• Public consultation for new ward boundaries closes on 02 August 2021.
  The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has announced that it is minded to recommend that the council should have 41 councillors in the future. They are now drawing up a new pattern of wards to accommodate 41 councillors and asking local people and organisations for their help to draw up the new ward boundaries across South Staffordshire District Council. 

Please share this information on the Boundary Review and the Commissions dedicated consultation section on its website https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/27826, to local people and organisations. The Commission also has a dedicated section on its website to keep you up to date as the review progresses.

This stage of the consultation closes on 02 August 2021.

The Council is also responsible for producing a Warding Pattern Submission to the LGBCE, which is being led by Members through the Your Council Challenge Panel.

• Council Job Vacancies
  • Digital Apprenticeship, closing 16 July 2021. Application Information
  • Legal Apprenticeship, closing 16 July 2021. Application Information
  • Income and Recovery Officer, closing 5pm on 13 July 2021. Application Information
  • Solicitor x 2 (Planning and Property), closing 4pm on 6 July 2021. Application Information
  • Environmental Health Officer, closing 5pm on 5pm on 9 July 2021. Application Information
  • Public Health Officer – Food Safety (Fixed Term), closing 5pm on 9 July 2021. Application Information
  • Public Health Officer – Env Protection (Fixed Term), closing 5pm on 9 July 2021. Application Information
  • COVID-19 Support Officers, open closing date, Application Information
• Next week’s Council Committee meetings
  • Overview & Scrutiny Committee – Tuesday, 6 July 2021 – 6.00 pm – Civic Suite

Members of the public can virtually attend meetings via Microsoft Teams – a link can be found in the news section at the bottom of the Council’s website.

Leisure News

• Summer School Holiday Active Camps

This summer, the leisure centres will be providing school holiday activity camps which will be delivered by Aspire Sports. Whilst places at the activity camps can be purchased, there will be free places for children in receipt of free school meals which will also include a free food parcel.

The camps will be running weekdays from 2 – 27 August, 8.30-3.30pm for children aged 5-14 years.

Aspire Sports have all Covid-19 secure measures in place including temperature checks on arrival, contactless signing in and out, regular cleaning of equipment and a deep clean at the end of each day. They will utilise outside spaces where possible, and staff will be lateral flow tested twice per week. Book or find out more information here. 

Information and Resources
Please note: A Helpful Resources webpage on the Councils Website is coming soon. The Council News Round Up will then briefly update you on new resources that have been added to the webpage each week. 

• Parenting Programmes

The 3 summer workshops outlined below are free for Staffordshire families. To book your place please email your name, date of programme and phone number to [email protected] or text/phone with your name, date of programme and email address to 07741645691.  Once you have booked, you will be sent instructions on how to access the Workshop/Programme.

• Creating Healthy and Positive Friendships

• One hour workshop
• Date: Thursday 26 August: 4-5pm
• A workshop for parents and children to access together.
• Suitable for children 7 and above. 

• Understanding and Managing Defiant Behaviours and Anger in Children and Young people

• 4-week programme
• Start Date: Wednesday 8 September: 30-2.30pm

• Helping to build Self Esteem and Manage Social Anxiety in Children and Young People

• One hour workshop
• Date: Monday 20 September: 1.30-2.30pm 

• Activities for the under 5s
• Activity timetable – Landywood Children Centre

• Safe and Sound

Safe and Sound is a learning programme that covers many age-appropriate topics for years 6 – 7 pupils and are very useful for parents/carers too. This week, the following topics are covered:

• Passwords – Staffordshire Police
• How to do CPR – West Midlands Ambulance Service
• Helmets and Bike Checks – Staffordshire County Council
• Home Fire Safety – Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service
• Escape Plans – Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service

• Creating Happy Memories

Family Action have developed an activity pack to give parents and carers ideas to enjoy with their children. Click here to download the activity pack.

COVID-19 Update

• Covid-19 Update

Public Health England are getting very concerned that people are letting their guard down.  There has been a huge surge in cases nationally and Staffordshire cases are rising. NHS data is suggesting that there is a steady increase in hospital and ITU admissions. The rise in cases is predominantly with the 17-25 age group, please encourage young people to get regular testing and have their vaccination to prevent passing the virus onto older relatives. Click here to read the full communications brief from Public Health West Midlands.

The vaccination programme is now open to anyone aged 18+. Anyone who is eligible is being urged to book their vaccine as soon as possible.

Vaccination uptake has slowed down for those aged 40+, so we need to remind people in the older age group about the importance of the vaccine. 

• Covid-19 Asymptomatic testing options

Asymptomatic residents are encouraged to test at least twice a week. If you test positive, please isolate for 10 days. There are three options available, of which are all free:

• Collect test kits from a pharmacy; click here to find the nearest one to you.
• Order test kits online by clicking here. These will be sent to your home address.
• Visit a test site to either collect test kits or to have a test done.
• South Staffordshire’s semi-permanent Covid-19 Community Testing site is Wombourne Library.
• Two dates for Pop- up testing venues have been confirmed:
• Saturday 3 July at Penkridge Market 8:00 – 14:00
• Sunday 4 July at Moseley Old Hall: 10:00 – 16:00
• Sunday 4 July at Baggeridge Country Park: 10:00 – 16:00
• Further updates on daily pop-up testing sites all around South Staffordshire can be found on South Staffordshire Councils Facebook page.

Please note: Anyone with symptoms should not attend and instead book a PCR test online here.

• Vaccination Walk-in Clinics 

The full list as confirmed currently, is available via The Walk-in Vaccination Clinics – Big Weekend Walk In section of the Together We’re Better website, listing all of the locations where walk-in clinics are happening. As the vaccine supply increases, more sites will be launched over the coming weeks.