News


downsmail.co.uk Children’s centres ‘inadequate’ FOUR children’s centres, including Larkfield and Snodland, have been rated inadequate by Ofsted.


Inspectors found that access to services by young children and families was inadequate and both the quality of practice and services and the effectiveness of leadership, governance and management re- quired improvement. The team visited the KCC-run centres at Larkfield, Snodland, Burham, and South Tonbridge, which previously worked inde- pendently butwere linked in April last year as Tonbridge and Malling 2 group. The Larkfield centre is one room at Brookfield Primary School while Snodland, which shares space within a health clinic. Their report said the group,


Pharmacy


plan rejected Continued from page one appeal against a refusal byWest Kent Primary Care Trust was again rejected after the big phar- macies in the area said they sup- plied the needs of local customers. Cllr Ulph said: “Every local


doctor’s surgery has a pharmacy nearby, so why not in Ley- bourne? It just seems so wrong. It needs to be brought into the open that he has been stopped.” Cllr Ulph told the hearing that


there was no pharmacy in safe walking distance for elderly res- idents or mothers with young children, and parking was a problem for the minority who could drive to the nearest ones in Larkfield, West Malling or Lunsford. Mr Chandara argued there


were no other pharmacies in the area and his store would pro- vide prescription collection and delivery from all nearby surger- ies as well as a travel clinic, free blood pressure checks andNHS health tests for diabetes and cholesterol. Opening times would cater for the needs of all the patients and allow for greater flexibility and conven- ience. However, the NHS Commis- sioning Board did not see the pressing need for a pharmacy in the area as patients would have to travel elsewhere for banks, post office and shopping. NHS England said the original deci- sion was upheld because Mr Chandarana did not prove the case. He may now seek a judicial review or submit another appli- cation addressing the refusal reasons.


14 Malling March 2014


which provides early and adult ed- ucation, health services and family support, was not able to clearly demonstrate that its work was making a positive difference to families’ lives in all areas of its work. For example, the progress of low numbers of parents engaged in adult learning was not being tracked. But it noted that newways to monitor and evaluate the serv- ices the group delivers were being introduced. The new district advisory board


overseeing the group was at an early stage of development and there had been too few opportuni- ties for staff to undertake training


to support them in their new roles. Inspectors considered that two


few families from the centre’s target groups, such as disabled children, disabled parents and lone parent families,were registered and using services. The group had worked in partnership with a local school to engage the local settled traveller population, but this had proved unsuccessful and a need for out- reach work on the traveller sites had been identified, although the number of under-fives on the sites was not known. However, the Ofsted team, who visited from October 30 to Novem- ber 1 last year, said the group had a


number of strengths. The new management team had identified what needed to be done and its work was already clearly driving improvements. Newly-appointed staff teams showed an enthusiastic commitment to improving out- comes for the most vulnerable fam- ilies. Parents and carers who spoke to inspectors were positive about the play experiences they attended. Young parentswere also benefiting from the group’s joint work with the Beat Project. None of the centres had previ-


ously been inspected except Snod- land, which was judged satisfactory in March 2011.


Music cafe


Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr Howard Rogers, Tara Goble, head teacher PaulineWoods and a Chartwell character with pupils


Fruitful day for cook


BOUNCING bananas and a walking water melon joined in the fun when Brookfield Infant School cook manager Tara Goble received an accolade for her healthy food. Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling, Cllr Howard Rogers, presented the bor-


ough’s gold eating award to Chartwell’s employee Tara Goble during a special assembly hosted by head teacher PaulineWoods. Pupils enjoyed a fruit and vegetable-themed workshop led by borough


council officers and even made their own healthy lunch. Tara makes fresh bread daily, never adds salt to her cooking (using other


flavourings instead) and oven-bakes fish on “Fishy Fridays” rather than deep-frying it. She said: “Having fun with food is an important part of daily life in our


kitchen and it’s great to see the children taking everything on board and beginning to create healthymeals themselves.”


BUCHANAN Optometrists, an in- dependent practice from Snodland, has been shortlisted for three na- tional awards in this year’s “Os- cars” for the optician industry. The firm is in line for the inde- pendent practice, software practice and campaign of the year titles which will be handed out at the National Optician Awards cere- mony in London on April 12. Husband-and-wife owners Alis-


dair and Kathryn Buchanan last yearwon the technology practice of the year award.


Opticians has title in its sights Mr Buchanan (pictured), who set


up the firm 13 years ago, said: “The number and standard of entries has been particularly high this year with entries from all over the UK. “It is such an hon-


our to be shortlisted for the optician


awards. We have been in the top five opticians in the UK for the last nine years and won the optician awards for the last two years. To win this yearwould be fantastic.”


for teenagers A ROCK café could be set up in East Peckham to provide teenagers with a place to socialise. East Peckham Parish Council is proposing to use the village’s Ju- bilee Hall one night a week as a place for 13- to 17-year-olds to meet and listen to music. Councillors believe the village is bearing the brunt of vandalism and anti-social behaviour because youngsters are bored. The parish council owns the Ju-


bilee Hall and is keen to engage with the younger members of the community. Talks were continuing as we


went to press about the possibility of opening the club on a Tuesday evening, if enough volunteers come forward to help with its running.


Baby rates TEENAGE pregnancies in Ton- bridge and Malling are on the rise, according to latest figures – buck- ing the trend across Kent. However, the increase in concep-


tions among 15-17-year-old females in the borough from 2.2% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2012 equated to just nine more teenage pregnancies on the previous year. In Kent, only Dartford also


showed an increase in conceptions. In Maidstone a dip meant the rate was 1.9% in 2012. The biggest rate of teenage conceptions remains in Thanet, at 3.6%.


Great concert EAST Malling Singers will perform at the village’s Church of St James the Great on Saturday, April 5. The concert starts at 7.30pm and


tickets can be bought at the door subject to availability or from Sue Greenham on 01622 750943.


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