A round up from Warwickshire County Council's March meeting
Collaborative working across partner agencies, tackling the root causes of ill health and social inequalities and a countywide push to endorse the value of reading as a powerful tool to create opportunities were among the matters discussed at the meeting of Warwickshire County Council this week.
Council agreed to fund the renovation of the Pears Centre at Exhall, to better support children with special educational needs, and their families. The improved site will bring access to professional services and create a family friendly, accessible base in the north of the county,
There was also a big focus on residents’ health. Warwickshire’s Director of Public Health’s annual report highlighted the dangers for young people in living in an online world - the effects on health, loneliness and isolation and its monetary impact. The Council agreed measures to support parents, education establishments and partners in delivering services for children and families.
The partnership Health and Wellbeing Strategy was also endorsed. This will enhance collaborative working to tackle local need and make the best long-term impact on residents’ health and address any inequalities they may face.
Council also embraced the update from The Climate Emergency Working group’s which shines a light on three key areas of natural capital and biodiversity; waste and recycling; and supporting the local economy to minimise waste and emissions.
There was a big commitment to support Warwickshire’s farming community with recognition of the contribution agriculture makes to Warwickshire’s economy – an estimated £190m annually and nearly 5,000 jobs. Members agreed to support farmers across a range of areas.
A topic on the minds of many residents – potholes, was considered with the Council underlining its commitment to tackling the deterioration of roads. While the recent foul weather has had a major impact, Council vowed to do all it can to tackle the problem and avoid the severity of instances suffered in the recent winter. This will be examined in the new highways maintenance contract.
Cllr George Finch, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said:
“It was good to see that the council united in recognising that, to get the best solutions for the people of Warwickshire to address health inequalities and improve outcomes, we need to draw on the expertise and skills of a range of partners.
“The reports that we considered and endorsed bring together all agencies that share our vision for improving health, educational and economic opportunities for everyone in Warwickshire. We can move towards their implementation with confidence.”
An additional report was put forward urging the Council to support the National Year of Reading, which is being co-ordinated nationally by the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency. Under the banner ‘Go All In’, it will revitalise the skill of reading a book and look to increase the numbers of people who read, particularly in areas of lower educational attainment.
The full meeting can be viewed here .