January 2010 Archives

PEOPLE living in the capital have till the end of the month to give their views on how a grants budget of up to £28 million will be spent.
London Councils' consultation into how its grants funding should be prioritised from April 2011 will draw to a close on Friday 29 January.
The organisation, one of the largest funders of the capital's voluntary sector, gives grants to 360 groups across 59 priority areas.
Funded projects include schemes providing counselling to victims of domestic abuse, providing homeless people with secure accommodation and working with young people to prevent them becoming involved in gun crime.
London Councils is urging all Londoners with an interest in the voluntary sector to respond to the consultation so that the funding meets the needs of London's diverse population.
This is especially important in the current economic climate when voluntary services have seen an increase in demand as a consequence of the recession with rises in unemployment, an increase in debt and other related side-effects - like more people suffering from depression.
Chairman of London Councils' Grants Committee, Councillor Lynne Hillan, said: "People need support from voluntary services more than ever in the current financial climate and more responses will mean a more accurate picture of which areas to prioritise.
"Those with an interest in funding the voluntary sector still have a chance to give us their feedback. We urge them to take the time to respond and ensure that these grants provide the maximum benefit for people living in the capital".
Councillor Reg Colwill, Brent Council's Lead Member for Adults, Health and Social Care, said: "Millions of pounds will soon be spent on services that are currently being used by thousands of us and that anyone of us, at anytime, may need to tap into.
"Whether you're a service provider, service user or just someone who wants to voice your opinion - now is your last chance to have your say on how the money should be spent."

A TUITION service, which teaches pupils who are unable to attend school, is celebrating
receiving a 'good' rating in its latest Ofsted inspection.
Brent Educational Tuition Service (BETS), which teaches youngsters not at school because
of medical, social, behavioural or attendance-related issues, was inspected by the
education watchdog in November and was found to be providing 'exemplary care' and 'good
teaching'.
BETS has provided short and long-term education for 116 pupils in all 4 key stages over the last academic year.
An additional 157 youngsters were taught as in-patients at Northwick Park Hospital.
Pupils are each given an individual teaching plan and taught using a mixture of home tuition and classroom-based lessons at the three BETS sites.
The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers was judged by Ofsted
to be 'outstanding' and the report stated "staff work hard to cultivate supportive relationships and maintain effective communication channels with parents and carers."
The relationship between staff and pupils was described as providing "the bedrock of the
success of the service."
The report goes on to say BETS "is very successful in providing a safe haven for its pupils" who "rightly feel safe in this exceptionally caring environment where the staff give their undivided attention."
John Dowling, headteacher, said: "The report is very gratifying and a reflection of the hard work the staff have put into the last few years. We're very proud of the care and teaching we provide to our pupils."
Rik Boxer, assistant director for achievement and inclusion, said: "For some youngsters BETS is the last chance to get back on track and I'm delighted so many are making such good progress. Staff continually go the extra mile to meet the needs of pupils."

PEOPLE living in the borough are encouraged to come along to the next round of Brent Area Consultative Forums taking place over the next few weeks.
The area consultative forums give local residents the opportunity to discuss, with local councillors and officers from Brent Council, issues that affect them and their families. Representatives from other agencies including the local police also regularly attend. They will be taking place at the following locations:

Wembley Area Consultative Forum, from 7pm, on Tuesday, January 26, at Patidar House, 22 London Road, Wembley . It covers the wards Alperton, Northwick Park, Preston, Sudbury, Tokyngton and Wembley Central.

Kilburn and Kensal Area Consultative Forum, from 7pm, on January 27. It covers the wards Brondesbury Park, Kilburn, Mapesbury and Queens Park. Venue to be confirmed.

Kingsbury and Kenton Area Consultative Forum, from 7pm, on February 2 at Kingsbury High School, Princes Avenue, in Kingsbury. It covers the wards Barnhill, Fryent, Kenton and Queensbury.

During the break officers, speakers and local ward councillors will be present to answer any questions.
For more details on the agenda for these meetings visit the council's website www.brent.gov.uk/consultation or call 020 8937 1055.