Local News

Chief Inspector Tony Henley (pictured), Swale's District Commander, will have greater control of resources in the area to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour as part of a new model launched by the Chief Constable of Kent Police earlier today.

Chief Inspectors for each of the 13 districts across Kent and Medway will be able to deliver enhanced local policing with the creation of two new units. The newly-formed Local District Policing Teams will be tasked to deal with emergency and non-emergency calls, investigate local crime such as assault and theft and provide increased community visibility across Swale. Local District Policing Teams will continue to use innovative tools such as Predictive Policing to help tackle and prevent crime in Kent's communities.

Under the previous model, officers responsible for responding to emergency 999 calls and custody staff were managed centrally and not under the direction of the district commanders. As a result of the change, Chief Inspectors will have greater flexibility in allocating resources where they are most needed. New Community Policing Teams will form part of the existing Community Safety Units and will tackle anti-social behaviour and persistent local problems. They will provide a better connection with their local communities, while Police Community Support Officers will continue to work closely in their designated areas. Each ward across the county will continue to benefit from its own assigned PSCO.

Community Safety Units remain dedicated to dealing with licensing, mental health and crime prevention. They will also locally direct volunteers and district Special Constables and work alongside local authorities and partner agencies. Each district will continue to benefit from existing support from detectives in CID and the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, as well as other specialist units within the force.

District Commander, Chief Inspector Tony Henley of Kent Police, told SFM News: "The integration of local policing resources across the borough will increase my team's flexibility in responding to Swale's specific needs. For example, a shift pattern has been introduced that is designed to give a more consistent level of policing on the Island and Faversham. Local police will continue to enjoy strong relationships with key partners such as Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council Community Wardens as well as housing officers from local providers such as Amicus Horizon. We know the more co-ordinated we are in working together the more effectively and efficiently we will be able to tackle anti-social behaviour in the borough.  Therefore, the operational hub will be expanded in Sittingbourne to include every PCSO in the district. This will bring them under the direction of the most experienced sergeants and inspector who are best-placed to resolve anti-social behaviour."

Kent Police Chief Constable. Alan Pughsley. told SFM News: "Local policing is absolutely fundamental to everything we do and is at the heart of this new policing model. Listening and working together with our communities to make sure Kent continues to be a safe place and giving the best possible service to victims were the commitments I made when I became Chief Constable. Like many public sector organisations, we have been carefully planning for the challenges of the second Comprehensive Spending Review and overall we have to find a further £20million savings between 2014 and 2016. We were always aware there could be further cuts to the police budget and took this into account in our planning. Our new model outlines our approach to this next set of challenges and our vision for policing in Kent for the years to come. Putting greater resources at the disposal of our 13 district commanders will ensure they have direct influence and responsibility as to where those officers are best deployed to meet the needs of the local area."

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have issued a damning report on the Lakeside Medical Centre on Todd Crescent.

The CQC believe that patients of Dr Bijan Saha were being placed at "unacceptable levels of risk" and concluded that the failings were having a "major impact" on patients at the surgery. The practice failed to meet 11 standards of safety and patient care with officials identifying problems with privacy and dignity for patients, cleanliness and medication errors.

The regulator is taking enforcement action against the surgery but is not legally permitted to comment on the type of action.

Michele Golden, CQC's Head of GP inspection in the South, told SFM News: "The issues that we have identified at Dr Saha's practice are very serious, and we'd urge anyone who uses it to read our full report. The failings detailed in the report show why we've decided to take action against him - although we cannot discuss the nature of that action any further at this stage for legal reasons. We've shared our concerns with the rest of the local health economy and have asked that they also consider what action they may need to take to ensure that people using services at this practice are protected from harm. People using this practice are currently at unacceptable levels of risk - and keeping them safe is a job for all of us. Patients are entitled to be treated in services which are safe, effective, caring, well run, and responsive to their needs. We'll continue to monitor this practice very closely, and will report further on the action we are taking in due course."

The action follows an unannounced inspection of the practice in March. Inspectors looked at 11 standards of care at the surgery including respecting and involving people who use services, the adequate care and welfare of patients, whether or not appropriate measures were in place to safeguard people who use services from abuse, whether there is adequate cleanliness and infection control and the effective management of medicines. They also looked at the safety and suitability of the premises, various requirements relating to workers, record keeping and the assessment and monitoring of the quality of service provision.

The practice failed to meet National Standards in all areas the CQC concluded. Patients told inspectors during their visit that practice staff would talk about other cases in their presence - breaching patient confidentiality, two patients said that they didn't feel listened to during their consultations and it was also found that medicines were not being handled or stored properly.

You can read the Full Report on the Care Quality Commission's website at:- www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-530779339.

Swale Borough Council held their first Regeneration Conference "Putting Swale On The Map" on Wednesday (4th June) afternoon at the Coniston Hotel.

Addressing more than 200 delegates from local businesses, investors, key stakeholders and top executives from leading property consultancies, the main Guest Speaker, the Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP - Minister of State for Business & Enterprise, said that he was ‘fundamentally happy' to devolve power from central government and directly hand it to local communities through Local Enterprise Partnerships and that Swale offered "a superb location to do business".

Leader of Swale Borough Council, Cllr Andrew Bowles, told SFM News "I am delighted that Swale Borough Council has been able to host this first ever Regeneration Conference. With all the investment opportunities in the borough, this has really helped us to put 'Swale On The Map'. With seminars throughout the afternoon and keynote speeches that included Richard Upton (Spirit of Sittingbourne), and Lord Digby Jones (BBCs ‘Digby Jones: The New Troubleshooter'), the event provided a thoroughly captivating round-up of how businesses are doing, where it is all heading and how the regeneration can happen for Swale."

Also at the Conference, the new updated Sittingbourne town centre regeneration plans were presented by the Spirit of Sittingbourne - the consortium behind the delivery of the project.

Local MP, Gordon Henderson, has welcomed a new £2 billion fund to help rebuild schools most in need of urgent repair, which could benefit schools here in Sittingbourne.

The Government announced a second round of funding for the successful Priority Schools Building Programme, which is already helping 261 schools across England, including Westlands Primary School. 

Mr Henderson told SFM News: "Delivering the best schools for our children, so the next generation can gain the skills they need to succeed in life, is a key part of the Governments long-term economic plan to secure Britain's future. That's why it is great news for young people in Sittingbourne and Sheppey that there will be a new round of funding for the Priority Schools Building Programme. This scheme targets funding where it is needed most and has already helped Westlands Primary School in Sittingbourne. It's only by taking difficult decisions on public spending that Conservatives have been able to afford to protect the schools budget and provide funding for school rebuilding. Only by sticking to our long-term economic plan can we provide the first class education that our young people need to get on in life."