Latest news with #BBCRadioSurrey
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council leader to discuss SEN and devolution
Special educational needs provision and local government reorganisation will be among the topics discussed when Surrey County Council's leader answers questions on BBC Radio Surrey. Tim Oliver will appear on the hot seat on the breakfast show on Wednesday from 09:00 BST. The council's provision for children with additional needs has been previously criticised, with the cabinet member responsible saying the authority was "resolute" in its ambition to improve. Its children's services department was rated "good" on Friday, after "inadequate" ratings in 2015 and 2018. Listen to the BBC Radio Surrey breakfast show from 06:00 - 10:00, Monday to Friday, on BBC Radio Surrey or on BBC Sounds. The council submitted plans to central government earlier in May for how local government could look in the future with fewer, larger councils responsible for services. Surrey County Council, supported by Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council, is proposing that two new councils are created, with one in the east and another in the west. Elections that were due to take place in 2025 in Surrey have been postponed until 2026 as part of the devolution plans. Oliver has been the leader of the county council since 2018, and is a councillor for the Weybridge division. In 2024, he was awarded an OBE for services to local government. Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Council's 'long journey' to good Ofsted rating More than 1,800 children with SEN missing school Council apologises to families over SEND provision Fines for education failures approaching £1m Surrey County Council
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Council's 'long journey' to good Ofsted rating
Surrey County Council has turned around previous "inadequate" Ofsted ratings to secure a "good" label for its children's services. An inspection of the authority's children's services was carried out in March and the report published on Friday. The county council has been working to turn around the "requires improvement" rating it was given in 2022, following "inadequate" ratings in 2015 and 2018. Clare Curran, cabinet member for children, families and lifelong learning, told BBC Radio Surrey the rating was testament to staff who had worked "tirelessly, relentlessly" to improve the service. She added: "It has taken some time and it has been a long journey." All areas were rated "good", including the overall effectiveness judgement. Previously, a member of Surrey County Council asked whether there should be resignations at the authority following mistakes made over Sara Sharif. The 10-year-old was found dead at her home in Woking in August 2023, after suffering a series of injuries following years of abuse at the hands of her father and stepmother. Curran said Ofsted's latest inspection was a "really thorough process" which "extensively scrutinised" the council's safeguarding practice and children's social care service. She said although the inspection report made "numerous references to good practice in the area of safeguarding", the council was "playing an absolutely full and active part" in the independent safeguarding practice review that was ongoing into Sara's death. Curran added: "Sara's death was incredibly distressing, very sad and our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to all those who knew and loved her." The report said most children and families in Surrey now received the help, protection and care that they needed. "Services have improved substantially since the last inspection in 2022, when they required improvement," inspectors said. "These improvements to practice have been achieved through skilled leadership, strong political and corporate support, and well-trained and committed staff." Areas for improvements related to the number of care leavers in education, training and employment, and equity of experiences for them regarding housing. Asked about the council's provision for children with additional needs, which did not form part of the latest Ofsted inspection but has been previously criticised, Curran said the council was "resolute" on its ambition to improve. She said the Ofsted report showed SCC had "capacity to transform and improve services" and was undergoing the same process of improvement for children with additional needs. Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Sara Sharif family court judges named after appeal Questions must be answered over Sara murder, PM says Future of Sara Sharif social workers under scrutiny Council apologises to families over SEND provision More than 1,800 children with SEN missing school SEND children face complex care system - report Surrey County Council Ofsted
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Thames Water hopeful of sewage flooding solution in Horley
Thames Water says it is hopeful a short-term solution to sewage that has flooded Horley residents' properties will be implemented in the coming Pelham, who lives near Horley Sewage Treatment Works, said water contaminated with E. Coli had flooded his garden three times in five Water chief operations officer, Esther Sharples, wrote to the town's MP to say the issue is "one of our top priorities".Dorking and Horley MP Chris Coghlan said he was "waiting to see the details" of the proposed solution, but thought the firm had "got the message that it has to stop, because it's so horrific." He told BBC Radio Surrey that he was pleased Thames Water was acting, but he had reported the company to the Environment Agency and regulator Ofwat "to try and put maximum pressure on them to act".Ms Sharples said in her letter that Thames Water would "explore all options to bring forward" mitigation measures and were "carrying out the necessary surveys" to confirm its short-term solution will be effective."I am therefore not able to provide precise details just yet, but will be able to give you a more detailed explanation in June, and I remain hopeful of a solution being in place this summer," she added that Thames Water was also "developing a long-term plan to carry out further mitigation".Coghlan said: "The proof will be in the pudding of whether they actually deliver." Mr Pelham said that his garden had been flooded in November and in floodwater tested positive for E. Coli and high levels of ammonia and phosphates, according to the Lee Street resident."In places it was waist deep and up to your knees pretty much everywhere else," he said."Let's hope that they not only sort the immediate issue out, but futureproof it for any other developments that are happening, and hopefully it won't ever happen again."Water quality campaign group River Mole River Watch said Horley Sewage Treatment Works had received "a woeful lack of investment" for decades.
Business Mayor
01-05-2025
- General
- Business Mayor
‘I do what I like': British woman, 115, claims world's oldest living person title
The secret of longevity is to do what you like, according to the 115-year-old British woman named the world's oldest living person. Ethel Caterham, born in 1909, is the first Briton to claim the title of world's oldest person since 1987, when 114-year-old Anna Williams was the record holder. Caterham, the last surviving subject of Edward VII, acceded to the title after the previous record holder, Inah Canabarro Lucas, a Brazilian nun, died at the age of 116 on 30 April. Caterham, who lives in a care home in Lightwater, Surrey, puts her longevity down to her attitude to life. 'I've taken everything in my stride, the highs and lows,' she told BBC Radio Surrey in 2020, adding she has a maxim of 'never arguing with anyone'. She added: 'I listen and I do what I like.' The title has been bestowed on Caterham by LongeviQuest and the Gerontology Research Group, research organisations that verify ages for the Guinness World Records. skip past newsletter promotion Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Born in Shipton Bellinger in Hampshire on 21 August 1909, Caterham was raised in Tidworth, Wiltshire, the second youngest of eight children. At the age of 18 she became an au pair to a military family in British India before returning to England three years later, where in 1931 she met her husband, Lt Col Norman Caterham. The couple married in 1933 at Salisbury Cathedral, where Norman had been a choirboy. He served as a senior officer in the Royal Army Pay Corps and they were stationed in Gibraltar and Hong Kong, where Caterham set up a nursery. The couple had two daughters and returned to Britain, where her husband died in 1976. Caterham has lived in Surrey for 50 years and has three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren. 'I've been all over the world and I've ended up in this lovely home, where everyone is falling over themselves for me, giving me everything I want,' she said.
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘I do what I like': British woman, 115, claims world's oldest living person title
The secret of longevity is to do what you like, according to the 115-year old British woman named the world's oldest living person. Ethel Caterham, born in 1909, is the first Briton to claim the title of world's oldest person since 1987, when 114-year-old Anna Williams was the record holder. Caterham, the last surviving subject of Edward VII, acceded to the title after the previous record holder, Inah Canabarro Lucas, a Brazilian nun, died at the age of 116 on 30 April. Caterham, who lives in a care home in Lightwater, Surrey, puts her longevity down to her attitude to life. 'I've taken everything in my stride, the highs and lows,' she told BBC Radio Surrey in 2020, adding she has a maxim of 'never arguing with anyone'. She added: 'I listen and I do what I like.' The title has been bestowed on Caterham by LongeviQuest and the Gerontology Research Group, research organisations that verify ages for the Guinness World Records. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Born in Shipton Bellinger in Hampshire on 21 August 1909, Caterham was raised in Tidworth, Wiltshire, the second youngest of eight children. At the age of 18 she became an au pair to a military family in British India before returning to England three years later, where in 1931 she met her husband, Lt Col Norman Caterham. The couple married in 1933 at Salisbury Cathedral, where Norman had been a choirboy. He served as a senior officer in the Royal Army Pay Corps and they were stationed in Gibraltar and Hong Kong, where Caterham set up a nursery. The couple had two daughters and returned to Britain where her husband died in 1976. Caterham has lived in Surrey for 50 years and has three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren. 'I've been all over the world and I've ended up in this lovely home, where everyone is falling over themselves for me, giving me everything I want,' she said.
