Health chief quits
after “extended leave”
by David Skentelbery
HEALTH chief Jonathan Smith has left his job at Warrington Primary Care Trust – just months after a damning inspection report resulted in the Trust being given a zero star rating in the national league tables.
Mr Smith – the PCT’s first chief executive – has accepted the post of chief executive, child health development, Cheshire and Merseyside.
The announcement ends weeks of speculation since it was revealed, early last month, that Mr Smith was on extended leave for “personal reasons”.
PCT chairman Robin Brown said: “Jonathan has made a significant contribution leading us through the early stages of the PCT and has initiated some important service developments.
“Under his leadership, the PCT has taken steps to ensure an improvement in performance. On behalf of the Board and all the staff, I would like to thank him for his hard work and wish him well for the future.”
Mr Smith was previously head of social services at Coventry at a time when the department’s rating fell to one of the worst in the country.
A hit squad had to be called in to turn the department around.
There was some criticism of his appointment at Warrington when it was announced in 2002.
Bebington and West Wirral PCT has agreed to release its chief executive Allison Cooke to take over as acting chief executive on a temporary full-time basis, with effect from Monday (February 7) pending the formal appointment of a new chief executive.
Warrington PCT had a two-star rating until last July when it was relegated to zero-star status.
Ancient remains to
be laid to rest
by John Hendon
A SPECIAL service to finally lay to rest the remains of some of Warrington’s oldest inhabitants will take place next week.
Human remains, found four years ago during the excavation of the Friars Gate site on the corner of St Austin’s Lane, will be re-interred at Warrington Cemetery.
It is believed the bodies could be those of friars who established a prior in the area in about 1265.
A series of ancient graves were found when excavations were going on in connection with the development of JD Wetherspoons’ Friar Penketh pub.
Some human remains were exhumed and formed part of an archaeological study, which later revealed that the remains dated between 1300-1750.
The Friar Penketh pub now stands on part of the site on the corner of St Austin’s Lane – which was named after St Augustine, the Patron Saint of brewers, printers and theology.
A service of reflection will be held on Thursday (February 10) in the cemetery chapel followed by a short visit to the graveside where prayers will be said over the remains prior to completion of the re-interment.
Youth unemployment
down by 32 per cent
by John Hendon
YOUTH unemployment in Warrington and Cheshire has fallen by a staggering 32 per cent.
The reduction has been achieved against the background of a national fall of 14 per cent.
Government Minister Margaret Hodge has praised the Connexions youth support services for the part it has played in achieving the reduction in the number of young people not in education, training or employment (NEET).
It is the first time in 10 years that NEET figures have fallen nationally.
Steve Hoy, chief executives of Connexions Cheshire and Warrington said: “The success of the Connexions Partnership is down to our staff and partners’ commitment to delivering services to improve the lives of young people in our area.
“We have developed and designed a number of innovative projects including alternative curriculum programmes, partly funded by the Learning and Skills Council, to deliver our inclusion strategy.
“The strategy based on a preventative model was developed with key partners including schools, Education Authorities, Social Services and training providers. The result of this additional activity in pilot schools has been a reduction in the NEET figure of an average of 43 per cent in the pilot schools.”
Connexions Cheshire and Warrington has a group of more than 20 young people who advise them on all aspects of the design and delivery of the service.
It is now four years since Connexions was set up to offer guidance and support to all 13-19 year olds in England.
Two years ago it was set a Government target to reduce unemployment by 10 per cent by this year – a target they have already surpassed.
Cowboy builders are
gunned out of town
by staff reporter
COWBOY builders are being gunned out of Warrington thanks to a new identity card for trades people.
The credit-card sized qualification, backed by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) , shows whether a tradesperson has the necessary skills to carry out their job properly.
Cardholders also have to pass strict health and safety tests and are re-tested every five years.
Construction workers heard about the Construction Skills Certification Scheme at a presentation at the Warrington Wolves’ Stadium.
More than 212 trades, from bricklayers, joiners, painters and decorators to demolition workers and scaffolders, are covered by the certification scheme.
Stephen Bailey, Employer Engagement Advisor at the LSC Cheshire and Warrington, said: “The card is a way of encouraging people to upskill and give those people who have not had the opportunity in the past the chance to achieve an NVQ qualification. It will create a safer and better qualified construction industry.”
The card is proving popular with building site managers because it immediately shows a tradesperson is competent in their field. Qualifying for the card has also been made simple with assessors working on construction sites to judge skill levels.
Yan Cockayne, of CITB-Construction Skills, said the card was not mandatory but more and more employers were expecting their contractors to have the qualification.
“It will improve people’s employment prospects because it will make it easier to get jobs on site,” she added.
There are six different grades of card, colour-coded dependent on the worker’s experience, responsibilities and area of expertise.
CITB funding is also available to assist companies wishing to have their workforce assessed and health and safety tested and to have any skills gaps tackled.
Carsten Kressel, head of economic development at Warrington Borough Council, said it was absolutely vital that Warrington and the surrounding towns prepared for the potential job opportunities created by the proposed Omega business park, which when built on the outskirts of Warrington, will generate up to 26,000 new jobs.
“The Omega site alone could provide 30 years of construction opportunities. We must ensure that we raise awareness of the skills that will be needed to build such a development and begin to encourage our school children to develop skills and train for those opportunities,” he said.
“We do not want to be in the position where we are having to bus in labourers and builders from the North East to carry out the jobs in Warrington.”
Delegates were also told of the Leadership and Management Development programme managed by Business Link Cheshire and Warrington. Under the initiative a ?1,000 grant is made available to develop and train the key business leader within a company.
Businesses who want to find out more should call Business Link Cheshire and Warrington on 0845 345 4025.
Electoral register
to be updated
by staff reporter
THE major task of updating Warrington’s electoral register has begun and the borough council is sending out letters of confirmation to 84,500 households to give as many people as possible the opportunity to vote in future elections.
Residents are being urged to return their completed (free post) forms as soon as possible in order to avoid any interruptions in the
ir registration or backlogs for the council’s registration team.
A Town Hall spokesman said: “If your name is not included in the electoral register you will not be able to vote a Parliamentary, Borough Council or Parish Council elections.”
Residents are also reminded that people whose name is not included in the register of electors may not be able to obtain credit as the law permits certain credit reference agencies to use the register.
Blitz on fine dodgers
hailed as great success
by staff reporter
OPERATION Pay Back – the police blitz on fine dodgers – has been hailed a “significant success” by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Christopher Leslie.
Police across the region took part in the week long blitz on fine dodgers in November last year.
Fines Enforcement Officers, assisted by police, targeted defaulters to collect outstanding money owed to the courts. The final results show that 22,675 people were targeted in the North West with the help of five Constabularies.
In Warrington, 650 defaulters were targeted by Fines Enforcement Officers, assisted by Cheshire Police officers. Some ?17,144 was collected over the course of the week.
In total ?200,000 worth of fines were dealt with, 562 warrants were executed, 44 people were arrested and 79 people paid their fine in full on the spot to avoid arrest, equating to ?13,500.
As well as recovering outstanding monies owed to the court, the operation sent a clear message to defaulters that the non-payment of fines would not be tolerated.
Warrington’s Community Action Team Inspector, Brian Heywood, said: “Pay Back was a resounding success and substantially reduced the number of outstanding fines in the borough. But if the need arises we will be conducting this kind of joint operation again so the message should be clear; if you receive a fine pay it promptly.”
Six vehicle pile-up
causes motorway chaos
by staff reporter
THERE was traffic chaos on the M6 near Warrington early today when six vehicles were involved in a pile-up.
Fire crews from Warrington were called to the scene, near Junction 21a to help release two drivers trapped in their crushed vehicles and also clear debris from the carriageway.
A number of people were taken to hospital but no details are available about their injuries. Firefighters were also called to Park Avenue, Latchford, Warrington after arsonists set fire to two cars parked outside their owner’s homes. Both cars were extensively damaged.
A Fire Service spokesman said: “This appeared to be a case of someone just walking passed and setting fire to cars parked in the road. It was just sheer vandalism.”
