The proposed Vision and Strategy for Adults’ Services sets out the journey West Sussex County Council will be taking in collaboration with local residents and other partners across the county to support people to live healthy and independent lives and to keep the most vulnerable safe. It builds on the work that has already taken place to shape future services in West Sussex and it sets out an ambitious set of priorities for the next three years:

• Implementation of a community-led model of support;
• Maximising independence for older people, people with learning disabilities, physical and sensory disabilities and those with mental health issues;
• Supporting families and carers; and
• Working towards the Care Act requirement to achieve health and social care integration by 2020.

The Council want to hear the views of all their stakeholders before a decision is taken in December 2018 by the Cabinet Member for Adults’ and Health to approve the approach. To do this they are holding a public consultation which runs from 16 November to 14 December 2018.

The proposed Adults’ Services Vision and Strategy and the survey can be found by clicking here. EasyRead versions are also available via the same link.

Sussex Police funding 2018-2022

Sussex Police have started the biggest intake of new police officers for over a decade. This has been made possible by the increase in police precept of an average £12 for a band D property, and the PCC releasing £17 million from reserves. It means that over the next four years, Sussex will have 200 more police officers on the frontline than it does today.

Although residents are pleased to hear that local policing will be strengthened by these 200 extra officers, they are already indicating that they would like even more. That is why the PCC has opened a survey on her website to gauge potential support for raising more funding locally if the Government lifts the current cap on the police precept.

Please take a moment to make your views known on this link (click here)

You can find out more about funding for Sussex Police 2018-22 by clicking here

Residents across Chichester District are being encouraged to join a special panel aimed at seeking the views and opinions of households in the area.

The Let’s Talk Panel is being launched by Chichester District Council as a way of finding out about the issues that matter most to residents, and gives people the chance to find out about the various consultations and surveys that take place throughout the year. People can sign up and find out more at www.chichester.gov.uk/letstalkpanel

As well as the online opportunities, the council will also be organising events and focus groups to give Let’s Talk Panel members the opportunity to get more involved in some of the projects that the council is working on.

“We know how important it is to gather feedback and views from our residents and businesses, which is why we are launching the Let's Talk Panel,” says Councillor John Connor, Cabinet Member for Promotion and Events. “We want to make sure that as many people as possible are aware of the surveys and consultations that we hold. They are often used to help our councillors make key decisions and our councillors will take account of people’s views before making a final decision. Residents’ feedback also helps us to improve our services and identify new ideas and ways of doing things.

“Once people sign up to the panel, we can let them know what's going on and how they can get involved. People can be involved as little or as much as they like, and they can choose what to respond to.

“We can also let panel members know when we will be organising focus groups and events such as coffee mornings. These events will provide an opportunity for residents to find out even more about how they can get involved with shaping some of the work we are undertaking. For example in recent years, we convened a recycling focus group and the residents who were part of it made a real difference to how we approached our recycling campaign, which has been extremely successful as a result.

“I look forward to seeing as many people as possible signing up to our Let’s Talk Panel.”

Residents and businesses can view all of the live surveys and consultations from partner organisations by visiting www.chichester.gov.uk/letstalksurveys results can be found at www.chichester.gov.uk/letstalkresults

For further information, please contact Clare Hawkin, Public Relations Officer at Chichester District Council on 01243 534537