Added 20th November
We are appealing for witnesses after a pony and trap racing incident on the A413 near Chalfont St Peter this morning.
We were called to the Chalfont St Peter bypass at around 8am and dispersed those involved by 9.30am.
No one was injured and there were no collisions, but we understand the concern these kinds of incidents cause so if we will prosecute those putting others in risk where we have evidence.
Anyone witnesses or with footage should call 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43240554865.
Preventing doorstep delivery thefts
If you’re not going to be home when your parcels are delivered organise an alternative – this could be a ‘safe place’, leaving the parcel with a neighbour or re-arranging your delivery to when you are in.
Also consider what empty boxes you leave outside, this advertises what you have outside.
Visit - Preventing stolen doorstep deliveries
Join our crime prevention & safety online webinars this week!
We have spaces available on this week's crime prevention and safety webinars, as mentioned in the November Our News newsletter, and you're invited!
These webinars are FREE, and will provide insightful reflections on serious topics which affect local communities across the nations, as well as opportunity to take part in a live Q&A with our expert guest speakers.
Blue Badge amnesty as part of Fraud Awareness Week
Buckinghamshire residents who have an unwanted or no longer needed Blue Badge for disabled parking are being urged to hand them back during a special amnesty to mark International Fraud Awareness Week (18 to 23 November).
Nationally, fraud costs the public sector £50 billion annually – that’s around £1,000 per household. And of all crimes committed in the UK, fraud is estimated to account for 40% of them.
Following a recent joint operation to catch people misusing Blue Badges, the council is allowing people who are holding onto no longer needed Blue Badges to anonymously return them during the awareness week.
There will be boxes in reception areas of council offices at Walton Street in Aylesbury, and Queen Victoria Road in High Wycombe, alternatively people can post them to:
Blue Badge Amnesty
Buckinghamshire Council (5th Floor)
Walton Street, Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP20 1UA
Suspected abuses of the Blue Badge scheme should be reported via the council’s website.
The council's fraud team also investigates housing application cheating, council tax scams, cybercrime and more.
Frauds, scams or other suspicious activity in Buckinghamshire should be reported via the council’s website.
Find out more including tips on becoming ‘fraud aware’ here.
Keeping Buckinghamshire roads safe this winter
With temperatures due to be colder in the coming days, the council expects its winter action plan to swing into force including gritting for the first time this winter. Current forecasts suggest a colder spell of weather is due next week, with road temperatures currently looking likely to freeze.
If gritting is required, the gritters will be salting key roads across the county in accordance with the agreed priority routes as outlined on our website, to make them safer for motorists and to keep key transport routes running.
The council also provides salt bins for people to use to during cold and icy weather. The bins contain a mixture of salt and sand and are located in targeted areas known to be affected by icy conditions which the gritting routes don’t cover.
Salt bins are provided for residents to use on public roads and footways only and should not be used to clear private drives.
Residents can request a salt bin for their local area and all requests will be considered. If the request is granted, the council will pay for the installation of a salt bin and will refill as needed throughout the winter while stocks allow. Where a request is not granted, communities have the option to pay for a bin to be installed and for the ongoing delivery of salt stocks.
Visit the council's website to request a salt bin.
You can check which routes are gritted on the council’s website. And for updates when gritting is taking place, follow @buckshighways on Facebook or @bucks_highways on X.
Winter weather hits Buckinghamshire
While this morning’s snow across Buckinghamshire has surprised some forecasters, Buckinghamshire Council is well prepared for wintery weather and its action plan has swung into force.
The council’s fleet of gritters has been on test runs in recent weeks and we have been closely monitoring road temperatures through this morning’s snowfall, with the fleet on standby throughout today. The road temperature remained above freezing last night, this morning and into today, but the current forecast for the rest of today (Tuesday) indicates cold and wet conditions followed by a rapid drop in temperatures during this evening. We are gritting the network this afternoon with the potential for a further gritting run during this evening. It’s likely that the wet roads, melting snow and slush from today will freeze overnight and drivers should take extra care when venturing out from this evening. Drivers are also reminded to make sure windscreens, vehicle lights and number plates are free of any snow.
The routes we grit is determined by our winter plan, which is on the council’s website. The council has also activated its so-called SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol) plan, whereby shelter is provided for rough sleepers in the cold conditions; if you find yourself sleeping rough or see anyone sleeping outdoors on the streets of Buckinghamshire, please contact Streetlink via their website or call 0300 500 0914.
Warm and welcoming space is available in the Buckinghamshire Council Walton Street office in Aylesbury and the council office at Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, as well as any of the council’s libraries.
Nearly all schools have remained open today; parents and carers are advised to check their schools usual communication channels as schools provide updates and closure information directly to their school communities. The council also publishes the list of closed schools on our website.
New Family Hub Network set to provide more help and advice for local residents
Families will soon benefit from easy to access help and advice in their local communities, with the launch this week of Buckinghamshire’s Family Hub Network (FHN). The FHN brings together professionals and community groups to help families and residents get the help and advice they need at the earliest opportunity.
The FHN covers Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern & South Bucks and Wycombe areas, involving a wide variety of local and county-wide organisations including Buckinghamshire Council, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Oxford Health Foundation NHS Trust, education providers, social enterprises and voluntary, community and faith groups.
The role of the network is to support families visiting network sites where possible or signpost to a relevant organisation when other support is needed. The aim is to direct families to the support that best meets their individual circumstances, using local network connections and knowledge to match needs with the wide range of services and providers available in the area.
Earlier this week, the Hithercroft Family Centre in High Wycombe hosted the official launch of the Family Hub Network, with local families invited to attend a Play and Explore session and find out more about how the network is designed to work.
Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Education, Councillor Anita Cranmer and local ward members were joined by a range of partner agencies including Kooth, One Can Trust, Family Learning and Disraeli School as well as representatives from the Early Help Partnership Board, including Thames Valley Police and FACT Bucks.
More information on the Family Hub Network can be here.
A range of information on matters relating to families and children can be found on the Buckinghamshire Family Information website
Added 13th November
We have seen an increase of burglaries, over this last weekend, especially in the areas of Chesham, High Wycombe, The Chalfonts and Beaconsfield. Our officers are continuing to do visible patrols in these areas every evening, so please remember to call us if you see anything suspicious or stop our officers for a chat. However to help prevent your property being targeted, remember these following tips:
- Leave a light on
- Close your curtains or blinds
- Don't leave any ladders out
- Make sure all your gates, doors and windows are locked
Crime Prevention
Follow @ThamesVP ‘3 Step Protect’ advice to help keep your home 🏡 safe from burglary & damage:
✅ Protect your valuables
✅ Safeguard your building
✅ Secure your outside
Protecting your home from crime | Crime prevention | Thames Valley Police
Social Media Summary
PDF here.
Council reminds garden waste upcoming service suspension
Buckinghamshire Council is reminding subscribers to its garden waste service that collections will soon be suspended for a 6-week period. This is an annual suspension that comes in during the winter when garden waste is at a minimal.
The last possible collection date for garden waste is Friday 13 December (normal collection days apply) and collections will resume from week commencing Monday 27 January.
Residents who need to dispose of garden waste during the suspension period can still do so at any of our 10 Household Recycling Centres free of charge. All sites are open 9am to 4pm.
To find out which days your local Household Recycling Centre is open and further details of what can and cannot be taken to a centre, visit here.
Garden waste collected from homes across Buckinghamshire or taken to Household Recycling Centres is processed locally into high-quality compost. Residents can buy Community Compost at all of our Household Recycling Centres. All the proceeds from the sales of the Community Compost are set aside for good causes with an annual funding award expected in April 2025.”
For more information on changes to recycling and waste services over the Christmas period, please visit our website
Community Safety Survey
The Safer Buckinghamshire Partnership brings together experts from the council, police, fire service, probation and health services. The Partnership is responsible for developing an annual action plan to reduce crime and Anti-Social behaviour in Buckinghamshire, and to help keep it a safe place to live and work.
To help develop this plan, we want to hear your views! Please complete our short survey
The survey is for anyone who lives, works, or studies in Buckinghamshire and will be open until 29 November 2024. The results of the survey will be combined with an analysis of all crimes that happen in the county, to help the Safer Buckinghamshire Partnership deliver the priorities for the next twelve months.
Council launches extra support to help adults stay independent for longer
Buckinghamshire Council is launching a range of new online resources designed to help adults who need some extra support to maintain their independence for as long as possible.
The council supports more than 5,000 adults at any one time, with varying degrees of extra help, including providing care packages to those who need it. Our overarching aim is to provide the right care to allow people to maintain their independence for as long as possible, and for our residents to feel that they are managing and directing their own care needs.
The improved website content makes it easier for people to get online information and advice about their adult social care needs. We have also listened to and worked with carers to introduce new online support for them too.
The new-look Care Advice Bucks website includes content that outlines how a resident goes through the care assessment process, how individuals can arrange and pay for their care and guidance on what home support and equipment is available, as well as some helpful health and wellbeing advice.
Alongside this, the council has also improved the online resources available to carers in Buckinghamshire too, joining up for the first time with ‘Mobilise’, providers of specialist online support for people who are caring for others including family, friends or neighbours who could not manage without this unpaid support because of a disability, illness or vulnerability. ‘Mobilise’ offers Buckinghamshire carers free access to online information and resources, support sessions, one to one support from a dedicated carers coach and access to a network of other carers to provide invaluable support and a listening ear.
We are also offering free fact sheets that have been co-designed with residents, and an online care directory that helps our residents to find professional health and care services, equipment and resources, such as:
- home care services
- housing and residential equipment
- living aids
Bucks Council launches All-Age Carers Strategy Consultation
Buckinghamshire Council has been working with unpaid carers and professionals to understand about their caring experiences and what matters most to carers. This feedback has been used to help shape Buckinghamshire’s new ‘All-Age Carers Strategy’.
The new strategy sets out how the council can continue to develop and deliver meaningful support to unpaid carers, to enable carers to maintain a positive quality of life alongside their caring role.
The council has been working closely with a range of carers across all age groups to develop the priorities identified in the strategy and ensure their views are reflected. This has included the strategy forward being written by a young adult carer.
They now want to hear from unpaid carers, professionals and residents to ensure the identified priorities are the right ones and understand if there is anything else they should be focusing on in the strategy. Your views will help them understand how they can further improve their offer to carers and ensure carers have the support they need to carry out a caring role. Whether you are a young carer, an adult carer, or an elderly carer, your input is crucial in shaping the future of carer support services in Buckinghamshire.
Key partners including Carers Bucks, Healthwatch Bucks, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Buckinghamshire Health Trust, NHS Primary Care Network, FACT Bucks parent carer forum, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire West Integrated Care Board as well as wider council colleagues have contributed to the strategy development, adopting a whole-system approach.
The consultation, including the printable survey and address for posting it, is available here.
The consultation is live and will close at 11:59pm on 15 December 2024.
After the consultation period, all feedback will be carefully reviewed and integrated into the final Buckinghamshire Council All-Age Carers Strategy. Once adopted, the strategy will include an action plan to implement and drive forward improvements for carers.
Added 6th November
The November edition of OUR NEWS is here
Here are some highlights in November's edition:
* Registration now open for our November webinar series: click here to visit the registration page on our website
* ERA shares advice on how to secure your home ahead of winter
* Guidance and resources on harassment and stalking, ahead of White Ribbon Day on 25th November
* Don't forget to claim your exclusive Neighbourhood Watch member 60% discount with SimpliSafe - available only until 6th November!
* Remember to play our Funding Communities Lottery and win big prizes, while supporting our charity's work!
READ THE NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER HERE.
Added 30th October
Time Flies When You’re Protecting Homes and Communities
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a year since we teamed up with SimpliSafe to help enhance safety in homes and communities for everyone.
In the last 12 months, we’ve achieved so much together: sharing safety tips, sponsoring the Volunteer Recognition Awards, donating systems to those in need, and raising the profile of our charity's work as a result of the feedback from our Crime & Community Survey - just to name a few highlights!
On Tuesday, SimpliSafe took over the Neighbourhood Watch Facebook page to host a live Q&A, showcase home security products, and give advice and tips on how to secure your home - we hope you found the content both enjoyable and helpful! If you missed anything from the day, you can catch up on our Facebook page.
In celebration of our one-year anniversary, Neighbourhood Watch members can take advantage of an exclusive early access Black Friday offer - save 60% on security systems! Just click the link below, and your discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
Click here to access your exclusive 60% discount!
Council ‘steps in’ to help pensioners apply for Pension Credit and keep their Winter Fuel Allowance
Pensioners in Buckinghamshire are being invited to attend a free surgery in their local area to see if they are eligible for Pension Credit. If they are, then they will be entitled to keep the Winter Fuel Allowance. The Government has said it will be withdrawing Winter Fuel Allowance from all pensioners, except those on Pension Credit or similar support. The council see it as important to help those who need to apply for Pension Credit but are not sure how to do so or are unsure if they are eligible to receive the payment.
Pension Credit is a payment from the government, available to those of state pension age who meet certain eligibility criteria. It is paid in addition to a state pension and can amount to up to £3,900 a year. It is designed to top up pension income and help with day to day living costs. The Winter Fuel Allowance can be worth up to an extra £300 a year.
The surgeries are being run in libraries and other locations across the county between now and 21 December, which is the cut-off date for applications. Advisors will be on hand to answer questions and guide people through the process of applying for Pension Credit.
Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council said: “Personally, I am very concerned that the Government has chosen, as we
Buckinghamshire Council estimates that there are more than 5,000 older people in the county who could be eligible for Pension Credit.
Martin added: “I believe that it is so important that we help the most vulnerable of our older population at this difficult time of year. As with any form of claim for a payment of this type, it can be confusing to make sense of the eligibility criteria and also how to complete your application. This is why I have insisted that we set up these surgeries to support residents and make it as easy as possible for them to claim this payment.”
To find a full list of the surgeries taking place visit here
More information on Pension Credit can be found online
Skills Bootcamps – unleash your potential!
Buckinghamshire Council is offering a fantastic and free opportunity to all residents who are interested in learning a new skill – which could pave the way to a new job, a promotion or a career change.
Funded by the government’s Department for Education, the council’s Skills Bootcamps are flexible training courses for adults aged 19 or over, leading to either an interview or employment at the end. Designed with employers, specifically for in-demand jobs in Buckinghamshire, these Bootcamps involve 60 to 100 hours of free learning on a flexible basis, so participants can study around any existing work commitments they already have.
There is also a really diverse range of courses on offer, from creative industries in TV and film production, to construction, to leadership and management courses. There are 19 Bootcamps to choose from and anyone over the age of 19 is eligible so long as they meet eligibility requirements such as having the right to work in the UK and live in England.
The courses launched earlier this year and are fully up and running; participants can register an interest and enrol at any time that the course is running.
Together we can build a future for our children through fostering
During National Care Leavers Week (28 October to 3 November), Buckinghamshire Council is highlighting the important role the foster care community plays in building a bright future for the children and young people they care for.
Together with the support of the council’s fostering team, children looked after in foster homes can grow and thrive. The experiences these children have in foster care stay with them as they journey into adulthood and leave the care system, shaping the adults they become and impacting their future lives.
The theme of National Care Leavers Week 2024 is ‘All of us, we are one’, which highlights how strong connection and community lead to successes in the fostering journey.
Buckinghamshire Council is one of over 100 councils who have taken part in producing a short film entitled ‘Everything’, which illustrates the impact fostering can have, and the difference foster carers make to the lives of the children they look after. View the film
In Buckinghamshire, foster carers can access a wide range of training, support and unique perks including a rebate on council tax, leisure passes and travel alongside highly competitive financial allowances.
One of the ways Buckinghamshire Council supports foster carers is through building strong links and relationships within the fostering community. The service recently launched a new, third, Mockingbird constellation in Buckinghamshire. Mockingbird is a pioneering programme delivered by The Fostering Network in partnership with 62 fostering services across the UK. The programme nurtures the relationships between children, young people and foster families, supporting them to build a resilient and caring community of six to ten satellite families called a constellation.
Relationships are central to Mockingbird. The hub home carer builds strong relationships with everyone in the constellation, empowering families to support each other and overcome problems before they escalate. Mockingbird brings together a community of up to ten foster families, like an extended family, to support children and carers.
If you are interested in finding out more about fostering, you can:
Book a place on one of our free regular online Fostering Information Evenings
Call us: 01296 674 973
Email: fostering@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Be Bright, Be Seen!
‘Be Bright, Be Seen’, that is the message Buckinghamshire Council is sending to residents after the clocks went back at the weekend.
With darker mornings and evenings now upon us, the council is reminding people of the simple but sensible actions they can take to keep themselves and their families safe when out and about.
Dark days combined with foggy and misty weather all have an impact on visibility. To stay safe when walking, cycling or scooting to school, parents and carers are reminded about the importance of fluorescent and reflective materials on clothing. Fluorescent fabrics work well during daylight and the hours of dusk but won’t show up in the dark so it’s important to also look for reflective fabrics and consider adding reflective tape to bags and clothes to ensure you can be seen in the dark by car headlights.
Anyone cycling during winter months should ensure bike lights are clean and in good working order. It is important to remember, it is against the law to cycle at night without a white front light, a red back light and a red reflector at the back of your bike.
There is more information online to remind children and young people about the importance of wearing bright clothing when out and about – including the ‘Be Bright, Be Seen’ online game – on the Think! website.
The end of October also brings fun for children in the form of spooks and spells on Halloween. Children of all ages love dressing up and going out trick or treating but not everyone wants to join in the activities. Remember many older and vulnerable people would rather not have trick or treaters calling at their door, so please be considerate and only visit houses of people you know or those that are clearly decorated for Halloween.
Buckinghamshire libraries have copies of posters that people can display in their windows to request no trick or treat callers. You can pick one up for free at any library in Buckinghamshire. Alternatively, you can download the poster from Buckinghamshire Council’s How to report and tackle anti-social behaviour webpage.
Welcoming Spaces in Bucks: Stay warm, stay connected, stay supported
As the winter months approach, Buckinghamshire Council is announcing its Welcoming Spaces offer – warm, free, safe, and supportive environments available to all residents. These spaces are designed to provide a safe space where individuals can stay warm, save on heating costs, and access a range of beneficial services.
Welcoming Spaces offer:
- Warmth and comfort: Escape the cold and enjoy a cosy atmosphere.
- Cost savings: Reduce your heating bills by spending time in a heated space.
- Health and wellbeing: Look after your physical and mental health with a supportive environment.
- Support and advice: Access valuable support and advice on a variety of topics.
- Connectivity: Free Wi-Fi to stay connected with loved ones and access online resources.
Welcoming Spaces are now available at Buckinghamshire Council’s main libraries and community libraries, as well as at some local churches and halls.
An online directory provides a map and full list of local Welcoming Spaces including their location and facilities.
You can also find out more, by visiting: welcoming-spaces or calling 0300 131 6000 (Monday to Thursday 9am to 5:30pm, Friday 9am to 5pm.)
If you are struggling to heat your home or know someone else who is, contact the council’s Helping Hand teamor call 01296 531151.