Nursery ‘safe


and welcoming’ AN Ofsted team who visited Kidsunlimited Nurseries in Turkey Mill, Maidstone, found a “safe, secure andwelcoming” place where children thrived. Judging the overall provision


to be good, they said the chil- dren were enthusiastic and in- dependent learners, and made good progress. Staff worked exceptionally


well with parents to meet the needs of all the children and ensure continuity of care, and procedures were in place to promote the children’s emo- tional and physical safety. Children were encouraged to


think about their health by making healthy choices at snack and lunch times, and were also aware of the impor- tance of taking exercise. The nursery had identified


areas for improvement and had already taken steps to address these. The inspectors said the nurs-


ery could improve further by providing a second key person for children, so that there was a familiar and trusted person available when the main key person was absent. They also recommended that


they extended learning into the community by walking to the shops or inviting members of the community to the nursery.


Assault charge COLLEEN Thomas (47), of Far- leigh Lane, Barming, was given a suspended prison sentence by Mid Kent Magistrates’ Court after she admitted assault and failing to provide a specimen for a breath test. Thomas as- saulted awoman in Linton Hill, Linton, on April 20. Magistrates sentenced her to


120 days in jail, suspended for 12 months, and ordered her to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. She was disqualified from driving for 20 months and must pay £300 compensation and £85 costs. The ban can be reduced by


five months if she completes an awareness course.


Fitness centre A NEW gym and fitness centre is to be set up at the Turkey Mill business estate, off Ash- ford Road,Maidstone. Maidstone Council has granted planning permission for the facility to replace vacant offices at 31/32 Hollingworth Court. It is to be operated by Physique Training. A supporting statement said:


“The facility will be operated on amembership basis and it is anticipated that the facility will be used by a maximum of 20 clients at peak times.” The council granted consent


on condition that the building shall be used for no other pur- pose.


30 Town


Switch-on for green homes THEMayor of Maidstone Cllr Rodd Nelson-Gracie officially unveiled a newenergy-efficient housing development for the county town. The £12.8m development on the former council depot and park and


ride site off Armstrong Road and Enterprise Road comprises 131 homes. Thirty are for sale, shared ownership and private rental, while the remainder are available for affordable rent. Work on thedevelopmentbegan in June2011by family-ownedbuild-


ing contractor Osborne, using an innovative pre-fabricated system of panels,which offer a high level of energy efficiency. The new homes have been funded by £5.5m grant from the Homes


and Communities Agency. Social housingproviderGoldingHomeshasbeenworkingcloselywith


Maidstone Borough Council to offer the homes for affordable rent to home-seeking familieswhomeetacriteria setout for the development.


Housing support for teen parents


SIX self-contained flats, with communal facilities, are being of- fered to young parents as part of Maidstone’s drive to cut home- lessness and domestic abuse. The six purpose-built apart- ments, in Golding Homes’ new development off Armstrong Road, are being offered to young people aged from 16 to 21 who are pregnant or have young children. Golding Homes has entered


into a two-year contract with Kent County Council, whereby residents will get an average of 17.5 hours individually-tailored support each week, designed to encourage independent living, supporting children and their parents, and reduce interven- tions by social care services. The Maidstone Teenage Par-


ent Service complements Gold- ing Homes’ existing support services, including sheltered


housing for the elderly and floating support for teenage par- ents. It is for short-term accommo- dation, up to two years’ maxi- mum, based on individual circumstances. Golding Homes will support residents to move on to, and maintain, independent accom- modation once support has ended.


Golding Homes’ head of sup-


port services, Rose Ellison, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to offer an innovative and peo- ple-based service to a vulnera- ble group of young people. “We have been working with teenage parents in Maidstone since 2009 and understand the complexities of the issues they face. “We are very excited at the difference we will be able to make through this service”.


NHS mental health plans


MAIDSTONE would become one of three centres of excel- lence for treating people with a mental health crisis, under new proposals from the NHS. About 3,000 people in Kent


and Medway with mental health problems experience a crisis every year, and an exten- sive review has revealed some services are lacking. The NHS wants to set up


three centres of excellence – in Dartford, Canterbury and Prior- ity House in Hermitage Lane, Maidstone. The review discovered a num-


ber of failings, including a lack of hospital beds in East Kent, where better psychiatric out- reach services were also needed, and unsuitable inpa- tient services in Medway. The public is now being asked


to comment on the proposals and a roadshow will be outlin-


ing the proposals when it visits theMaidstone Community Cen- tre in Marsham Street on Tues- day, September 18. Experts from the NHS will be


on hand to explain the planned changes and answer questions, from 2 to 5pm. Although most people suffer-


ing a mental health crisis prefer to be treated at home, those with more complex needs, who are a danger to themselves or others, need treatment in spe- cialist units. The Maidstone centre would


offer state-of-the art accommo- dation,with en suite rooms and improved access to consultants, nursing and therapy teams and access to outdoor space. The plans also allow for a £297,000 investment in home treatment from April 2013. Dr Rosarii Harte, assistant medical director for KMPT,


said: “Over the last eight years, there has been a transformation of mental health services for se- riously unwell people in Kent andMedway. “Most people prefer and are


able to be treated at home. How- ever when home treatment is not the best option – usually be- cause there is a risk to the pa- tient or a lack of family support – access to high quality care on an inpatient unit is essential.” Theproposals have been drawn


up after speaking to service users, carers, mental health profession- als and GPs. The full consultation document and a summary, in- cluding a survey for people to give their views, can be read at www.kmpt.nhs.uk/acute-mental- health-review. For for a copy, please email pals@kmpt.nhs.uk or call 0800 085 6606 or 01227 791281. The closing date for re- sponses is October 26, 2012.


Alcoholic man


hanged himself A CHRONIC alcoholic killed himself when his life began to unravel, a Maidstone inquest heard.


MichaelWilliams (46) hanged himselfwith a tie from banisters at his home in Milton Street, be- lieving his partner had left him and he had lost his job. He owed his landlord £4,000,


was overdrawn at the bank and owed money on his car. His body was discovered by


his partner Karen Candler, at the foot of the stairs,. Miss Candler told the in-


quest: “Everything was crash- ing down on him. He thought he was worthless.” Miss Candler said she met Michael Williams when they where bothworking as drivers for quarrying and construction com- pany Gallagher’s. They moved in together a month later, but by the time he killed himself 13 months later, he was drinking heavily. Although the amount of alco-


hol in his blood was below the permitted driving level when he was found, the inquest heard Mr Williams had been drinking heavily the previous day. He had told Miss Candler he would hang himself if she left him, but she thought it was an idle threat. Mr Williams was separated


from his wife, nurse Jacqueline Allen, who told Maidstone and Mid-Kent coroner Patricia Harding that his drinking had exacerbated problems during themarriage. “In the 14months after he left, his life had become increasingly chaotic,” she said. He had been referred to a psy- chiatric nurse in 2009 after con- suming large quantities of alcohol and tablets, butwas not deemed to be at risk of suicide. The coroner recorded a verdict thatMrWilliams killed himself.


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