York children urge to sign up for 10 minute exercise project

The 10 Minute Shake Up campaign uses a bit of Disney magic to inspire children to reach the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day, with fun, manageable 10 minute bursts of exercise.

This year, 10 Minute Shake Up has lots of new and exciting 10 minute games and activities for children to play as part of four Disney teams: Big Hero 6, Frozen, Monsters and Toy Story. Children can help their chosen Disney team win by taking part in as many Shake Ups as they can each day throughout the summer. Every 10 minute burst of activity can make a real difference and helps towards children getting the 60 minutes they need each day.

Those who sign up for 10 Minute Shake Up will receive a free pack containing inspiration, ideas and tools to help children on their way to achieving their recommended 60 minutes of activity per day. Packs include a fantastic team wristband* with timer, activity cards, a wild card for children to invent their own Shake Ups, a team poster and stickers.

*while stocks last

Councillor Carol Runciman, City of York Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health said: “This is a fantastic initiative to encourage children and families to get active. Increased physical activity can lead to better academic achievement, with improved attention span, behaviour and self-confidence. I would encourage people across the city to sign up”.

City of York Council’s Acting Director of Health and Wellbeing, Julie Hotchkiss said: “In children physical activity is essential for mental and emotional health as well as physical health and a reduced risk of developing chronic conditions in the future.”
To sign up visit Change4Life and register for a free pack which is full of ideas for games and activities to keep your children active this summer.

Drowning prevention week – activities in York schools

Using the River Safety Resource pack launched this spring by City of York Council, schools have a wealth of information, ideas and contacts to hand to share the message that taking care near water can save lives.

Developed in consultation with the city’s multi-partner River Safety Group including Safer York Partnership, the Canal and River Trust and emergency services, the pack also supports the National Curriculum’s new requirements for building water safety and aquatic skills.

The council is working with Ebor Lifesaving Club to deliver water safety initiatives during and outside the Royal Lifesaving Society’s annual week of action. Primary schools and youth groups in York have approached the club or are using the packs themselves to raise awareness of the dangers that open water pose.
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York NHS reacts to independent criticisms

Local services labelled as “requires improvement”

The York Council will debate on Wednesday a report on the progress being made in addressing failings in NHS services in the City.

The report responds to a Care Quality Commission review last year in which 70% of the areas rated were judged to be ‘Good’, 25% as ‘Requires Improvement’ and 5% as ‘Inadequate’.

5 areas for immediate improvement were identified as;

Safety and suitability of premises
Systems for identifying, handling and responding to complaints
Ensuring staff receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisals
Ensuring there are enough suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff at all times to meet patients’ needs
Eliminating mixed sex accommodation

A report to the Councils Health Scrutiny Committee, details the changes that the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was required to make and progress against targets.

The Trust claims to have achieved 96% of its improvement targets

NB. The same meeting will discuss a report on the direct payments made to individuals in York for care services. The Council has implemented a policy where those who opt for direct payments receive the payments to a personal account. There had been some concerns raised when payments had been made to third party organisations.

York’s Heatwave Plan is Up and Running

The council is encouraging residents to think about how it may impact on their health and that of their friends and family.

The council works to the nationally operated Heatwave Plan that includes a Heat-Health Watch alert system which operates from 1 June to 15 September and is based on Met Office forecasts and data. This system triggers levels of response from the NHS, government and public health systems and communicate risks.

The Heat-Health Watch system comprises five main levels (0-4) ranging from year round planning for warm weather to the declaration of a major incident due to a prolonged heatwave being experienced.

The Heatwave Alert system is based on temperature thresholds where there is a 15-20% increased risk of a heatwave being declared. For York the trigger criteria for declaring a heatwave are 29/15/29C (Day/Night/Day).
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Parents in York urged to have children vaccinated

Although immunisation rates are generally good in York (92.3% had their full MMR vaccines – data: NHS England) recent research shows that “letting nature run its course” by allowing childhood infections to build immunity is a poor, and possibly unsafe choice.

Recent research has shown that a natural infection by measles in a child has the effect of resetting the immunity of the child back to that of a newborn infant. All the immune memory, which we rely on to protect us, is destroyed. The measles virus kills white blood cells that have a “memory” of past infections and therefore provide immunity to them. It had been thought that these cells bounce back because new ones appear following recovery. However, recent research in monkeys has shown that these new memory cells only remember measles itself.

In other research, a team analysed child mortality records from the UK, America and Denmark before and after the measles vaccination was available. The data showed that the number of children who died of infectious diseases was linked to the number of measles cases there had been in the two or three years previously. The duration of the so called “immune amnesia” is similar to the time it takes for new born babies to build up a natural immunity; this suggests that measles resets children’s immunity to that of a newborn.

City of York Council’s Interim Consultant in Public Health, Dr Sohail Bhatti said: “This research shows the importance of getting our children vaccinated and the implications if we don’t. I would urge parents in York to do the best by their children and ensure they receive the MMR vaccine to protect them against measles, as well as mumps and rubella.

“If children are not vaccinated against measles they run a much higher chance of getting the disease which means their immune memory could be destroyed. They are then more likely to get other diseases when the symptoms and consequences can be much more severe.”

For more information about measles and the MMR vaccine visit www.nhs.uk

City gears up for Dementia Awareness Week (17-24 May)

Organisations across York are gearing up for Dementia Awareness Week (17-24 May) with a series of events.

The activities form part of York’s work to become a ‘dementia friendly city’ which is welcoming, empathetic and accessible to people living with dementia and their friends, relatives and carers.

Local residents will be able to get a preview of a new photographic exhibition in the council’s headquarters at West Offices, throughout Dementia Awareness Week from 18-22 May. The exhibition, entitled ‘a storylikeours’ is a positive portrait exhibition featuring and celebrating people living with dementia and their carers. A series of short films on the same theme have also been produced to raise awareness of dementia.

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All Walk 2 Joggers now running 5km!

York residents completing the final session of a ten-week Walk 2 Jog programme have hailed it a success, with many vowing to continue running for pleasure.

All those completing the course can now jog five kilometres and new sessions have been arranged to meet demand and to support people planning to run in charity events.

The Walk 2 Jog Programme is organised by City of York Council and delivered by Jonathan Nyman, a qualified England Athletics run leader along with expert council officers.

Beginners enjoy a structured and progressive programme of fun sessions, starting with a three-kilometre walk. Speed and distance is gradually increased as the group becomes fitter, although everyone is able to progress at their own pace.
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£25,000 initiative to raise awareness of Autism

An £25,000 project will see 50 York people become Autism Awareness Champions in York.

will Department of Health funding to help raise public awareness of what life is like in York for people with autism. The initiative will see the council and Living Autism train professionals and members of the public to become Autism Awareness Champions, as well as enabling 150 people to attend a free two-hour Autism Awareness Course.

It’s hoped the Champions will deliver further awareness training to community groups, schools and professionals in the future, ensuring that understanding and awareness of the condition spreads across the city.

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£159k funding to give domestic abuse victims 24/7 support

Nearly £160,000 of Government funding will round-the-clock support for people experiencing domestic abuse in York.

The Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS) will use the £159,064 award in York and Harrogate to fund extended and better-quality provision, backed by The North Yorkshire and York Domestic Abuse Partnership, and by Safer York Partnership.

The funding will pay for extending the IDAS helpline for emergency support and advice to a 24-hour, seven days a week service, and it will allow for 24/7 staffing at the refuges. It will also allow for more staff training to better assess the needs of those requesting help and to support them, as well as training for refuge users to build resilience and to prepare for successful resettling.

Sarah Hill, Director of IDAS in York, said: “Domestic violence affects up to one in four women and is not a nine-to-five problem. I’m delighted that this extra funding is going to let us deliver 24-hour services, weekend cover and community provision so that we can provide a better quality and safer service to families when they need it.”

Public services in York getting worse this year – official

Little attention has been given to a report to tomorrows Cabinet meeting which shows a marked decline in the quality of some public services in York

Graffiti taking longer to remove

It is taking the Council between 2 and 3 days to clean graffiti now – almost double the time taken two years ago

The number of York residents on the housing waiting list has increase from 1344 to 1439 over recent months It is still low compared to historical levels (because many applicants were struck off the list last year by the Council)

Only 62% of tenants are satisfied now with the Council as a landlord. To a degree this reflects the lack of investment in the Council estates across the City (a LibDem regeneration plan was voted down last week by the Labour/Green coalition)

Customer satisfaction with the quality of streets and public places has slipped below 50% as has satisfaction with green spaces.

Only 48% think that the Council is tackling anti social behaviour well.

Fewer residents (12%) are now “volunteering”

The number of people aged over 65 admitted to residential and nursing care homes had risen to 767 (per 100k population) by the end of last year. Numbers are increasing again this year.

By December 27 residents were victims of delayed discharges from hospital. Of these 15 were down to York Council care failings.

Waste going to landfill increasing

The Council is failing its waste management targets. Consequently taxpayers will foot an increased £3.7million landfill tax bill.

Stage carriage bus use in the City is stable. The Council refuses to publish monthly figures indicating the number of buses running on time (was 84% last year according to DoT figures)

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