A new, updated, independent Care Services Directory has been published recently, which gives readers crucial information on how to access, and pay for, care services throughout Warwickshire.

You may have seen there’s a huge amount in the media at the moment about the crisis in social care. If you’re growing concerned about your care options, or just want some more information on what your choices may be, this Directory can help. With information to help you understand your options, where to go for advice and how the paying for care system works, the Warwickshire Care Services Directory can support you to make informed decisions.

The new edition of the independent publication and accompanying website give information on all aspects of arranging care and support in Warwickshire. It includes how to stay independent for as long as possible, the different care and support options available and what to look for when choosing a care provider. It also offers guidance on important issues such as paying for care and what financial assistance may be available from the local authority. There are comprehensive listings of all registered care services throughout Warwickshire, plus checklists to help you ask the right questions when visiting services.

For a free copy of the Warwickshire Care Services Directory contact Care Choices on 01223 207770. The Directory will be available throughout the region from outlets including carers’ centres, hospitals, GP surgeries, Age UK and libraries. It can be downloaded from www.carechoices.co.uk and is also available in spoken word.

Robert Chamberlain, Managing Director of the Directory’s publisher, Care Choices, commented: “This is an invaluable source of information for anyone considering short- or long-term care in Warwickshire, and contains vital information to help people decide what type of care and support is best for them.

“With the current crisis in social care, finding a care service for yourself or a loved one that meets their needs and is affordable can be a daunting and unfamiliar task. This new independent Directory has been compiled to help people understand the process and offer them reassurance at every step of their journey.”

Care Choices is the UK’s largest independent publisher for social care and adults with additional needs. It is also the largest publisher of care directories for local authorities in England.

Have your say on community safety in Warwickshire

Heritage & Culture Warwickshire (HCW) will be celebrating the success of the Warwickshire Bytes Project with a week of digital activities and events from 2-6 March 2020.

Warwickshire Bytes is an innovative project launched by Warwickshire County Council in 2018 to create a digital heritage for the county. It harnessed the power of volunteers to digitise significant historical records to make more of its collections available online to people the world over.

To celebrate the project coming to an end, and to showcase the project’s achievements, the Warwickshire Bytes team have created an innovative digital heritage festival, celebrating the history of Warwickshire by using archives, museum objects, and the public’s own contributions.

What’s happening festival week?

• Starting on Monday 2^nd March, we will release on social media teasers from some of the films we’ve made to celebrate the project.
• A celebration event will take place at the County Record Office on Tuesday 3rd March, where people involved in the project have been invited to come along and share their experiences, take a look at original documents, and view a series of films celebrating the project’s achievements. Attendees will also get to witness a very special reveal of Warwickshire Museum’s top ten objects.
• #SilverTakeover. Building on the successful event in August 2019, a number of volunteers will take over HCW social media channels on Wednesday 4^th
• Come along and get creative at a “Let’s Make” event on Thursday 5^th March at Rugby Library and Museum. The public are invited to take part in fun digital activities related to the project, including designing a logo in 3D, experiencing virtual reality tours of Market Hall Museum and the County Record Office strongrooms, going back in time with fun pictures, and having a go at transcribing 19th century documents.
• During the week, a 60 minute Transcribathon will begin at 11am each day from Tuesday to Friday. People can have a go at indexing a witness statement, with lots of help and advice available via Twitter.

Councillor Heather Timms says: “We are really pleased with what the project has achieved, and delighted that we now have volunteers that can take forward some of the other ideas the council has had in making information of this kind available to everybody in Warwickshire and beyond!”

For more information email benearl@warwickshire.gov.uk. You can find Warwickshire Bytes at tinyurl.com/bytes2020 and via HCW’s social media channels.

Facebook: @WarwickshireMuseum

Instagram: @heritageandculturewarwickshire

Twitter: @oisinthedeer @ourwarwickshire @chambearlain @ruairithefawn

There have been a worrying number of local crimes reported over the past week or so:

Drugs Arrests, Farnborough

Police patrolling overnight 29/02/2020 discovered a suspicious vehicle in the Farnborough area. Both occupants were arrested for drugs offences.

Stable Yard broken into, Radway

A stable  yard was broken into at 0215 on 29/02/2020. All chains and padlocks were cut off the gates but MOD disturbed offenders as they were in the process of stealing a new trailer. The offenders were driving an Audi with Irish number plates. Please call 101 if you have any information relating to this.

Wildlife Crime, Farm, Warmington

Vehicle crime, NT, Upton House, Home Farm Drive, Banbury

Burglary, Church, Moreton Morrell

Burglary, St Peters Rd, Kineton

Burglary, Bottom St, Northend

Criminal damage, Kineton Rd, Wellesbourne