Devon News

Torbay given ‘good’ rating for adult social care

Torbay given ‘good’ rating for adult social care

Care for vulnerable adults in Torbay has been given a 'good' rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) but inspectors said "significant waiting times" for care plan reviews need to be tackled.The CQC said the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust provided "joined up" services and partnership with the community and voluntary sector. CQC inspector, Chris Badger, said staff were "committed to early intervention" to avoid unnecessary care home admissions and help people be independent at home.Anna…

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Exeter Chiefs: Rob Baxter’s side take on Saracens this weekend

Exeter Chiefs: Rob Baxter’s side take on Saracens this weekend

Rob Baxter is relishing taking on the most potent attack in the country when his Exeter Chiefs travel to face Saracens on Saturday.No team has conceded fewer points than Baxter's resurgent Chiefs so far this season as they continue to put last season's horror show behind them.Yet none have scored more than Maro Itoje's Sarries which suggests something has to give at the StoneX Stadium when the two big guns line up against each other.'We are currently the…

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Survey on how Devon & Cornwall Police should be ‘held to account’

Survey on how Devon & Cornwall Police should be ‘held to account’

Anna VarleHome and social affairs correspondentBBCThe police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall is asking for views on the police forcePolice and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Alison Hernandez is asking residents across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly how they want their police force to be led and held to account in the future.It follows the announcement that police and crime commissioners (PCC) are to be scrapped in England and Wales to save £100m over this parliament's…

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Children’s services going ‘in positive direction’

Children’s services going ‘in positive direction’

Children's services are improving in Devon after years of problems, according to a commissioner appointed by the government.The Department for Education appointed Nigel Richardson as Devon's Children's Services Commissioner following an Ofsted report in May 2025 that judged children's services in Devon County Council to be inadequate.The commissioner said the areas crucial to the success of the service were "all heading in a positive direction" and praised the council's leader and chief executive for their focus on children.The…

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Exeter College And Petroc Merger To Go Ahead In January – Exeter Observer

Exeter College And Petroc Merger To Go Ahead In January – Exeter Observer
Exeter College And Petroc Merger To Go Ahead In January – Exeter Observer

Exeter College and Petroc will merge in the new year to create what they say will be the largest college group in the South West with more than 16,000 students, nearly 2,000 staff and an annual turnover of £100 million. Following approval by each college’s board of governors, the new organisation – Exeter and North

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‘Good’ rating for Plymouth’s adult social care service

‘Good’ rating for Plymouth’s adult social care service

Alison StephensonLocal Democracy Reporting Service, PlymouthAlison Stephenson/LDRSPlymouth City Council said it is working to improve the areas highlighted by the CQCA council's adult social care service still needs improvements despite having a "good" rating, inspectors said.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) gave Plymouth City Council's service, which accounts for more than a quarter of its budget, a 67% rating overall.It said the council provided an "exceptional standard" in ensuring everyone, regardless of background, receives fair and personalised support, achieving…

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Police are urging sports clubs to be vigilant following break-ins

Police are urging sports clubs to be vigilant following break-ins

Sports clubs are being urged to be vigilant following recent break-ins which involved high-value machinery being stolen.An orange 2024 Kubota ride-on lawn mower and trailer worth £30,000, was taken from Ogwell Football Club after a storage area was broken into overnight on 12 December.Hours later on 13 December, burglars broke into a lock-up at Bude Town Football Club and stole a new Holland Boomer 25 Compact tractor, valued at £16,500.PC Neil Sommerfeld said: "These burglaries are the latest…

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Barnstaple ‘hero’ honoured at Christmas tree festival

Barnstaple ‘hero’ honoured at Christmas tree festival

BBCLisa Wilson said she is so proud of her son's legacy A "hero" who saved nine lives through donating his organs has been honoured at a Christmas tree festival with a special display.To mark the ten-year anniversary since Tom Wilson's death, his mother Lisa Wilson has made baubles featuring his face to hang in his hometown's church.Tom, from Barnstaple in Devon, died after being hit on the back of the head with a hockey stick during a training…

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Devon And Exeter Pre-Christmas Hospital Strike Goes Ahead After Too Little, Too Late From Health Secretary Wes Streeting – Exeter Observer

Devon And Exeter Pre-Christmas Hospital Strike Goes Ahead After Too Little, Too Late From Health Secretary Wes Streeting – Exeter Observer
Devon And Exeter Pre-Christmas Hospital Strike Goes Ahead After Too Little, Too Late From Health Secretary Wes Streeting – Exeter Observer

A five-day strike by resident doctors in England – formerly known as junior doctors – is taking place from Wednesday 17 to Monday 22 December after British Medical Association members rejected an offer from health secretary Wes Streeting as “too little, too late”. The strike involves resident doctors from the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS

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Mental health service helping South West paramedics at work

Mental health service helping South West paramedics at work

Jen SmithSouth West health correspondentBBCEmergency medical dispatcher Toria Ford said the counselling she had received had kept her in her jobParamedics have praised an ambulance service's mental health support service - with some saying it had kept them in the job.The South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust (SWASFT) - which has more than 6,000 employees and 650 volunteers - said demand for mental health support among its staff was at record levels.It said more than 1,600 staff members…

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Trago announces job cuts and restaurant closures

Trago announces job cuts and restaurant closures

BBCThe board of Trago has confirmed job losses at the Falmouth storeA chain of stores in Devon and Cornwall has announced a total of 24 jobs will be cut and its restaurants at Newton Abbot and Liskeard will close.The board of Trago said jobs would go at its Falmouth, Liskeard and Newton Abbot stores, but its Falmouth store would stay open despite the closure of two departments deemed no longer commercially viable. In September, Trago Mills chairman Bruce…

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Three record-breaking fish caught off Devon coast

Three record-breaking fish caught off Devon coast

Three Devon fishers have broken British records with their catch this summer.A Couch's sea bream caught near Dartmouth by Peter Kibel measured 59cm (23in), an Atlantic Bonito measuring 73cm (28in) was netted near Ilfracombe and a new sea "mini-species" of Steven's goby found off Plymouth Sound by Chris Scott, weighed 9.33g (0.02lbs), said The Angling Trust which ratified the records.David Kiddy caught the Atlantic Bonito and said blue fin tuna appearing off Devon's coasts may be bringing the…

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