About Chesterfield

Keeping in touch just got easier – thanks to free Wi-Fi at Chesterfield Royal

Patients, relatives and visitors to Chesterfield Royal Hospital will find it even easier to keep in touch with their friends and family – thanks to free Wi-Fi that’s gone live today.

The service – available on all in-patient wards, in out-patient clinics, the Emergency Department and in public areas including cafes and coffee shops – is designed to improve patient experience.  With smart phones and tablets for social media, games, apps and internet browsing now part of most peoples’ lives, a trip or a stay in hospital now enables access to all of these.

The project, a partnership between the hospital, NHS Digital and service provider Hospedia, is part of a national initiative to make sure that all NHS sites have free Wi-Fi available.  Associate Director of ICT at the Royal, Ian Hazel comments: “We’re delighted to launch free Wi-Fi today.  It’s something the IT team has been working towards to improve the technology we can offer our patients and visitors on site.

“It’s reassuring to know that even whilst in hospital, you can send a message, check e-mails and see posts from friends and family on social media like Facebook or Instagram.  The ability to keep in touch means people feel less isolated and more relaxed, which in turn can support better recovery.  Being able to contact loved-ones about what to bring, what time to visit and arrangements for going home makes the whole experience far less stressful.”

Free Wi-Fi won’t allow users access to streaming services or make video calls – and some sites will be blocked to users. The Trust will also be asking patients to be mindful of others when they’re using their own device, with volumes kept low or headphones on.

Director of Nursing & Patient Care, Lynn Andrews is also supportive of the idea: “This is another example of how we’re improving the experience our patients have when they are with us.  We’ve just been rated GOOD overall by the Care Quality Commission and collectively, developments like this, will help us on our journey to get that all important OUTSTANDING award.

“For anyone used to using their phone or tablet every day, it will make a real difference to how they feel about a hospital visit or stay.  It will also mean we can use the Wi-Fi to improve how we get patients’ views, support children in hospital with their on-going education and show people where to go on-line for the best support and advice to help their recovery.  It’s a real asset all round.”

Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Posted in About Chesterfield, Visiting

Senseye hires Chesterfield’s Roaring Mouse for corporate and trade PR support

Roaring Mouse, the UK-based PR and content marketing agency, has announced that it has been hired to run a proactive corporate and trade PR campaign for Senseye, a VC-backed startup that provides data analytics to industrial organisations.

Chesterfield Champion Roaring Mouse has been retained by Senseye following a six-month trade PR trial that focused on building awareness of the company and its capabilities with large-scale manufacturers around the world. The brief has been expanded to include corporate PR support.

The Roaring Mouse account team is led by the agency’s MD, James Taylor, and reports to Jonathan Wootten, Senseye’s Marketing Manager.

Based in Southampton, Senseye is a leading provider of cloud-based software for predictive maintenance. Its advanced algorithms help organisations avoid downtime and save money by automatically forecasting machine failure without the need for expert manual analysis. The company raised £3.5 million in 2017 in a Series A funding round led by MMC Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in early stage, high growth companies.

James Taylor, Managing Director at Roaring Mouse, comments: “Senseye is operating at the cutting-edge of AI, machine learning and data science, and has proven its potential to transform how manufacturers and other industrial companies monitor and maintain their machinery. We are delighted that Senseye has chosen Roaring Mouse to tell that story and help build its business around the world.”

Jonathan Wootten, Marketing Manager at Senseye, comments: “We wanted to work with an agency that understood our sector and could lead a multi-channel communications campaign incorporating a range of traditional, online and social media. Roaring Mouse’s flexible approach and experience working with tech scaleups like ourselves made it the perfect choice for Senseye.”

Roaring Mouse PR Senseye

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

DBCP’s systems certified as world class

Derbyshire Building Control Partnership (DBCP) has been awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification, marking an impressive start to its second year in business.

The world’s most popular and commonly used standard for quality management systems recognises DBCP’s consistent provision of products and services that meet customer, expectations as well as statutory and regulatory requirements.

The company, which has offices in Derby and Chesterfield, was established at the end of 2017 to deliver building control services to six Derbyshire councils.

Neil Johnson (right), Managing Director of Derbyshire Building Control Partnership, explained: “We’re proud to have achieved the world’s most widely adopted Quality Management System (QMS), so early in the business’ development. Although we are a regional business, we have national ambitions and this quality standard demonstrates to prospective clients that we not only have the resources but the world class systems in place to enable us to deliver a world class service.”

“ISO 9001:2015 is not only a certification to be proud of but also an important business development tool as we continue to grow.”

Last year, the company was also shortlisted for the New Business of the Year title at the 2018 Derbyshire Times Business Awards following 18 successful months in business.

Established in 2017, DBCP amalgamated the experience and knowledge of six established Local Authority Building Control Services from Derby City Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council, North East Derbyshire District Council, Bolsover District Council and Amber Valley Borough Council.

The amalgamation of six Building Control teams into one company, retained the skills and experience of some of Derbyshire’s most respected building surveyors who, together, have been key in delivering some of the counties most iconic buildings, including Derby iHub and Dunston Innovation Centre and, more recently, the new Saltergate multi-storey car park in Chesterfield and Wirksworth Heritage Centre.

To find out more about Derbyshire Building Control Partnership click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Tesco Community Champions help Chesterfield College to provide students with a nutritious start to the day

Tesco Community Champions from the local Tesco Extra store visited Chesterfield College’s breakfast hub last week to see first-hand how their food donations are helping to provide students with a nutritious start to the day.

The breakfast hub is just one initiative that is helping students to adopt healthier lifestyles as part of a national project funded by Sport England and the National Lottery, called Tackling Inactivity in Colleges. The donations are helping to boost the variety of food available as well as ensuring that the service is available every day of the week.

The Tesco Community Champions are part of the FareShare project, which works with large supermarket chains and food outlets to redistribute surplus food to charities and organisations in need. As well as donating breakfast foods such as bread, fruit and pastries to the college, the group also give fresh food to soup kitchens, community groups and even farms.

Tesco Community Champion, Jane Clavin said: “The project is really important because not only does it help reduce wastage and improve our environment, but it also acts as a lifeline for many people in our community. Working with the college has been great because we are helping to provide a varied breakfast for lots of young people who may not have had the opportunity to eat breakfast at home.  If students haven’t eaten a decent breakfast then their brains aren’t switched on.”

Sarah Vaughan, Healthy Lifestyle Lead at Chesterfield College who runs the breakfast hubs said: “Without the help of the Tesco Community Champions, we wouldn’t be able to provide our students with a free breakfast every single day. The quality and variety of food we have on offer is fantastic. Students can choose from a wide range of things from toast and crumpets to yogurts and fruit. We now serve breakfast to around 30-40 students a day. Many of the students who take advantage of the service have also increased the amount of physical activity that they do each week too. When the students get to know the team and find out what other things we offer, such as the range of sports clubs, they are keen to give them a go too. The breakfast hub has so many benefits.”

Chesterfield College has been working with the superstore for over 7 months and in that time they have delivered free breakfasts to hundreds of students.

ield college tesco breakfast hub

Tesco Community Champions Karen Pearson and Jane Clavin with Sarah Vaughan from Chesterfield College.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town

Chesterfield Royal rating result demonstrates staff dedication

On behalf of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals has rated Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as GOOD overall – maintaining high standards in the regulator’s five domains, which ask if services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

There was more good news for the Trust in the CQC’s inspection report – published today (Friday, January 25 2019) – which specifically singled out End of Life Care and Children’s Mental Health Services. Both of these were recognised as OUTSTANDING for the care they provide.

Commenting on the rating, Lynn Andrews, Director of Nursing and Patient Care at the Royal says: “I’m so proud of our staff and how hard they work to provide the best possible care and services to our patients. Our GOOD rating recognises their dedication and to have two elements of care singled out for being OUTSTANDING is a delight. I hope every member of staff feels just as proud of our achievement and that they appreciate how each of them has contributed to our success.”

The CQC’s inspection report provides detailed commentary about inspector’s findings. It explains why the OUTSTANDING and GOOD ratings have been awarded in each of the domains, including:

  • End of life care was described as provided with compassion, kindness and support; with multidisciplinary working and partnerships with other agencies and volunteers demonstrating outstanding practice to support patients, relatives and carers;
  • The child and adolescent mental health service was highlighted for outstanding engagement with the young people in its care – protecting and safeguarding them within a team that have the skills and experience to provide the right care and treatment;
  • Good safe services – including enough staff with the right qualifications, skills and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm, assessing patient risks and responding appropriately;
  • Good effective services – for example improving patients’ health with food and drinks, managing patients’ pain effectively and staff working together as a team for the benefit of their patients;
  • Good caring services – with compassionate staff supporting patients and their family members, involving them in decisions about care and treatment and providing emotional support to reduce distress. The report also notes that carers and relatives praised treatment provided with dignity and respect;
  • Good responsive services – including accessibility, better than national referral to treatment times in some specialties, patients’ needs considered and adjustments made for children and young people with autism or a learning disability. The Trust was also deemed to take complaints seriously to make sure they were investigated and that results supported learning;
  • Good well-led services – the Trust was described as having a clear vision for what it wants to achieve, with skilled leaders promoting a positive culture that values and supports staff. The CQC also highlighted the organisation’s approach to continually improving quality, safeguarding high standards of care and identifying and addressing risks; and
  • All teams were praised for their commitment to learning from the things they do well – and the occasions when care and treatment goes wrong. This included an issue with protecting patients from infection, which was found by inspectors during their Autumn 2018 visit. The CQC report highlights the immediate action taken to rectify concerns.

With a host of positive comments like these and a much improved rating chart, the Trust’s ambition to reach an OUTSTANDING award for all of its services shows real progress. Two years ago it was also rated GOOD, although with 12 elements that ‘required improvement’. These have reduced to three this timearound and the Trust has pledged to address them quickly, using the Chief Inspector of Hospitals’ points of improvement as a starting point.

The report sets out just two areas the Trust must-do – tightening up processes for assessing patients’ capacity to make decisions – and making sure staff training in the Mental Capacity Act (which supports that assessment process) is robust.

There are also around 20 actions the CQC recommend the Trust takes to make services even better. They range from monitoring staff training compliance and improving storage for medical records, through to keeping corridors free from clutter and reducing waiting times for some young peoples’ assessments – in autism spectrum, attention hyperactivity disorder and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Ms Andrews comments: “CQC inspections give us an opportunity to see our services through a fresh pair of eyes. We must celebrate all the positives staff have achieved here, nevertheless it’s equally important to focus on ‘what’s next?’ in relation to improvement. We are all committed to improving the care and services we provide and this report gives us even more of an incentive, along with some tips and ideas about how to get there. As we continue on our journey to achieve an OUTSTANDING rating for all our hospital services, I would like to thank all of our staff for their continued determination and support.”

Now that the CQC has published its report the Trust is expected to display its rating in the hospital and on its website. You can find it on the front page at www.chesterfieldroyal.nhs.uk – with a link that takes you through to the rating charts and the inspector’s full report.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

New development of bungalows for Chesterfield

Bungalows set within an exclusive gated development are now available to purchase in Chesterfield.

The development has been designed and built by luxury property developer Woodall Homes and will be marketed by award-winning Chesterfield estate agent, Redbrik.

St. Mary’s Walk is a brand-new gated development of 10 luxury bungalows in the sought-after suburb of Newbold, a short distance from Chesterfield town centre.

The development is a mix of two, three and four-bedroom detached properties, all of which are completed to a very high specification.

Woodall Homes Managing Director David Wood said: “Each property in this new development has been thoughtfully designed with the purchaser in mind and we are delighted to be bringing these to market.”

“We’re pleased to be working with Redbrik to market these bungalows. We believe in creating homes that buyers can be proud of and we are certain Redbrik will help buyers find their ideal new home at St. Mary’s Walk.”

The Barlborough-based Woodall Homes team have been delivering sought after homes since 2011 and pride themselves on providing a high specification and finish to all their homes.

Mark Ross, Director at Redbrik, added: “The team at Woodall Homes have created a bespoke development of luxury bungalows, ideal for those looking to downsize and relocate to the lovely area of Newbold.”

“Our New Homes marketing department continues to go from strength to strength, and with a combination of our expertise and Woodall Homes’ high-quality properties, we believe together we can help even more people find their perfect home.”

For more information, visit www.redbrik.co.uk.

Redbrik new bungalows chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Award for Careline service

Chesterfield Borough Council’s Careline service has been accredited by a leading industry body.

Following an audit by the Technology enabled care Services Association (TSA), the service has achieved full accreditation to the TSA’s quality standards framework which covers the monitoring and installation of Careline alarms, and the falls recovery service.

TSA commended Chesterfield on the delivery of its Careline, response, and support services, a number of areas of good practice, and helping over 4,500 customers to achieve positive outcomes.

Councillor Helen Bagley, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Homes and Customers said: “The accreditation demonstrates the council’s commitment to follow best practice within the industry, and highlights our strengths and commitment to continually improving our services by putting customers first.”

The team was presented with the certificate by Mayor, Councillor Stuart Brittain, and Mayoress, Anne Brittain.

Councillor Bagley added: “Our services are aimed at helping and supporting people to maintain independent living in their own homes, and TSA has recognised how we tailor our services to individual needs, how we work effectively with key statutory and voluntary organisations, and how we continue to develop and enhance our services to meet changing needs and technology.”

For more information about the Careline and support service visit: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/careline or call Careline on 0300 323 0076.

Council careline accreditation

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

See the film – then visit the Peak District places linked with ‘Mary Queen of Scots’

Visitors to the Peak District and Derbyshire can celebrate the launch of a fascinating new film about Mary Queen of Scots by following in the footsteps of the real Mary Stuart and her guardian Bess of Hardwick.

The UK release of the film last week offers the perfect excuse to book an early Easter break and stay in or visit places connected to the ill-fated queen and her formidable ‘minder’, together with the chance to visit famous film locations in the area.

Directed by Josie Rourke and filmed in England and Scotland – including at Hardwick Hall near Chesterfield and Haddon Hall near Bakewell – the film positions the Peak District and Derbyshire firmly in the spotlight as a place where visitors can step into the shoes of their favourite movie stars.

During her 15-year captivity, Mary Stuart (1542 – 1587) was under the guardianship of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury and his Derbyshire-born wife Elizabeth, known as Bess of Hardwick, at various places in and around the Peak District and Derbyshire.

Mary was held at locations including Chatsworth, Wingfield Manor and the Old Hall Hotel in Buxton, England’s oldest hotel. Due to a mystery illness, Mary was permitted to ‘take the healing waters’ at Buxton and visited the Derbyshire spa town most years between 1573 and 1584. Copies of writing that Mary etched onto a window pane at the Old Hall Hotel can still be seen today.

The movie stars Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, David Tennant and Joe Alwyn.

Haddon Hall and the National Trust’s Hardwick Hall were used in scenes representing Hampton Court Palace – with Haddon’s beautiful medieval Long Gallery used in shots with actress Margot Robbie (Queen Elizabeth I).

Private rooms at Haddon, including the Boot Room, were also used as the interior of Lord Darnley’s Chamber at Holyrood; the anteroom to the State bedroom was used as a servant prep room; and the entrance and lower courtyard were used as a makeshift camp.

At Hardwick, the hall and grounds were used as external shots of Hampton Court Palace, including a scene where actress Margot Robbie (Queen Elizabeth I) is standing on the roof of Hardwick Hall.

The Peak District and Derbyshire has inspired filmmakers for generations and has been the backdrop for many famous films and TV dramas including Pride and Prejudice, The Duchess, The Other Boleyn Girl, Elizabeth, The Princess Bride and Jane Eyre.

As well as inspiring a visit to the local locations where the movie was filmed, the release of Mary Queen of Scots also coincides with the start of a second phase of a new exhibition highlighting modern women’s take on Bess of Hardwick’s compelling story at the National Trust’s Hardwick Hall, near Chesterfield.

Shrewd businesswoman Bess (1527 – 1608) was the second wealthiest woman in England and one of the most powerful women of her time. She built the first house on the Chatsworth Estate, together with her second husband Sir William Cavendish, and later constructed Hardwick Hall, ‘more glass than wall’. She also designed her own memorial in Derby Cathedral, where she was buried.

“The Peak District and Derbyshire has strong ties with both Mary Queen of Scots and her guardian Bess of Hardwick, so now is the perfect time for history lovers and film fans to book and look forward to staying in and visiting some of the places linked with this fascinating character from history,” said Jo Dilley, Managing Director, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board.

“Many of our historic attractions, such as Chatsworth, Hardwick Hall, the Old Hall Hotel in Buxton and Derby Cathedral, are connected with the original story, while the new film and exhibition offer a modern take on both women’s fascinating lives, so there are plenty of amazing links to appeal to visitors of all ages.”

The Peak District and Derbyshire is one of the UK’s most interesting places to visit for film-inspired breaks.

Photograph by William Collinson

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Banner Jones’ Executive Director appointed as Vice President of The Notaries Society

Executive Director at Banner Jones Solicitors, Stephen Gordon, has been appointed as Vice President of The Notaries Society, the representative society for the 775 Notaries practising in England and Wales.

Founded in 1882, The Notaries Society plays a major part in the lives of Notaries offering training, continuing professional development as well as international representation.

Stephen, who specialises in Commercial Property at Banner Jones Solicitors, has been a qualified as a Notary Public for over 25 years, dealing with international matters for both private and commercial clients. Stephen is now the only remaining Notary Public in Chesterfield.

Having been appointed as Vice President and retaining his role as Treasurer, Stephen will continue to work alongside the wider Council – including the current President, Andrew Johnson – to run the society and continue its work on the development of professional standards.

Commenting on his appointment Stephen said: “I’m extremely proud to have been appointed as Vice President of the Society and am delighted to further my involvement in supporting the work of fellow Notary Publics across England and Wales.”

“Notaries represent the oldest and smallest branch of the legal profession in England and Wales and so the work of the Society is crucial in ensuring their interests are best represented.”

Among its many functions, The Notaries Society maintains contact with the other Notaries in the rest of the United Kingdom and Ireland through membership of the United Kingdom and Ireland Notarial Forum, and through direct contact with other notarial associations throughout the rest of the world.

stephen Gordon Banner Jones

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield

Redbrik Chesterfield Half approaches fundraising milestone

Organisers of the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon have hailed the event’s success after it raised near to £100,000 for charities in its first two years.

The event saw more than 1,500 people register in 2018, many of whom raised funds for good causes including the event’s charity partners, Chesterfield-based Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, based in North Anston.

In 2018, the event included the 13.1-mile Half Marathon, Peak FM Five Mile Run and 1km Blachford Fun Run, and 15 teams entered the Pronto Paints Wellbeing Challenge.

The event also saw a new Redbrik Half record time of 1:14:58 set by Gary Gregory, with Nicola Holland the fastest female in a time of 1:26:26.

The 2019 Redbrik Chesterfield Half will take place on 20 October, starting at 9:30am from Queen’s Park in Chesterfield. The Early Bird entry price of £22 for the event is available until 31 January.

John Timms, Event Director at Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see how much has been raised by the event since its relaunch in 2017.”

“To have raised in the region of £100k in our first two years is remarkable, but we want to kick on and keep raising money for good causes.”

“If the event continues to grow at the rate it has done so far, with the help of the people of Chesterfield, the local community and event partners, we can continue to do something very special for some incredible causes.”

Mark Ross, Director at headline sponsor Redbrik Estate Agents, said: “It’s been fantastic to be part of such a special event – the Redbrik Half Marathon has gone from strength-to-strength since it was revamped a couple of years ago.”

“To have got to where we are now in such a short space of time is a great achievement, but I think I speak for us all in saying that we want to take it even further.”

“Next, we’d love to get over 2,000 runners on the start line and double the amount we’ve raised so far for charity.”

For more information on the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon click here.

Photo courtesy of Charles Whitton Photography

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Lower council tax rise proposed as Derbyshire County Council consider budget

Derbyshire County Council are considering a lower than predicted council tax rise, continual investment in road improvements and targeted spending on services for vulnerable older people and children.

The Cabinet will meet on Thursday, 24 January 2019 to consider how the budget for 2019-20 will be spent, which is proposed to be set at £519.5m.

They will consider which services to prioritise and at what level council tax needs to be set to ensure vital services can continue while providing value for money for Derbyshire residents.

A predicted council tax rise of 4.99% has already been ruled out in previous discussions, in favour of a lower proposed rise of 3.99% for the coming year, with the bulk of the money helping to provide services for vulnerable children, people with disabilities and older people.

At 3.99% it is also lower than the maximum allowed by Government and 1% lower than last year. It will mean that Derbyshire’s share of council tax bills is set to remain below the average for similar councils.

Derbyshire County Council are looking at how they can achieve a freeze on council tax for the two years from 2020 to 2021, which is a challenging aim but one that is in the best interest of residents.

They’re confident that their finances are in a strong position, but in order to ensure the books balance, it has set a departmental savings target of £13.4m for the year ahead. The savings target over the next five years is £63.2m.

Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Barry Lewis said: “At a time of uncertainty around the economy, we want to do what we can to reduce the pressure on household costs which is why we are going for a lower council tax rise. The bulk of that money will be used to provide support to people who are more vulnerable.”

“In future years our desire is to keep council tax rises as low as possible while working with our community to protect the services that matter to our residents the most.”

While a significant element of savings have been identified, as detailed in the report that will be considered next week, work continues on how to meet the overall target by the end of March 2020.

Alongside the detailed budget report, councillors will also consider the results of the authority’s budget consultation which was held at the end of last year.

Almost 7,000 people responded to the consultation, which asked them to choose from a list of council priorities, marking which they thought should be the top three priorities for the authority.

Improving social care, repairing and improving the condition of Derbyshire’s roads and keeping children and adults safe were the top three priorities for residents.

Residents were also asked as part of the consultation whether they would accept a council tax rise of 3.99%, 4.99% or neither. A total of 31% said they would accept a rise of 3.99%, with 34% saying a 4.99% rise would be acceptable, with 35% saying neither would be acceptable.

Councillor Lewis added: “We’ve listened to what Derbyshire residents have told us in the consultation and we know that protecting services for vulnerable people is a priority, as is continuing to invest in road improvements.”

“In the past year we’ve fixed 68,000 potholes and we’ll be continuing our improvement programme, recently boosted by a £8.4m cash injection from Government.”

In summary, next week the Cabinet will consider:

  • Setting the annual budget for 2019 to 2020 at £519.5m
  • Raising the council tax by 3.99%
  • A 2% adult social care precept included in the overall 3.99% council tax rise which will generate £6.3m
  • Spending the remaining 1.99% on funding other council priorities including children’s services
  • Accepting departmental savings proposals to achieve a savings target of £13.4m for 2019-20.

A 3.99% rise in council tax would see an increase of £39.48 per year or 76p per week rise for the average ‘Band B’ household and for a ‘Band D’ household, the rise would be £50.76 per year or 98p per week.

The adult social care portion (2%) of the overall 3.99% increase will cost the average ‘Band B’ property £19.79 a year or 38p per week and for a ‘Band D’ property £25.44 per year or 49p per week.

At the meeting next week, the Cabinet will make recommendations to Full Council to consider when it meets on Wednesday 6 February 2019.

Story of Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development