A glowing report has been received by the Chesterfield FC academy following a recent Ofsted inspection.

Some of the key findings of the Ofsted report include the fact that the academy offers an excellent learning environment. The personal development, behaviour and welfare of scholars was rated as ‘excellent’. The scholars’ excellent attendance and punctuality was also recognised, together with the ‘very good’ quality of teaching and learning provided.

Academy manager John Pemberton praised the hard work put in by the academy staff, which has resulted in the very positive feedback. He said: “We had a quote saying that we may not be a Premiership club, but we have Premiership leadership, structure and disciplines, which was really pleasing for us.”

“We want to be known as the best Cat 3 academy and that is what we are working towards. The report from Ofsted shows we are on the right track, but there is still a lot of hard work to do.”

“The education side of it is really important for us as not every scholar makes it as a professional footballer so they have to fall back on something else if it doesn’t work for them.”

“It is important to get the Under-18s right and ensure that, whatever happens, we produce good people and make them the best at what they can be, whether it is through education or football.”

James Ford, the academy’s Education and Welfare Officer, believes Ofsted’s endorsement will help with the recruitment process. He said: “It sends out the message that we’re doing a great job here to develop these lads, both on the pitch and off the pitch.”

“We’re giving the boys an excellent opportunity to develop and go into the first-team environment and we’re also helping them to develop themselves personally by developing their educational profile and personal skills. It’s a really great package we offer.”

Academy Director Steve Coe said: “I would like to praise John and all the academy staff for their dedication and professionalism over the past few months, including stepping up to take the first team while carrying on with their academy roles.

“The Ofsted report shows the hard work being done and we are on the correct pathway to ensuring the academy will achieve its goals over the coming months.”

Ofsted – the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills – inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skills for learners of all ages.

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital is making changes to its outpatient appointment system as part of efforts to improve choice for patients and reduce the number of cancellations and non-attendances.

A new approach to booking follow-up appointments is being introduced so that if a patient doesn’t need to be seen again within six weeks, they will be invited to call the appointments team nearer to the time to allow them the chance to choose a date and time that suits them.

Claire Carson is the Royal’s Associate Director of Performance and Information, she said: “We’re very conscious that it’s not always easy for patients to know what their circumstances and plans might be when booking an appointment weeks or months in advance. It’s also very easy to forget when your appointment is whilst planning your own personal life so, for example, booking a holiday can create a clash that has the potential to result in a cancelled appointment.

“This new way of working puts the choice of appointment increasingly in the hands of the patient. By writing to them closer to the time of when we need to see them and asking them to call us, the chances of booking an appointment that clashes with a personal commitment is reduced. The intention is, first of all, to improve appointment choice for our patients, which should then result in fewer non-attendances and a reduction of last minute cancellations.”

The change will affect all but a handful of follow-up appointments; if your next one is before June 2019 then you will be given an appointment before leaving clinic that day. If it’s after June 2019 then you will receive a letter around five weeks before you need to come in and are asked to call to make an appointment.

Claire added: “It’s about reducing the time between booking the appointment and the appointment itself. Of course there is plenty that our patients can do to help us out as well. The appointment letter we send to patients includes a reminder to call us if they know they can’t make an appointment. If we have a mobile number we can send patients a text message reminder of their appointment the week before it’s due. The sooner people can let us know about a cancellation the better so that we can make the slot available to someone else, saving them time and valuable NHS resources.”

If someone forgets to book their follow up appointment they will be sent a reminder. If we don’t hear from them, their clinician will review their care and they may be discharged back to their own GP, receiving a letter to explain why.

21

Residents are being asked for their views on proposals to change the way people with learning disabilities and autism are supported to lead fulfilling lives.

Derbyshire County Council plans to transform support so it focuses on an individual’s strengths to help them achieve personal goals rather than fitting people in to services that are available.

The introduction of the Care Act 2014 gave the council greater responsibility to ensure people with learning disabilities and autism lead independent lives.

Members of the county council’s Cabinet have approved the launch of a 12-week consultation which will run until 31 March 2019. Letters have been sent to everyone who currently uses learning disability services together with a questionnaire which they, their family and carers are invited to complete. Residents can also fill it in online.

A series of events have been planned for people who currently attend day services and their relatives and carers to give their views. The below events will be held in Chesterfield will run from 10am-12 noon on:

• Monday 4 February – No Limits, Lower Ground Floor, West Street, Chesterfield, S40 4TY
• Wednesday 27 February – Markham Vale Land Services, Unit 14, Markham Lane, Chesterfield, S44 5HY
• Wednesday 13 March – Bolsover Day Centre, Oxcroft Lane, Bolsover, S44 6DJ

A meetings will also be held for young people with learning disabilities who are due to move from the support of children’s services on Monday 25 February – St Thomas Centre, Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, S40 3AW.

Other meetings have been planned for outside the Chesterfield area, please click here to find out more.

Places need to be booked by contacting the county council on 01629 531307 or emailing telladultcare@derbyshire.gov.uk

Under the council’s proposals:

• People who are assessed as having the most complex needs could continue to use suitably equipped day centres to access community activities – although the activities and location offered may change
• People who are newly-referred to the service but do not have complex needs would be offered one-to-one support to access activities which could include paid work, training or volunteering.
• Current service users who are not assessed with complex needs can choose to continue using day services.
• In the future everyone would be assessed under the council’s transport policy and if they are not eligible for support may have to make and pay for their own travel arrangements to and from the day centre.
• The council would support voluntary and independent organisations to develop a wider range of opportunities available for people with learning disabilities and autism.
• Redesign work-based day services offered by the council to become employment skills and training hubs. These would offer people the opportunity to receive training and support them into work and, where appropriate, paid employment.

Councillor Jean Wharmby, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Care, said: “We want to make sure our services help people with learning disabilities lead fulfilling lives.”

“They have told us they want to be involved in their local community, going out with friends, learning new skills or getting a job.”

“Instead of trying to fit people in to services we have available, we are keen to make sure our support focuses on an individual’s strengths to help them achieve personal goals.”

The county council currently supports around 680 people aged from 18 to over 65 with learning disabilities – of those, around 460 currently attend a county council day centre. Figures show that the number of people, particularly younger people, using day centres has fallen. Of the 15 council-run centres around the county, 14 have empty places as people are choosing to do other things.

Councillor Wharmby added: “I’d like to reassure people that no decisions will be taken until we have heard everyone’s views as we are committed to working together to come up with a service shaped by the people it affects most.”