Three York men were arrested in the early hours of this morning (Sunday 9 December 2012) following three burglaries at commercial premises across the York area overnight.
(more…)

The York Council is likely to agree changes to home care and other charging arrangements at a meeting on Wednesday.

They form part of a plan to persuade more elderly and disabled residents to accept “direct payments” to cover their care needs. These payments involve clients receiving an agreed cash amount based on an assessment of their requirements. In turn they are able to decide whether to purchase help from the Council or the private sector. The scheme has the advantage of giving clients customer choice on their care arrangements.

click to enlarge

Take up of the scheme has been relatively low (20%) so far with the complexities and the uncertainties, of the payment process, being partly to blame.

Now a new simplified system is set to be introduced.

As part of the change those getting the assistance of a second carer may have to contribute more for the service.

More details are available at http://tinyurl.com/York-direct-payments

There is some concern that those most affected by the scheme have failed to respond to consultation – or perhaps fully understand what so being proposed.

As of Monday 22/10, the Council had 1540 customers in receipt of a chargeable service. Under the proposals:

• 984 customers will not see a change in their current contribution (428 of these are nil charge)

• 496 customers will see a reduction – the average reduction is £10.07 per week

• 60 customers will see an increase – the average being £107 per week (primarily self funding double up customers)

The Council’s current performance on the care of elderly and disabled residents will be under the spotlight at a meeting on Wednesday.

click to enlarge

Although the care services in York cost less than in comparable authorities, some 14 areas for improvement have been identified.

The Council receives relatively low levels of response to reports like these. Probably not surprising as the published report pointedly fails to include a table of the performance outturns (although it is mentioned in the table of contents).

This is just another confirmation of the secrecy culture that has gripped the York Council over the last year or so.

Such information as has been provided can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/York-Social-Care-2012

City of York Council and the York Human Rights City project are hosting the city’s very first Human Rights Festival from 10-15 December.

The festival will include a variety of events to promote the exchange of ideas, as well as a debate on human rights issues and governance at various levels.

(more…)

The York Councils health scrutiny committee will meet on Tuesday. The Cabinet member with responsibility of Health is meeting to take decisions on Wednesday. Neither meeting will however consider the proposed cuts in NHS service standards in York and North Yorkshire. This seems extraordinary given the reports that are emerging.

The Yorkshire Post is reporting today that,

“Thousands of patients face being denied access to hospital care under tough new rules to ration treatment as NHS bosses step up desperate efforts to make millions of pounds in savings.

Numbers of patients returning to hospital for specialist check-ups will be cut by more than half, with follow-up consultations axed altogether in some fields”.

York Councillors seem to be content to be sidelined on this important issue

Meanwhile, the number of complaints about the counties ambulance service have reduced this year.

The main area of concern remains response times with 62 complaints recorded so far during the current year, compared to 147 in the whole of the preceding year.

Full details http://tinyurl.com/Ambulance-complaints

The Prior Medical Group – which runs 5 surgeries across York including one in Cornlands Road, is to merge with the Abbey Medical group. The latter has practices on the east of the City.

Together the new group would have 38 GPs and serve 51,000 patients across 9 locations.

The group reports that 74.5% of patients who responded to consultation favour the change.

The merger will take place on 1st April 2013

More information click here: http://tinyurl.com/Priory-merger

The Press have decided not to allow any comments on its web site when stories are published about the Great Buda.

They are right to do so. The comments are filled with the kind of innuendo and parody that could so easily lead to a great Leader losing credibility.

This web site would never stoop to such tactics… although “comedy week” will return in the week after Christmas (so you’d better let us have the photos that they don’t want to be posted now).

click to enlarge

Over 18 months after first being elected to represent the interests of residents and traders in the Front Street area of Acomb, Cllr Stephen Burton has broken his silence and tabled a Council resolution.

He wants next Thursday’s York Council meeting to establish a “Team Acomb”.

Burton: unlikely flag bearer for economic regeneration in Acomb

With a team of traders and residents already established some 6 months ago, this hardly seems like a revolutionary proposal. Just ill timed and a seemingly embarrassing attempt to clamber on board a bandwagon which was almost over the hill and out of sight.

The motion singularly fails to admit that:

• the Councils closure of local facilities like the Acomb Council branch office and Beckfield recycling centre,

• the abandonment of litter and salt bins,

• tinkering with bus services,

• leaving footpath and roads in disrepair and

• the installation of sub standard lighting

have all played a major role in the decline of the Front Street area.

Likely to be of more practical interest, will be the answer to a question tabled by Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Reid, In an attempt to get a commitment to invest in the regeneration of the Acomb side of the City, she asks the Councils Leader,

“What proportion of retail and office space is currently empty in each of the City’s sub-urban wards and how does this compare to the City Centre? How much of the “Innovation & Delivery Fund” and the “Economic Infrastructure Fund” does the Cabinet Leader intend to allocate to regeneration initiatives in sub-urban employment centres such as Acomb Front Street?”

The answer to that will tell us a lot about how serious Labour are about helping Acomb.

Cllr Burton comes across as a simple, straight forward sort of person. He would be wise not to fall into the trap of acting as a shield for those who attempt to “spin” their way out of responsibility.

NB. We understand that the traders group hope to organise Acomb’s first street market at Easter.

York has been awarded £96,438 to help homeowners and private tenants remain independent in their own homes for longer.

The funding augments the council’s Disabled Facilities Grant Fund which is used to help residents who have been assessed by an occupational therapist as requiring modifications to their home.

Residents can apply for help by contacting City of York Council’s Customer Access and Assessment Team on 01904 555111, or by doing their own, online self assessment at:
http://www.york.gov.uk/health/Services_for_older_people/ or via:
https://www.equip-yourself york.org.uk/smartassist/york

Once an occupational therapist has assessed the need, a referral is made to the council’s Housing Standards and Adaptations team who help over 175 residents each year to adapt their homes such as replacing a bath with a level access shower or providing a stairlift.

The Disabled Facilities Grant Fund is means tested, but members of the team offer support while the adaptation is being carried out.

In a brief letter to the local media, Gen James “Macarthur” Alexander has confirmed that he won’t be returning to the Philippines.

The announcement ends days of speculation following reports that “Mac” had ambushed a group of Japanese tourists outside the Minster. His subsequent media release referred to a frank exchange of views apparently centring on where the tour guide wanted to insert an umbrella.

Mac’s visit to the Philippines embassy in London last week raised hopes that he might be about to seek a safe parliamentary seat in Manila. Now those hopes have been dashed as it became clear that “Mac” has failed the obligatory daft pipe smoking test.

In a separate development, Mac has agreed to become the new face of a campaign to inspire “body confidence”. He is challenging popular retailers in York to replace images of airbrushed models with untouched pictures of customers.

“This provides me with an opportunity to utilise the photos (see left) prepared for my landing in the Philippines” he said