Cambridgeshire County Council update 16th April 2020
Published: 16 April 2020
Help us to spread the word about our Countywide and Local Hubs
Our network of COVID-19 Coordination and Response Hubs – including the Countywide Hub and Local Hubs led by district/city councils – is busy responding to residents in need and linking up to offers of support.
Now, we need your help to spread the word by sharing infographics showing your Local Hub contact details with people living in your area - via social media/local networks. These also have details of the countywide co-ordination hub for shielded people.
The Countywide Hub, led by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, supports shielded residents at highest risk, ensuring our most vulnerable residents have access to food, medicines and other important supplies as well as ensuring broader social needs are met as far as possible. These critical services across the public sector are being sustained through additional staff redeployment and volunteers. Further information is available at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus or www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus
The Local Hubs, led by District/City councils, are providing more local support for residents across their communities - including those not being shielded - and responding to individual offers of help or requests for support. They also connect with and support mutual aid and community/parish led initiatives. Further information is available on district and city council websites.
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Nearly 250 people being supported by Coronavirus support hub
Almost 250 people across Peterborough who need help and support during the Coronavirus public health emergency have been in contact with the Peterborough Local Community Resilience Group (CRG).
The support hub was set up following an instruction from the Government for every council in the country to establish local hubs to provide targeted support for those people who require it during the pandemic. The hub includes representatives from the public, private, voluntary, independent and faith sectors.
Its role is to support those who are vulnerable and in need of help and support, but are not classed as being high risk (shielded). Those who are highest risk and therefore identified as shielded are being supported by the countywide co-ordination hub.
Since its launch on 2 April, almost 250 people have been in touch asking for help, with many vulnerable people needing assistance to source food or medicine, or requiring support around benefits, or because they feel lonely.
People who need help and support should get in touch with the Peterborough CRG by visiting the council’s website or by calling (01733 747474). The hub is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Organisations offering help city-wide can also be found on the Peterborough Information Network
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Number of pupils starting their first choice school in September increases
The vast majority of pupils starting primary school in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough this September will be attending their first preference school.
In Cambridgeshire, the early opening of the Primary School application process saw a slight increase in the number of applications received before the submission deadline compared to previous years – with a higher percentage of children being offered their first preference than was the case in 2019.
Overall, of the 6890 applications received, the Council were able to allocate 93.7% of pupils a place at their parents’ first preference school (an increase from 92.75% in 2019), with 4.2% being offered their second preference, and 0.7% offered their third. The number of children not receiving one of their top three preferences dropped from 1.96% to 1.4%.
In Peterborough, while the number of applications received was down on last year – 2727 as opposed to 2870, the percentage of pupils being offered their first preference has increased.
Of the applications received, the Council were able to allocate first preference to 93.7% of pupils (an increase from 91.5% in 2019), with 4.3% being offered their second preference, and 0.8% offered their third. The number of children not receiving one of their top three preferences dropped from 2.1% to 1.1%.
The Councils are sending letters to parents today, letting them know the result of their application, but parents who applied online can also check for themselves:
Cambridgeshire’s online portal
Peterborough – parent portal
What can parents do if they are not happy about the place their child(ren) has been offered?
Parents are legally entitled to appeal against the Admission Authority’s decision to refuse a place at their preferred school(s). Accepting a place at an alternative school does not affect their child’s place on the reserve list for their preferred school(s), or right of appeal. For more information see the Cambridgeshire County Council’s Appeals page and Peterborough’s Appeals page
Parents should be aware that appeals are likely to be delayed due to the current situation. We ask that you check the appeals web page for updates.
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Littleport motorbike training school offering free courier service
An award-winning motorcycle training school in East Cambridgeshire is now offering a free courier service to residents in need.
Based in Littleport, AAA Motorcycle Training School Ltd has shifted its focus from training new motorcyclists to delivering prescription medication to households who are self-isolating during the Covid-19 outbreak.
In response to government advice, the motorcycle training school first began delivering prescriptions to elderly and vulnerable residents who were struggling to collect their own medication, while also protecting pharmacy and surgery staff by reducing face-to-face contact.
As the severity of the lockdown developed, the company began contacting local pharmacies and surgeries and advertising on social media to offer their help. Their free courier service is now available to all residents with prescriptions in an effort to reduce footfall and maintain social distancing.
In their first week, the company had two riders each handling between 30 and 60 prescriptions a day. As demand increased, so did their team, which now consists of four riders, each handling between 50 and 60 prescriptions a day, with slightly fewer at weekends.
After initially covering the needs of Littleport, Ely and Soham residents, the company soon expanded their service to Duxford, Foxton, Chatteris, March, Newmarket, Downham Market and beyond.
The training school has ceased all training other than for essential workers who rely on their use of motorbikes for work.
Residents in need of this free courier service can contact AAA Motorcycle Training School Ltd on its website or by calling 07384 746025 between 8am and 8pm.
Dean Abbess and Amanda Hellmann, owners of the company, also regularly update the AAA Motorcycle Training School Ltd Facebook page with stories of their adventures.
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You can keep up-to-date with any changes to our services on our websites:
• Peterborough - https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/healthcare/public-health/coronavirus/disruption-to-council-services
• Cambridgeshire - https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/disruption-to-council-services
Our advice and latest information on Coronavirus can be found on both websites - www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus and www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus