Data Recovery Services in East Sussex

Delegates will be heading to Sackville House in Brooks Road for the BES event on Thursday 20 October 2011 (4pm to 6.30pm). The event is aimed at continuing the support for the local building and construction industry and is being hosted by East Sussex County Council.

Over £150 million of construction work is being undertaken in the East Sussex and Brighton & Hove areas in the coming year. All the main contractors for roads, schools and other construction projects are looking for local businesses to work in their supply chains.

The Lewes event will give those attending the chance to meet and discuss opportunities with over 20 construction buyers and business support organisations.

As well as the ‘meet the buyer' opportunity, the event will see local firm Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP, who are specialists at advising the construction industry, provide advice on the issues and pitfalls facing small businesses. Delegates will also be able to network with colleagues and decision makers in the sector.

Led by East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council, BES is a network of construction companies, subcontractors and business support organisations. Over 680 companies have now registered on the BES website.

Councillor Keith Glazier, Deputy Leader of the County Council said: “Build East Sussex is a real success story and I am delighted the next event is being held in Lewes. 581 work packages have been advertised on the BES website in the past year and those attending the event in Lewes will have the opportunity of finding out how they can get a share of the work available. I invite all local companies working in construction to register for this event and reap the benefits of attending”

The event will enable businesses to:

• get legal advice on contractual issues and reserve a free consultation
• find out about current and future construction contract opportunities
• learn what to do to increase the chances of being asked to quote
• make contact with the main contractors and decision makers
• find out about business and training support to help win more work

For more information about the event, businesses should call David Moore on 01263 735486 or visit the Build East Sussex website.

The home is a residential respite care unit and it also provides day services for older people. Following a recent two-month consultation the Cabinet decided to keep day services open until a further report to Cabinet in January 2012. This will look at the best place for care accommodation and services in the Crowborough area. The original proposal had been to locate day services to the Bellbrook Centre in Uckfield, but it was clear from the public consultation there were other options available.

The residential respite service will close at Hookstead. The building was built in the 1970s and the bedrooms are not up to modern standards. There are alternative providers in the area from the independent sector which offer better value and a wider range of services. It is also clear that users of Hookstead come from a very wide area, beyond Crowborough, so in the future services can be commissioned (purchased) nearer to them.

The report to Cabinet acknowledged that there was local support to keep the Hookstead residential service open but this was not possible within the resources available, particularly as there are other providers. Any money saved can be used to buy services from the independent or voluntary sector, offering people more choice and control.

Councillor Bill Bentley, the Lead Member for Adult Social Care, said:

“We have had to make some difficult decisions to ensure that we are able to provide the best possible services, either directly or through the independent and voluntary sector. We believe that by making the right decisions now we will be in a position to meet the the needs of a growing elderly population in the most effective way in the future. It is not just about saving money. It is about making sure that we give people more choice and control and that we are in a position to sustain a quality service for years to come”.

Hookstead in Crowborough is a residential care unit in Crowborough owned and operated by the Council. It provides 20 day service places for older people with dementia and 22 respite/short-term beds.

Public consultation on Hookstead took place from 12 July 2011 until 9 September 2011. The results of the consultation, the report to Cabinet and a videocast of the Cabinet meeting can be found by following the links below:

• Have your say about changes to the Hookstead Centre, Crowborough
• Cabinet meeting papers – 11 October 2011
• Videos of Council meetings.

The film has been produced by the county's Youth Cabinet and has been produced to promote the Big Vote 2011 elections that are due to take place between 14 November and 5 December.

Promoting the work of the Youth Cabinet, the six minute movie can be viewed on the Connexions 360 website.

It urges young people who want to make sure the voice of young people is heard in East Sussex to get involved in the election – either as a candidate or by voting.

Louis Thursfield, spokesperson for the Youth Cabinet said: “We put this film together to show people who we are, why we are involved in the Youth Cabinet, and what it has achieved. Everyone who was involved had a brilliant time but we hope other young people will enjoy watching it and be inspired to get involved.

“Anyone can apply who has an interest in issues affecting young people. You don't need to be a Grade A student, or be good at public speaking. Involving young people from different backgrounds, with varying interests and skills makes as a more dynamic group and a stronger voice for young people in the county! ”

Presented entirely by members of the Youth Cabinet the film provides background information on the group, the campaigns they have run, the activities they get involved with, and the way they go about lobbying politicians and decision makers to make a difference.

It makes reference to previous campaigns the Youth Cabinet has led on smoking, drugs, safety and exam pressure, while also featuring current campaigns on public transport and the environment.

Finally it promotes Big Vote 2011 which takes place between 14 November and 5 December and will elect the Youth Cabinet who will play a key role in representing young people for the next two years.

In 2009, the last time a Big Vote was held, an amazing 17,820 young people took part in the voting. This year members of the Youth Cabinet and officers from East Sussex County Council's Equality and Participation Team that support them, want even more to be involved.

Cllr Colin Belsey, the County Council's Lead Member for Children and Families said: “Big Vote is a great opportunity for young people across East Sussex to make a real difference to the community they live in while making new friends and developing some valuable life skills at the same time. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about getting involved to have a look at the fantastic film the Youth Cabinet has put together. I'm sure it will convince them to get involved.”

Further information

The Youth Cabinet consists of 20 elected members, including two Youth Cabinet positions for students attending Special Schools in East Sussex. It plays a key role in campaigning on issues that young people have identified as a concern. Each area of the county is represented and six members of the Cabinet also represent the county nationally through UK Youth Parliament.

Most recently the Youth Cabinet conducted a countywide survey of 2,500 young people on issues around transport and the environment and are discussing its findings with county council officers, Lead Members and local MPs as well as making a presentation to the National Bus Partnership Forum meeting held at the Department for Transport in London.

Big Vote 2011 will take place between 14 November and 5 December, voting will be done online. Each young person will have access to candidate information and they will have their own unique code in order to make their e-vote. Any young person who lives or studies in East Sussex is eligible to vote or stand as a candidate. Voting will be promoted through the county's secondary schools, colleges and youth groups by the county's Equality and Participation Team.

Candidate information packs and publicity materials are being sent to the schools, colleges and youth groups. More information is available online at Connexions 360 – Youth Cabinet.