Talks to end a dispute between Southern guards and management have already broken down this morning (Wednesday October 12).

The RMT union has already held five strikes this year over rail operator Govia Thameslink Railway’s plans to introduce on-board supervisors, and another three-day walkout started yesterday (Tuesday).

Another four strikes are planned between now and Christmas totalling 11 days, but the two sides returned to the negotiating table to try and resolve the dispute this morning, but talks have already broken down.

Mick Cash, general secretary at the RMT, said: “RMT entered talks with Charles Horton from Southern Rail this morning in good faith and with every intention of trying to reach an agreement.

“However, it became clear right from the outset that Mr Horton is refusing to stick by the assurances he gave to the media yesterday that he can ‘absolutely’ guarantee a second member of staff on all current Southern services with a conductor.

“This dispute isn’t about who open and closes the doors, it is about that absolute guarantee of a second safety-competent member of staff on these Southern services.

“RMT is angry and frustrated that a golden opportunity to resolve this dispute has been wrecked because Mr Horton has reneged on commitments he has given through the media.

“Passengers will rightly share our anger. The programme of industrial action goes ahead with the union remaining committed to genuine and meaningful talks.”

Mr Horton, chief executive officer at GTR, said: “Yesterday, the RMT leadership asked to meet with me and I cleared my diary this morning to listen to what they had to say. I made it crystal clear to the union yesterday, once again, that we are moving forward implementing our proposals and any agreement with the union had to be on the basis of these principles.

“In the space of a week, we’ve now met twice for face-to-face talks to try and reach agreement but, incredibly, they have absolutely nothing new to say - today, last week, last month - which helps us move forward. They raise everyone’s hopes by stating they want to end the dispute but then dash them by their continued head in the sand position.

“In its proposals, Southern has guaranteed that every train which has a conductor today will have a conductor or on board supervisor in the future. However, on trains where the driver has full control of train, if for any reason an on board supervisor is unavailable we want the flexibility to still run the train for the benefit of our passengers.

“Now what the RMT is asking us to do if that second person is not available, is to guarantee we’ll cancel the train. That is simply not an option. Customers will come first, not the union, and we are not allowing them to maintain the power to control when a train is cancelled.”

“We are modernising our railway and want the driver operating the train with the guaranteed second member of on-board staff looking after customers, not doors.

“ My number one priority is to introduce these changes to improve the customer service we give our passengers and, after months of horrendous travel misery, get them where they want to be on our trains, safely and on time.

“There is a full and fair offer on the table that most workers would love to have – a guaranteed job for five years, above-inflation pay increases for the next two years and guaranteed overtime. “The union has advised its members to accept the new role and they can be assured this change is happening.”

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Open space previously earmarked for a community centre in a major housing development will now house six flats.

Miller Homes is already constructing 160 homes north east of the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

But six flats will be added to the development after it was decided there was no longer a need for the community facility.

Chichester District Council’s planning committee approved the application by seven votes to six yesterday.

This was despite questions from Tangmere councillor Simon Oakley over the effect of the plans on the functionality of the open space.

He said: “This is a recipe for all sorts of problems, I am afraid.”

Mr Oakley noted that although there was an over provision of open space across the development, standards were a ‘minimum’.

The flats would reduce the open space to just 30 metres by 30 metres.

Tangmere Parish Council had objected, calling for clarity over the suitability of the open space provision.

Officers reminded councillors the total open space provision across the site was around 1,500 square metres above the minimum.

It would be difficult, therefore, to justify refusal, they said.

Councillor Richard Plowman said the plans changed the nature of the space, with the site lacking substantial open areas for activities like football.

Others, including Jane Kilby, argued the provision was adequate.

Rob Collett, representing Miller Homes said the area was always planned for some development due to previous plans for the community centre.

He added the design of the flats was consistent with those under construction.

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A girl from West Sussex is set to be a Bollywood star after landing a main role in one of India’s most anticipated films.

Abigail Eames, 13, who lives in Cavendish Close, Goring, will star as a mute child in Shivaay, an action film starring Ajay Devgn.

She spent six weeks filming the part in Bulgaria and Mussoorie, a mountainous region in India, with the production starting in November last year and finishing in May.

Abigail will be flying back to India on Saturday to attend the premiere of the film, which comes out on October 28. The trailer for the film has more than 22million views on Youtube.

She said she is ‘very excited’ at the prospect of walking the red carpet. “I hope they put me in something very traditional and pretty, not just your standard dress. I can’t wait, I’m very excited.”

Abigail, whose previous credits include Mr Selfridge and Doctor Who, got the part after impressing producers during the audition process.

She said: “Initially they said they wanted a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, so when I got offered the part I was so happy, nervous, excited – I was all over the place.”

Shortly afterwards, Abigail and her mother Genienne flew out to Mumbai, where she studied Hindi in preparation for her role.

But when she arrived on set in Mussoorie, she soon realised it was not as necessary.

“I thought it would be really hard for me because no-one would understand what I was saying and I would have to learn so many lines, but then I found out I did not have any lines so I thought ‘great!’”

“It is good that most people spoke very good English because all I could say in Hindi was ‘my name is Abigail’.”

While in Mumbai, Abigail also had to learn how to roller skate. She said: “In a little bit of the film I have to roller skate down this hill, and I am absolutely rubbish! At the bottom I flew up in the air and someone was there to catch me luckily.”

Abigail said she feels ‘so lucky’ for doing the film, which has allowed her ‘to see the world’ and said it is hard to explain the experience to her friends at school.

While on set, Ajay had some advice for his co-star, who is still friends with his daughter. “He told me to be myself and to be a diva – but I didn’t know what to say!”

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The Patients Participation Group at Kingfisher Family Practice in Lancing has purchased a new defibrillator with funds raised for the surgery.

Although the surgery already had a defibrillator, a vital piece of life-saving equipment, it was at the end of its lifespan and new parts were unavailable.

Maria Howells, joint practice manager, said: “Automatic external defibrillators, or AED as they are known, are small computerised devices that analyse heart rhythms and provide the shock needed for defibrillation.

“Through electrodes placed on a patient’s chest, a processor inside the AED analyses the victim’s heart. The machine will not shock unless it is necessary. AEDs are designed to shock only when VF (ventricular fibrillation), a common cause of cardiac arrest, is detected.”

The group is made up of patients from the practice who want to get involved and influence decision making on local healthcare issues regarding the surgery and the wider West Sussex area.

It raises funds for the benefit of the patients of the practice by putting on events such as garden parties and raffles throughout the year.

Maria added: “The Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group has engagement events throughout the year and if patients want to get involved in being part of either the Kingfisher Patients Group or with patient engagement at the clinical commissioning group, they can email vickysmart1@nhs.net.

“The doctors and staff at Kingfisher would like to thank the patients group for their continued support and efforts in raising the funds for invaluable pieces of equipment such as this.”

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Lancing runner Lloyd Palmer is planning 50 marathons in 50 days to raise money for Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice.

The 32-year-old wants to raise £15,000 in memory of Connor Gilbert, his neighbour’s nephew, who was cared for by Chestnut Tree House and died in 2006.

Lloyd said: “Chestnut Tree House supported Connor and his family during this difficult time and provide the best quality of life for children, young people and their families and offer practical, social and spiritual support throughout each child’s life, however short it may be.”

He said he had the ‘crazy idea’ of running 50 marathons in 50 days, inspired by Ricardo Abad Martínez, a Spanish ultra-runner who was famous for completing 500 marathons in 500 consecutive days.

Lloyd works in facilities management at Windlesham School in Washington, a long-term supporter of the hospice.

He will start his 50-day challenge on December 1, 2016, and will be running every single day, early in the morning, on two devised routes – Lancing to Brighton and back, and Lancing to Littlehampton and back.

Lloyd said: “Not only is this a massive personal challenge for me but I want to raise much-needed funds for Chestnut Tree House so they can help other families and children like Connor.”

Connor’s Roadrunner will include Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lloyd-Palmer50in50 for more information.

Connor was born in July 1998 and was referred for investigations when he did not make the milestones expected as he approached his first birthday.

He could not walk or talk but no cause could be found, despite various investigations.

In April 2005, Connor became unwell and spent a month in intensive care, where his mu, Zoe, was told his brain stem was shutting down and there was nothing that could be done.

Connor was transferred to Chestnut Tree House for end-of-life care, having been given just a few days to live.

Zoe said: “When we got there, it was nothing like we expected. It wasn’t the clinical environment we’d imagined but a home, with lovely bedrooms, full of toys and books. There were beautiful gardens, a music room, a sensory room and a pool.”

Connor spent a month at the hospice, where it became clear he had different ideas to those of the doctors.

He was able to return home and go back to school and swimming, which he loved.

Zoe said: “It was a year later that Connor became unwell again and I had to make the hardest decision of my life. Do I have him ventilated and transferred to London, where he would be attached to lots of machines again, or let him be in a place he loved?

“We had him transferred to Chestnut that night and at 04.50 on May 15, 2006, my beautiful angel fell asleep forever.”

Caroline Roberts-Quigley, community fundraiser for Chestnut Tree House, said staff at the charity were all in awe of Lloyd.

“We would ask everyone to please think of him pounding the streets for Chestnut Tree House, particularly over the Christmas period, and to support him in whatever way they can,” she added.

To follow Lloyd’s mega marathon challenge, visit the Connor’s Roadrunner Appeal Facebook page.

New deputy lieutenants for West Sussex have been announced.

There are currently 40 spread across the county with the office-holders appointed in recognition of service to the community, predominantly in a voluntary capacity, or to the country or county.

Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex Susan Pyper, who is appointed by the Queen to be her personal representative in the county, has appointed six new deputy lieutenants this week.

These include the Duchess of Norfolk, who is well-known for charitable work in West Sussex and is president or patron of a number of charities at home and abroad.

Since 2000, she has been Patron of Depaul International, a charity whose mission is to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it.

Over the years she has made many trips in a private capacity to Depaul’s projects in Slovakia and Ukraine and to their services in many other countries. She is a strong advocate of Depaul’s work and continues to fundraise for all the charities in the Depaul Group.

Although military in origin, the post no longer has any military significance, but every deputy lieutenant undertakes to assist the lord-lieutenant in the performance of any duties that may be laid upon him or her.

This can include representing the lord-lieutenant at formal functions, award ceremonies, citizenship ceremonies or attending Remembrance Day services.

John Booth, who lives in Arundel, is chairman of Pallant House Gallery and of the Chichester Diocesan Board of Finance.

His career has been spent in finance and equity investment and he currently acts as non-executive chairman of a number of public and private companies including the London Theatre Company and Maintel Plc.

He is a trustee of several arts, educational and religious charities and vice-chairman of the Governing Body of St Stephen’s House, Oxford where he is also a fellow of Merton College and a member of the Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors of Oxford University.

He is an enterprise fellow of The Prince’s Trust which helps and mentors young people as they establish their own businesses.

In 2009, he established his own charitable foundation which makes grants in a number of areas and is an active supporter of many community initiatives in East and West Sussex.

John Nelson, who lives in Bosham, is chairman of the Chichester Harbour Trust.

He is also currently chairman of Lloyd’s of London.

His past appointments include being non-executive director of British Telecom Group plc, chairman and board member of English National Opera, trustee of National Gallery and chair of its Development Committee.

Denise Patterson, from Aldwick Bay, was high sheriff of West Sussex in 2015-16, and is currently a board member of Chichester Festival Theatre and a trustee of the Chichester Cathedral Restoration and Development Trust.

Her other activities include patronage of St Wilfrid’s Hospice & Committee Member of the Dreambuilding campaign for a new hospice, and Bognor Regis Community Action Group, ambassador for Girl Guiding and the Sussex Community Foundation which she helped set up with the Duke of Richmond.

She is married to the novelist Jack Higgins.

Andrew John Stephenson Clarke, served as High Sheriff for West Sussex 2012-13, and is currently managing director of Borde Hill Garden Ltd.

Four generations of the Stephenson Clarke family have continued to develop this Grade II* English Heritage Garden and Parkland outside Haywards Heath, and it has been a registered charity since 1965.

He is also a trustee of the Nunn Harvey Clarke Settlement, and former Trustee of the Clothworkers Foundation.

Hilary Tupper, from Petworth, is married to a fellow deputy lieutenant, David, a farmer.

She is a trustee of Chichester Cathedral Restoration and Development Trust, chairman of Chichester Cathedral Festival of Flowers, chairman of the Supporters of Lodge Hill, chairman of the Petworth Cottage Nursing Home Winter Fair, a member of the Executive Committee of the Sussex Historic Churches Trust and Secretary, PCC St Mary’s Church, Upwaltham.

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An appeal for calm has gone out over the current ‘killer clown’ craze amid residents calling for vigilante action.

The plea has been made by Southwater Town Councillor Billy Greening after a ‘clown with chains’ was reported to have been seen at Southwater Country Park at the weekend.

The sighting is one of hundreds all over the country following the sinister clown craze - which started in the US - of people dressing as clowns and terrifying youngsters.

People have been turning to social media to report sightings and, as well as the clown reported in Southwater, another has been reported on Facebook as having been seen near The Weald School in Billingshurst.

Councillor Greening said: “I utterly condemn these individuals acting in this reprehensive and intimidating manner.

“I urge all residents to report incidents to the police and let the professionals deal with the situation.

“I appeal for calm throughout the district and urge our community to come together.”

He spoke out following a call on Facebook for people in Horsham and surrounding areas to don high visibility jackets at Halloween to patrol the streets to keep children safe.

Meanwhile, police are advising pranksters not to dress up as a clown and frighten strangers after the force received numerous calls over the weekend from people feeling intimidated by the new trend.

Inspector Simon Starns said: “We are aware this is a trend that has come over from America as Halloween is approaching.

“However while is not an offence to dress up as a clown and prank your mates, we don’t advise people to do this to strangers in the current climate of heightened security and it is an offence to carry an offensive weapon or an item which could be perceived to be a weapon.

“We will respond if someone feels threatened and the culprit could end up being arrested and then they won’t find it so funny.”

A nursery that provides children with “a happy and nurturing learning environment” has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.

Youngsters at ABC Hook Lane Nursery, in Bognor Regis, were described as eager and motivated by inspector Ben Parsons after his visit in late August.

His report stated: “Children are happy, confident and settle well. They behave well, are kind and considerate, and take turns in tasks and activities.”

The children were seen to have developed good early writing and literacy skills, used their imaginations well and were confident when it came to talking about and sharing their ideas and views.

Mr Parsons added: “The staff and managers work well together as a team, which helps to provide children with a happy and nurturing learning environment.”

Manager Jan Turney praised the work carried out by her staff and said: “I feel they do an amazing, fantastic job and we’re constantly busy.”

Regarding the rating, she added: “‘Outstanding’ would be great but I think we do an outstanding job at the nursery anyway.”

Make the right choice for you and your child - Visit educationsussex.com for trusted school reviews, videos and so much more.

As police continue to investigate several incidents of clowns frightening people in Sussex, a motorist came across a person dressed as a clown standing in the middle of the road at a beautyspot last night (Tuesday).

The motorist took a photo of the individual in Beachy Head Road and it has appeared on a new Facebook group called Clowns Eastbourne, set up to report sightings and make people aware.

Also on the group page are details of an incident in Hailsham when an elderly man was found on the floor in the street after being frightened by a clown and the report at the weekend when a 76-year-old woman saw a clown peering in through her window.

A group of teenage girls were left terrified when they came across a knife wielding clown in Old Town on Monday night and a cyclist had a clown jump out in front of him in Golden Jubilee Way last week.

A group spokesperson said, “We are trying to make people aware of the areas that have had clowns spotted so people know what areas to stay safe.”

New equipment was tested in an emergency flood response exercise in preparation for the winter.

The Environment Agency tested the equipment, designed to enable them to respond more rapidly and flexibly to flooding across the country, in Shoreham at the same site on which construction of the Adur Tidal Walls scheme has started to take place.

This video shows staff setting up the temporary flood defence barriers, which consist of thin sheets of metal slotted together which are then covered in a plastic sheet and weighed down by chains.

The agency will be ready to deploy up to 40km of these barriers in the event of serious flooding this winter.

The Environment Agency’s new kit also includes a drone, launched as part of the exercise, which will be able to provide additional information to help coordinate responses on the ground.

An incidence van, one of four mobile communication vans nationwide which would communicate with the headquarters in the event of flooding, was also stationed at the site.

Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, watched the demonstrations take place.

He said: “I have seen for myself how devastating it is when flooding happens.

“It’s quite scary when you see what flooding can do. The economic damage, the emotional damage- it can take a long time for people to recover emotionally.

“Today we are as well prepared as we can be.

“If a place needs a temporary defence, we can deliver that much more quickly.”

But he said it was also up to individuals to make sure they act to minimise the risk of flooding by finding out whether their homes are in a flood risk zone and coming up with a flood plan.

“The Environment Agency is a key player but individuals are just as important,” he said. “Individuals have to take responsibility too.”

It was also announced today that the Environment Agency has awarded a 1 year contract to Stobart Group to store, track, and transport the temporary barriers and other equipment.

The Stobart Group will provide a 24/7 logistics support service throughout the year assisting the Environment Agency before, during, and after any flooding.

Sir Bevan said: “We welcome the contract with Stobart Group that will make us more resilient and improve our ability to get the right equipment to the right places at the right time – helping us to better protect more communities more of the time.”

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The Towers Convent School in Upper Beeding has celebrated two decades of fundraising.

The school has raised more than £23,000 to help alleviate poverty and injustice across the world – and pledges to continue helping communities in need.

Staff and pupils have been supporting Catholic aid agency CAFOD, which provides resources, training and opportunities to help people live with dignity, support their families and give something back to their communities.

The latest effort was a collection made last Friday for the charity’s Harvest Appeal.

Mrs Butcher, religious education teacher and chaplain, said: “The staff and pupils at The Towers entered into the spirit of Harvest Fast Day by having soup and bread for lunch instead of their much-loved fish and chips.”

This harvest, CAFOD is working with communities in Bolivia, where in the Altiplano region, nearly 60 per cent of the rural population are living below the poverty line. Unpredictable rains and frequent hailstorms are destroying the crops on which the communities rely.

The charity’s partners are working to provide greenhouses to protect crops and train communities with new farming techniques to help them grow enough crops to feed their families.

Nalini Nathan, Sussex representative, said: “During autumn, we always celebrate harvest, which is traditionally a time of abundance, where communities come together and share food.

“In this time of abundance, it is important that we remember those who are without food and join together.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to the pupils, their families and teachers at the Tower Convent for their continued generosity in supporting families across the world and for putting their faith into action to help create a fairer world.”

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Yarnbombing has been used in Priory Park, Chichester, to raise awareness of mental health conditions.

Knitting Minds’ Art in the Park project was launched on Monday to support Coastal West Sussex Mind on World Mental Health Day.

The installation will remain in the park until Sunday to celebrate Wool Week.

Organiser Helena Hubbard, a textile designer, said: “The yarnbombing went up at Priory Park with great success.

“The rather majestic trees have more leaves to shed, so the pom-poms are enveloped in a beautiful canopy. That said, the overall knitted leaves draw attention and raise awareness, as we had hoped.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/knitting-minds for more information and to make a donation.

The wool creations were made with the support of the community. Schoolchildren from The Prebendal made pom-poms for the display and more to adorn the school gates for Wool Week.

Helena, who runs Crowns and Coronets in Westgate, said: “Mental health problems come in all shapes and sizes and my hope is that the giant woollen display will raise awareness, while simultaneously bringing therapeutic wellbeing.

“Each year, millions of people face the reality of living with a mental health condition. So, to bring awareness to mental illness, to fight stigma, and to provide educate and support, I created a giant outdoor knitted wool exhibition.”

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The drilling company behind the Broadford Bridge site has ruled out the possibility of fracking at Billingshurst.

A spokesman for UKOG told the Observer: “We do not need to frack, we don’t have a licence to frack and we have no intention ever of fracking on that site.”

He said the company was planning to begin drilling on the site next autumn at the earliest.

But he stressed: “We are not a fracking company and this is not shale gas.”

In the meantime objectors are mounting a campaign against plans by UKOG for an exploratory well at the Markwell’s Wood site in the parish of Stoughton.

They have formed the Markwell Wood Watch campaign group and are urging residents to object to the plan which has now been submitted to the South Downs National Park Authority. Stoughton, Rowlands Castle, Elsted and Rogate parish councils have objected.

After news Tesco is set to introduce fines for people wrongly parked in disabled or parent and child bays we asked our readers what they thought.

As a second day of commuter misery comes to a close, here’s a chance to express yourself about the Southern Rail strikes.

The three-day walkout by staff, organised by the RMT union, started on Tuesday and was the first of five planned between now and Christmas. It is part of the union’s dispute with Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Southern Rail, over plans to change the role of guards to ‘on-board supervisors’. Drivers would open and close train doors instead. The RMT has raised concerns about the potential loss of a guaranteed second member of staff on Southern services, which it said would affect passenger safety. Who do you agree with? Vote in our poll and comment below.

Earlier today, we compiled a list of the best tweets from passengers in response to the strikes. Click here to read it.

More police officers and staff are to focus their efforts on investigating and preventing the sexual and physical abuse of vulnerable people in Sussex, the police force has said.

Nine officers transferred to Sussex from other forces in October in a drive to increase the number in Public Protection, which will lead to more than 40 additional officers and staff in this area of work, thanks to additional funding secured by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne.

This comes as HMIC Rape Monitoring Data for 2015 and 2016 is announced today, showing the trend of reporting of rape in Sussex has continued to rise, in line with reporting across the country, as it has for other serious sexual offences. The HMIC Data shows that in the 12 months ending March 2016, 973 rapes were reported in Sussex, compared to 826 in the previous 12 months. There was a 12 per cent increase in recorded rapes of adults and a 10 per cent increase in those of children. Since 2011 and 2012, reports of rape have more than doubled.

Detective Superintendent Jason Tingley said: “Sussex continues to experience increases in reports of rape, sexual offences and the abuse of both children and vulnerable adults, as victims become increasingly confident to come forward and report incidents, many of them non-recent.

“We welcome the publication of this annual data as evidence of the continued focus by all agencies on the issue of rape and other serious sexual offences.

“We already have specialist teams in Sussex Police focused on safeguarding and complex abuse investigations who are working closely with victims and our support agency partners. With additional dedicated officers and staff we will be even more effective in protecting victims and working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to maximise our opportunities to prosecute offenders and keep people safe.”

“The HMIC report refers to the need to comply with national crime reporting standards, for which Sussex Police has achieved 95% compliance.

Katy Bourne said: “One of my priorities has been to encourage victims to report all forms of abuse including domestic abuse and serious sexual offences. Today’s figures show that Sussex residents who are affected are now more confident in the services that are available and that Sussex Police have improved their response. HMIC’s rape data clearly shows that those who commit rape in our county are more likely than ever to be tracked down, investigated and prosecuted.

“This validates the public’s support for my decision to increase funding of safeguarding investigation units across the county and specifically to fund a number of sexual offence liaison officers.

“With this funding, I have also improved the support available to survivors of rape regardless of whether they report it to the police.

“For information about services to support victims of abuse and other serious sexual offences, please see our web portal safespacesussex.org.uk which provides direct access to help and support for all victims and witnesses of crime in Sussex.”

Det Supt Tingley continued: “The HMIC report does not specify the proportion of rape offences relating to domestic abuse; however, we know that this is significant. We have recognised the link between domestic and sexual violence and the needs of children within that context, whether or not they are specifically victims in their own right. That is why we have developed a new approach to the way we investigate sexual offences that ensures that we take an integrated approach to safeguarding those children and adults who are vulnerable and at risk.”

In addition to new dedicated police officers, the Police and Crime Commissioner has worked closely with local authorities to secure additional funding for independent advocates to supplement provision for adults, but also some dedicated resources to support children.

Sussex Police, in partnership with NHS England and local authority partners, works with the Sussex-based Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). This service was the first in the country to be commissioned, including a facility for child victims and providing crisis support workers and forensic nurse practitioners on a 24/7 basis.

The SARC is the central point for onward referral to an independent sexual violence advisor and counselling services provided by local authorities.

Victims or witnesses of sexual assault can contact police at any time via 999 in an emergency, by emailing 101@sussex.pnn.police.ukor by calling 101 and arranging to talk in confidence to specially trained detectives.

For further help or support go to the Safe in East Sussex website, safeineastsussex.org.uk, or call 01293 600 469.

A new model for adult social care could be rolled out at seven innovation sites as the quality regulatory warned the industry was ‘approaching tipping point’ nationally.

West Sussex County Council plans to trial a community-based operating model, which aims to enable people to stay independent for longer and avoid stays in hospital or care homes.

This new approach could be launched in seven areas in January 2017 where those requiring care can have conversations about their needs at an early stage.

Adur, Chichester, Crawley, and East Grinstead are the areas where ‘innovation sites’ are being considered.

This comes as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has raised concerns that the sustainability of the adult social care market is approaching a tipping point in its annual State of Care report released today (Thursday October 13).

Avril Wilson, WSCC’s executive director for care, wellbeing and education, said: “We want to work with local people, their families and carers to make sure they get the right care at the right time.

“It’s about helping people before they need more traditional types of services, meeting them more informally to help them stay healthy and in control of their lives.

“This isn’t replacing any of those traditional services. We will still be there for people when they need us. But we hope that an emphasis on preventative services and early contact with people will increase independence and address care needs before they escalate.

“We know similar models have worked well in other parts of the country and we’re keen to see a move in the same direction here in West Sussex.”

Linking up with local groups and the voluntary sector and helping people to access existing services will be important aspects of the new way of working.

The new approach was backed by the county council’s Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee (HASC) when it met at the end of September.

Bryan Turner, chairman of HASC, said: “It was important for the committee to hear more about these plans which we know will involve many people in our local communities.

“The committee welcomed the direction that is being proposed and made a number of suggestions which we hope will make this way of working even more beneficial for residents.”

During the meeting the committee asked:

• That work continues with partners to focus on provision for older residents and end of life care

• That further consideration be given to the location of innovation sites

• That the use of technology be encouraged

• That a small number of representatives from the committee liaise with officers on an ongoing basis to monitor the development of the project

• That the vision is formed and shared before it is subject to a final decision in Autumn 2017

Information from the innovation sites will be used to draw up proposals for a county-wide service which will be the subject of a consultation during summer 2017.

A decision on whether to roll out the new model will then be made by the Cabinet Member in autumn 2017.

If the county-wide scheme is introduced it is hoped it would be up and running by January 2018.

Nationally, CQC data showed that a five-year period of increased nursing home beds from 2009 to March 2015 has now stalled, with numbers remaining static.

Already ut has seen examples of providers starting to hand back contracts as being undeliverable, with local authorities warning of more to come.

This is due to pressures on fees that funders of care are able or willing to pay, and cost pressures that include the impact of the National Living Wage introduced in April 2016.

In 2015, Age UK estimated that more than a million elderly residents in England were living with unmet social care needs, such as not receiving assistance with bathing and dressing, a rise from 800,000 in 2010.

The number of elderly residents receiving local authority-funded social care fell 26 per cent from more than 1.1 million in 2009 to around 850,000 in 2013/14.

And according to the CQC, the fragility of the adult social care market is now beginning to impact both the people who rely on these services and on the performance of NHS care.

The combination of a growing and ageing population, more people with long-term conditions, and a challenging economic climate means greater demand on services and more problems for people in accessing care.

This is translating to increased A&E attendances, emergency admissions and delays to people leaving hospital, which in turn is affecting the ability of a growing number of trusts to meet their performance and financial targets.

WSCC’s Performance and Finance Select Committee discussed the impact of the introduction of the National Living Wage, which guaranteeing at least £7.20 an hour for those aged 25 and over, at its latest meeting.

Peter Catchpole, WSCC’s cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: “It gave us an opportunity to reflect on the excellent work that carers do and perhaps their status and pay rates were not want we would hope for.”

He explained that a lot of work had gone on with the care operators around understanding how sustainable their services were.

A total of £30.7m has been included in WSCC’s medium term financial strategy to cover the impact of the NLW over a five-year period on the council’s suppliers and its own staff.

Officers told the committee that West Sussex had a ‘relatively stable market place at the moment’.

But Steve Waight (Con, Goring) said he had heard anecdotally that many care homes were ‘tottering on the boundary of being viable’.

Officers said that while they had lost around 160 beds since the start of the financial year, there were planning applications in the pipeline for around 800 beds.

Officers added: “From a commissioning point of view there is a sufficient and stable supply for the needs of our population.”

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Passengers delayed on Southern services are set to receive more compensation as they will soon be able to claim if their train is more than 15 minutes late.

Currently the Delay Repay system allows people to claim if a train is delayed by more than 30 minutes.

However today (Thursday October 13) the Government announced that ‘delay repay 15’ will be introduced within months on Govia Thameslink Railway services, including Southern, and then rolled out across the country.

Passengers will be able to claim 25 per cent of the cost of the single fare for delays between 15 and 29 minutes.

The existing compensation thresholds will apply for delays from 30 minutes with passengers able to apply for compensation through the train operating company.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “We recognise that, above all else, passengers want a reliable train service, but when things do go wrong it is vital that they are compensated fairly. “Delay repay 15 is a major improvement for passengers and we are working with train companies to make it as easy as possible for passengers to claim their rightful compensation.

“Together with the Consumer Rights Act, this policy shows we are putting passengers first and making sure they receive due compensation for poor service.”

Following its introduction on GTR services, the scheme will be rolled out across the network starting with the new South Western, West Midlands and Southeastern franchises.

All franchise competitions let by the department will include requirements to introduce this policy and the department will explore opportunities to roll this out for all DfT franchises this Parliament.

‘Delay Repay’ is currently operated by the majority of operators and a number of existing franchises, including Virgin Trains West Coast and c2c have also taken steps to introduce automatic compensation for certain ticket types.

The existing ‘Delay Repay’ thresholds are as follows:

50 per cent of the single fare for delays of 30 to 59 minutes

100 per cent of the single fare for delays of 60 minutes or more

100 per cent of the return fare for delays of 2 hours or more

As well as ‘Delay Repay’, the introduction of the Consumer Rights Act from the start of October strengthened the right of passengers to claim compensation for poor service.

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Sisters Madison and Tilly Pullen have won a charity bake off at Covers Timber and Builders Merchants in Bognor Regis.

Volunteers from St Barnabas House hospice in Worthing and Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice near Arundel visited the depot to judge the Builders’ Bake Off competition.

Covers staff and their families showcased their baking prowess to compete for the title of Best Builders’ Bake Off 2016, with Madison and Tilly, daughters of kitchen designer and sales consultant David Pullen, named winners for their star-shaped cookies.

The delicious array of homemade cakes was then sold as part of Covers’ Help for Hospices week.

The bake off was one of several fundraising activities that took place at depots across the south east to support hospice charities in the region.

Proceeds will contribute to the final fundraising target of more than £25,000, which will be split between the 11 hospices.

Rupert Green, chairman at Covers, said: “Congratulations to our winning bakers, Madison and Tilly, and thank you to everyone who supported the Builders’ Bake Off and helped to raise vital funds for these exceptional charities.”

The prize draw, which includes a London hotel theatre break for two, will take place tomorrow.

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Mums muscled up and got flipping for charity – pushing a 45kg tyre three miles uphill from Chichester to Lavant.

Nine women from Fit Mummies Club bootcamp set off from Tesco Extra in Fishbourne Road on Saturday morning and completed the journey in relay, spurring each other on all the way.

They were raising awareness and funding for the mental health charity Mind.

Club coach Mairi Clair, who runs the bootcamp with her partner, Luke Cecil, said: “It went really well. We did the challenge in under three hours and we have raised £1,303 for Mind so far, with more in tins to be counted.

“It was World Mental Health day on Monday so was good timing all in all. One in four people in the UK will experience a mental health issue in any given year. All of us have been affected and we were really pleased to have raised this money towards helping others. We really want to raise awareness that mental health is important, too.

“We had so much support on the day. We are very appreciative of our supporters on the day, everyone who made donations and local business, Luxury Lawns, who sponsored our vests.

“We really enjoyed the challenge and had so much support from passers by. It wasn’t too taxing but we certainly felt it for a few days afterwards.”

Taking part were Mairi Clair, Lucy Holly, Sarah West, Amy Froggat, Jessica Sharing, Nicki Graham, Judith Oldfield, Kirstie Brown and Rachael Tout. The route took them from Tesco to Centurion Way,by Bishop Luffa, and on to Lavant.

Find Fit Mummies Club on Facebook or visit www.justgiving.com/teams/FitMummiesClubTyreChallenge2016 to make a donation.

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