He said: "We need to put more support into rural areas, increase the number of beds in Cheltenham and start to deal with homeless people where they live.
"We want to take the pressure off Gloucester and change the way we treat the homeless."
He added that the decision to change the service would now be subject to a review by the council's Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.

Saturday 7 July 2012

Severe flood warnings in South West as heavy rain falls


Severe flood warnings in South West as heavy rain falls

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Severe flood warnings have been issued for parts of south-west England, as river levels rise after heavy rain.
The Environment Agency said lives were in danger by parts of the River Yealm, Devon, and Burton Bradstock, Dorset.
In Northumberland, motorists have been warned to be aware of standing water after a man, 20, died when his car came off a road during torrential rain.
Some 74 flood warnings and 143 flood alerts remain in England and Wales, with 13 flood warnings in Scotland.
Meanwhile, officials at Silverstone on the Northamptonshire/Buckinghamshire border say motorists who turn up for Formula One Grand Prix qualifying sessions on Saturday will be turned away because of muddy conditions in its car parks.
Up to 30,000 ticket holders travelling by car have been asked to stay away but ticket holders for car parks away from the circuit, those camping elsewhere and able to arrive on foot, or planning to use the park and ride service, should still be able to access the site.
Spokeswoman Katie Tyler apologised to fans and said the circuit was "genuinely upset" by the disruption after heavy rain flooded car parks. All available car parking is now full.
She said a decision would be made on Saturday afternoon whether fans would be allowed into public car parks on Sunday.
The Met Office has amber warnings of rain in force for Dorset, Somerset and parts of Devon.
In other developments:
  • In Midlothian, several drivers had to be rescued from carsovernight, mainly on minor roads in the Rosslyn and Auchendinny area
  • Residents in the Leicestershire village of Sheepy Magna were evacuated from homes after flooding
  • Firefighters were called to protect properties from flooding in Powys and Carmarthenshire
  • Flooding is affecting rail services in England with problems including a landslip near Honiton and flooding at Totnes in Devon
  • Saturday's sessions the Taste of Edinburgh festival have been cancelled after its site on the Meadows was hit by flooding
  • Monday's horse racing meeting at Newton Abbot has been abandoned due to a waterlogged track
The Environment Agency's severe flood warning means there is a danger to life, while a flood warning means immediate action is required.
People by the River Yealm in South Hams, Devon, from Cornwood to Yealmpton have been urged to stay in a safe place, listen to the emergency services and be ready to evacuate their homes.
The same warning has been issued for High Street, Mill Street, Manor Farm and The Rookery in Burton Bradstock, Dorset.

At the scene

With severe flood warnings we knew south Devon would have problems but not where would be worst-affected, so the day started with a call to the Environment Agency.
The River Yealm was expected to flood, but getting there was a problem. I had to turn my car around on three occasions as roads were blocked by flooding.
When I arrived in Yealmpton, a road was partly flooded and river levels were high, some people were trying to protect their properties. Everyone was worried about high tide.
A decision was taken to close Torr Bridge fearing it might collapse, cutting one side of the village off from the other. Along the affected parts of the river were 40 properties and 75 people, although everyone was accounted for. When the water levels dropped the bridge was judged to be safe.
The Environment Agency have used pumps to help emergency services clear flood water from properties and warned people on campsites to stay alert.
It also warned residents to stay away from dangerous flood water, and not to walk or drive through it.
Heather Shepherd, from the National Flood Forum, told the BBC: "There are many properties across the country that actually haven't been affected by flooding before, and this is suddenly arriving on their doorstep unexpectedly."
She said the most important things were to plan what to do with loved ones and pets if you needed to leave your home, and to get your most precious household items up high and safe.
BBC weather forecaster Peter Gibbs said a large area of rain had been concentrating over south-west England and predicted as much as 60-70mm (2.4in-2.8in) of rain in some spots on Saturday.
The Met Office said a low pressure system was set to bring rain and thundery showers to the UK until early next week.