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Charity seeks £4,000 funding boost to help SEND families in North West Ipswich

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A Suffolk charity is requesting nearly £4,000 in funding to expand its support for families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in north west Ipswich. The North West Area Committee will consider the application at a meeting on Thursday 7 November at 7.00pm.

The big picture: Families Together Suffolk has applied to the North West Area Committee for £3,957.75 to increase their SEND coordinator's working hours by three hours per week.

The coordinator currently sees around six families weekly, and the expansion would allow them to support at least two more families each week to "help alleviate deprivation relating to Health and Disability."

Shakespeare Road in Whitton, Ipswich
Shakespeare Road in Whitton, which is in the top 10% of deprived neighbourhoods in England, according to Families Together SuffolkOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

Why it matters:

  • The charity currently supports 18 SEND families across Ipswich, with the highest concentration of need in the north west area.

  • Areas of Whitton and Castle Hill are among the most deprived neighbourhoods in England, according to the charity.

  • There are over 7,000 young people in Suffolk with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), representing a 200% increase since 2014.

What they're saying: Recent feedback from families using the service highlights its impact. One parent said: "[The SEND Coordinator] helped me to feel more confident and get the support I needed for my son and for myself and helped me fill in forms that I didn't understand."

What's next: The North West Area Committee will make a decision on the funding request at their meeting on Thursday 7 November. If successful, the expanded service would:

  • Support 3-6 additional families in north west Ipswich

  • Benefit between 12-24 people directly

  • Focus on areas including Castle Hill, White House and Whitton

The bottom line: The charity says many families they support in north west Ipswich are lone parents, unemployed and without personal transport, making their free home-visiting service an essential lifeline for those navigating SEND support services.

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Nine arrests made in Ipswich police operation targeting road criminals

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More than 70 vehicles were stopped and over 190 Traffic Offence Reports issued during a multi-agency day of action in Ipswich last week.

Why it matters: The operation targeted criminals using Ipswich's road network while also focusing on dangerous driving behaviours that contribute to fatal collisions.

The big picture: The intelligence-led operation involved nine partner agencies and took place on Tuesday, 22 April at a check site at Sainsbury's in Hadleigh Road, aiming to disrupt organised crime groups that operate across county borders.

Police arrested nine people and stopped more than 100 vehicles
More than 70 vehicles were stopped and over 190 Traffic Offence Reports issued during the latest operationSuffolk Constabulary

By the numbers:

  • 71 vehicles were escorted to the check site, with just 14 found clear of offences

  • 63 Traffic Offence Reports were issued at the site

  • 129 additional speeding offences were detected in surrounding areas

  • Five vehicles were seized for various offences

The details: Police made four arrests, including three for drug-driving and one for a suspect wanted by Lincolnshire Police for theft. Immigration Enforcement made five further arrests after checking 51 people.

Officers focused on the "Fatal Four" offences that commonly cause serious accidents: drink/drug driving, mobile phone use, speeding, and not wearing a seatbelt.

A motorcyclist was recorded travelling at 81mph in a 40mph zone on the A1214 London Road.

What they're saying: Sergeant Alex Kelly of the Roads and Armed Policing Team said: "Days of action like this are vital in helping us gather and share intelligence with partner agencies, and are also a great way of intensely targeting an area."

"I have attended far too many collisions where one of the 'Fatal Four' elements was a contributing factor, some of which have resulted in the loss of a loved one."

Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore added: "The number of arrests and traffic offences recorded show just how valuable these multi-agency days of actions are."

"I fully support these pro-active campaigns. They send out a strong, clear message to those who choose not to comply with the 'fatal four' that Suffolk Constabulary is on the case."

The bottom line: The operation was part of the National Police Chiefs' Council's Operation Spotlight, which focuses on criminal use of the road network and targets those committing the most dangerous driving offences.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

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