Consultations in East Sussex

Questions around how much the training supports your fostering, the split between online and in-person training, what we could do more of, how useful you find the training resources, and how you find the support groups. These were a mixture of scaling, multiple choice and free text questions.

64 East Sussex foster carers completed the survey and these results are based on all of their answers and a summary of what was learned.

Foster carers rated the training an average of 8/10 for how much it supports their fostering with 60.9% answering 8 or more out of 10.

45% of foster carers expressed a preference for online training, with 12.5% wanting in-person and 42% wanting both. This tips the balance from the last few years which has repeatedly come out at around 50/50 for in-person vs online training.

36% of foster carers rated the anytime learning resources including the anytime resource bank as between 8 and 10 out of 10. However, nearly 33% of those who answered the survey had not used any of these resources which are available for all foster carers.

In terms of the qualitative data, foster carers were mostly positive about the training venues we use. However, there was a common theme that parking can be an issue.

When foster carers were asked what we could be doing more of, those that answered were mostly positive. There were a few suggestions, including:-

• More evening and weekend options
• More bitesize training
• Training around caring for children with disabilities
• More research and evidence
• Differentiating between new and more experienced carers

Some of the other suggestions made, we already have in our training offer so communication remains important.

Regarding support groups, carers who answered the question were mainly positive but there was a theme around it being difficult to find the time to attend because of other commitments. There were also several n/a responses but the support groups are there for everyone, whether or not you are in need of support at that time. They are about carers coming together.

Further final comments were around more bitesize courses and more courses available in the evenings or at weekends. There was another theme around the difficulty finding time to attend training alongside other fostering and work commitments, especially for those fostering under 5s. Some carers commented on liking the e-learning. There were some that struggled with the number of portals. There were several very positive comments about improvements to the training offer which were much appreciated.  

• We have more online training planned for this coming year. We have increased evening training where possible and have more weekend options for first aid.
• We will include the anytime resource bank in more training and ensure we are speaking regularly to SSWs so that they can remind carers about the resource.
• Following the positive feedback from the responsive webinars, we will be increasing these to run monthly this year. They are 1hr lunchtime webinars that don’t need to be booked onto and they are on a specific topic each time, chosen by carers.
• We have this year laid out different expectations for those carers who are more experienced with a model of continual development, similar to that of Social Workers. This means carers are not expected to repeat training, other than first aid, except when they want/need to. The new ‘keep in the loop’ training will ensure experienced carers can remain up to date with developments in local Children’s Services and more nationally.
• Given that some carers have felt the support groups may not be applicable to them, we will use an alternative term of ‘meet-up’ instead.
• We will continue to send monthly training newsletters to highlight upcoming training, draw attention to helpful resources and to reduce the number of emails being sent out.

We consulted on a proposal for the introduction of a booking system for household waste recycling sites (HWRS) in East Sussex between 28 October 2024 and 22 December 2024.

During certain times of the week and year HWRSs can get very busy. There can be queues and at some locations that can cause traffic congestion and concerns for safety in and around the site. There are also occasions where traders and non-residents dispose of waste illegally which places additional pressure on busy sites and costs local taxpayers.

The proposal also formed part of the County Council’s work to identify areas where savings can be made to address an expected £55 million funding gap in 2025/26.

The consultation had 5,992 responses, with engagement received from the dedicated email inbox managing the consultation. A petition with 2,276 signatures was submitted by the Lewes Liberal Democrats via email regarding the proposal for a booking system to be introduced at East Sussex HWRS. The petition did not reach the 5,000-signature threshold to trigger a Full Council debate.

91% of respondents felt negatively about using a booking system at HWRS.

Those who felt negatively about a booking system said the main reasons for this were:

• It is an inconvenience to have to book
• The requirement to book does not fit in my work / life even if I can book on the day

A full consultation report can be found here: https://democracy.eastsussex.gov.uk/documents/s64733/Appendix%202.pdf

We took a report to be considered by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment on February 24 2025. After careful consideration, the Lead Member formally approved the proposal to introduce a booking system for access to all East Sussex household waste sites. This decision included the following key recommendations:

•                Being able to book same day appointments at short notice, if there are slots available

•                Inclusion of a fee for non-East Sussex residents using the sites.

The details of the meeting can be found here: https://democracy.eastsussex.gov.uk/documents/s64731/Proposal%20for%20booking%20system%20at%20Household%20Waste%20Recycling%20Sites.pdf

The consultation was helpful in gathering views which helped to shape the proposal. Every response was carefully read and analysed but they were just one part in a wide range of evidence and considerations before a decision was made. While we acknowledged the strength of feeling about the proposals to introduce a booking system, the County Council is facing significant financial pressure, and we must make savings to balance the budget and protect key services. A booking system will help to prevent misuse of our sites by traders, allowing better and fairer access by East Sussex residents.

We took on board comments made during the consultation and at the Lead Member meeting to incorporate some features into the booking scheme that residents asked for and the booking scheme is scheduled for an autumn 2025 launch.

ESCC looked into the removal of an elm tree on St Philips Avenue to prevent a wall collapsing further into an area used by the public. 

Many responses opposed the removal of the tree mainly from an environmental perspective. Some responses supported its removal due ot the safety risk and the lack of necessary footway space around the tree.

We have carried out further exploratory work in the footway and will remove a large section of roots pushing against the wall. This will negate the need to remove the tree at present. However, ESCC will need to monitor the tree to ensure future stability has not been compromised.