The Essex Alliance is sharing this survey on behalf of Essex County Council.
Community Micro‑Enterprises (CME) are very small, local businesses—typically with eight or less staff—that provide highly personalised care and support. They offer a wide range of services such as personal care, cleaning, activities, trade services, therapies and wellbeing support. Focused on enhancing independence and wellbeing, they deliver flexible, tailored help and are often run by local people for their own communities, offering an alternative to larger organisations and care agencies.
Thurrock and Essex Councils are running CME projects to make sure people who receive Direct Payments or pay for their own care have enough local, personalised services to choose from. We have agreed to work together so that our CME projects run in the same way across both Councils. To achieve this, we want to work with people – rather than making decisions alone – to develop a shared approach for how we welcome and set up new micro‑enterprises. Our aim is to make sure the process and requirements for joining our programmes are proportionate, practical, and based on what people who use these services truly need and want.
We are asking for feedback from people who use CMEs, Direct Payments recipients, family carers, micro-enterprise owners, and social care professionals. We would really appreciate if you could take a few minutes to complete our online survey. You don’t need any prior knowledge of micro‑enterprises to take part—we want to hear from as many different perspectives as possible.
To access the online survey you can follow the link below:
The Essex Alliance are sharing this event on behalf of Parents 1st.
Are you a new parent? Are you expecting soon? Then why not come and join Parents 1st at our Couples Coffee Connections morning?
Bring your little ones along for a play (0-5 year olds welcome) and meet other parents or parents-to-be from your area.
Our local Thurrock peer supporters will be on hand for a chat and to let you know how Parents 1st can help you on your parenting journey. We’ll even be providing hot drinks and a croissant!
Where? Tilbury Family Hub, Anchor Field, London Road, Tilbury, RM18 8EY
Are you a new dad? Is your partner expecting soon?
Then why not come and join Parents 1st at our Dads and Baby morning?
Bring your little ones along for a play (0-5 year olds welcome) and meet other dads or dads-to-be from your area.
Our local Thurrock peer supporters will be on hand for a chat and to let you know how Parents 1st can help you on your parenting journey. We’ll even be providing hot drinks and a bacon sandwich or croissant!
Where: Belmont Village Hall, Parker Road, Grays, Essex RM17 5YW
When: Saturday 11th October, 9:30-11:30am
Cost: Free
To book your free space, please visit the Parents 1st website:
Parents 1st’s Thurrock peer supporters invite any pregnant or new mums to join us at our regular walk and talk events.
These relaxed, gentle walks are a chance for you to meet other mums or mums-to-be from the area, and chat through any worries or concerns you may have about your pregnancy or life as a new mum. We meet at a different location in Thurrock each time, and finish each session with a hot drink at a local cafe.
Please join us in October at:
Monday 6th October – Coalhouse Fort Park, Princess Margaret Rd, East Tilbury, Tilbury RM18 8PB. Meet in the car park at 10.00am.
Friday 17th October – Belhus Park, Aveley, RM15 4PX. Meet outside Impulse Leisure at 10.00am.
Monday 20th October – Maple Park Community Centre, St. Andrews Way, Stanford-le-Hope SS17 0FL. Meet outside at 10.00am.
Fraud is on the rise in Essex — with a 6.1% increase in offences over the past year, totalling 9,604 incidentsand a staggering £68.5 millionin losses.
Despite the scale of the issue, many residents still feel unsure or anxious about reporting fraud. In fact, Essex Police estimate that many people experience fraud at least once a month, yet most cases go unreported.
To help tackle this, the Multi-Agency Approach to Fraud (MAAF)has launched a new anonymous surveyto understand public awareness and experiences of fraud and scams — whether or not you’ve been a victim. The goal is to better focus resources, improve prevention strategies, and ultimately reduce fraud across Southend, Essex, and Thurrock.
MAAFbrings together key organisations including:
Essex County Council
Essex Police
Essex Trading Standards
Victim Support
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
We’re asking all Alliance members and partners to support this important initiative by sharing the survey widely — through your communications channels, networks, and with your communities. Every response counts.
Councillor Mark Durham, who oversees Essex Trading Standards, said:
“Fraudsters are always looking at new ways to scam people to a point where it’s not always immediately clear when you’ve been a victim. This can make fraud a difficult crime to combat and means we have to constantly evolve our tactics. However, if enough people come forward and engage with our anonymous survey, we can get a better understanding of the issues faced and start stamping out what has become a rampant issue across the UK.”
If you’ve been affected by fraud or want to learn more, visitEssex Police.
