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Care leavers'
charter launched
A NEW series of pledges are
being made to young people leaving care in Liverpool. The Care
Leavers' Charter lays down the support Liverpool City Council should
provide for young people when they start living independently.
Proposals include developing a bond guarantor scheme to help young
people seeking to rent from a private landlord and looking at how
else it could support young people who only move into their own
accommodation after the age of 21.
The City Council is also pledging to help care leavers achieve
creative ambitions and aspirations, such as by developing talents in
music or sport.
There are also proposals to draw up a guide to entitlements, provide
easy access to the complaints process and simplify access to their
records. The document has been drawn up by the Children In
Care Council; a
group of young people who represent the views of young people in
care. They meet regularly with senior Councillors and Directors to
feedback and give ideas. Councillor Jane Corbett, Cabinet member for children's services,
said:- "We take our responsibilities towards our young people
in care extremely seriously because we are their parents.
This new document shows the Council is listening to young people in
care and has turned it into a pledges based on strong principles.
Leaving care is always a challenging time for our young people, and
as with any other parent, the Council wants to do the best by those
it is responsible for."
The pledges are:-
► To respect and honour.
► To believe.
► To listen.
► To inform.
► To support.
► To find a home.
► To be a lifelong champion.
Michael Binns, co-chair of the Children in Care
Council, said:-
"For me, the Charter is important because it gives the whole
Council a simple framework which will benefit young people leaving
care. It also gives care leavers an idea of the service
they can expect and information about some of their rights." Liverpool currently support 288 young people aged 18 to 25 who have
left the care of the Local Authority.
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Southport
Theatre welcomes tax relief plans
THE chief executive of
Southport Theatre has welcomed plans to introduce tax relief for the
industry, announced in last week's Budget.
A consultation has now been launched on the proposals, with the new
tax reductions coming into effect on 1 September 2014.
The initiative has been welcomed by Sir Howard Panter, Chief
Executive of ATG which runs Southport Theatre. He said:- "ATG
fully supports the Chancellor's Budget proposals to extend the
creative sector tax-credit arrangements to include UK theatre
production. The move is both recognition of the importance of
theatre to the national economy and a vote of confidence in what is
a world beating industry. The focus on incentives for regional
touring is particularly welcome; touring productions are the
lifeblood of the sector and generate significant cultural and
economic impact around the country. Incentives like this will
encourage a wider range and a greater volume of touring shows;
delivering real benefits, not only to producers or those employed in
the theatre industry, but to local authorities, businesses and
communities throughout Britain."
Sarah Maxfield, Northern Area Director at the Arts Council, said:-
"The performing arts make a significant contribution to the UK
economy and our quality of life and the theatre tax relief is
important recognition of that. The scheme will help to create
an environment where creative risks can be taken, and where work can
be more easily produced and toured. As such, it is vital that it
supports the theatre sector across the entire country and benefits
arts organisations that receive public investment. During this
consultation period, we will work closely with the government and
performing arts organisations to ensure that the scheme helps
diversify funding, thereby offering further support for the sector."
The new theatre tax relief will support theatres across the UK, as
well as touring productions. It will offer a relief rate of 25% for
qualifying touring productions and 20% for other qualifying
productions.
George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:- "The UK
has some of the most innovative and exciting theatre companies in
the world and is known for its ground breaking productions. I want
to make sure the industry continues to thrive. I recognise the
cultural and economic value the theatre sector brings to the UK
economy. That's why I am introducing a theatre tax relief which will
support our UK theatres up and down the country."
The theatre tax relief will encourage and support the sector to
continue to develop across the UK with an emphasis on touring
productions which face a higher risk.
This forms part of the government's commitment to supporting the
creative industries, highlighted in its Plan for Growth, as having
the potential to drive significant growth in the UK.
The
consultation will remain open until 8 May and more details are
available
online.
SUDDEN DEATH - ROSELEA DRIVE -
SOUTHPORT
MERSEYSIDE
Police arrested 3 men on suspicion of murder following the
discovery of a body of a man at a house in Southport, Thursday, 27
March 2014. Officers were called to a house on Roselea Drive at
around 9:40am after receiving a report that a man in his 30s had
died. The 3 men, aged 30 years, 24 years and 61 years, who all live
in the Southport area, were taken to a Police Station on Merseyside
for questioning. Then on Thursday 3 April 2014, a 53 year old man
from Southport was arrested of attempting to pervert the course of
justice. The media have been informed that an
investigation is continuing, so that the circumstances
surrounding the incident can be fully establish. Anyone with any information is asked to call
Merseyside Police on:- 0151 777 3430, or via the Police
non-emergency:- 101 number, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on:- 0800
555 111. |
