WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
A recent Civil Service report has highlighted the benefits of an inclusive, equal and diverse workforce. Despite significant improvements in recent years, representation of people from three key backgrounds has been identified as lacking amongst Civil Servants, especially at senior levels. Jobsgopublic not only attracts over 1 million candidates working within, or looking to work in the UK Public Sector, but also attracts candidates from all diverse backgrounds, exceeding the UK national averages as per the table below:
Click here to discover how to attract the right people cost effectively. |
| Osborne could have gone for the Finnish solution |
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The Chancellor has launched the ‘next stage in the government’s plan to fix the nation’s finances’, with the Chief Secretary has written to government departments asking them asking them to model two scenarios of 25% & 40% of savings within their resource budgets by 2019-20 (in real terms). Spending Review 2015: A country that lives within its means will be published on 25 November 2015 and will set out how the government will both invest in priority public services and deliver the £20bn further savings required to eliminate Britain’s deficit by 2019/2020. |
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HM Treasury: Spending Review launched by Chancellor HMT: Spending Review 2015: What it means HMT: National infrastructure pipeline update published LGA: Reducing Social rents will cost councils £2.6bn by 2019/20 LGA responds to Care Act delay LGA responds to proposed 40% cuts ScotGov: Families hit by nearly £700m tax credit cut CO: Government drive to use land and property for growth |
| Where else will apprentices get their ‘theoretical training’? |
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The decline in the financial health of further education (FE) colleges since 2010/11 was highlighted in a National Audit Office report last week. With the number of colleges in financial difficulty expected to rise rapidly, there are fundamental structural problems which might require decisions at a regional or sector-wide level. The NAO recommends that the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills and the Skills Funding Agency now take a more strategic look at the implications of the rapid growth in the number of colleges in poor financial health, bearing in mind that without advances of funds & additional grants some would be in an even worse position. |
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NAO: Overseeing financial sustainability in the further education sector BIS statement on NAO 'Overseeing financial sustainability in the further education sector' report SFA responds to NAO report on financial sustainability of FE sector |
| Some of the ‘brightest & best’ choose an alternative to university |
| Next year’s National Apprenticeship Week will run from 14 to 18 March 2016. Co-ordinated by the Skills Funding Agency, employers, apprentices, business support organisations, colleges & training organisations and schools across the country will be encouraged to support the week by hosting activities to showcase the achievements & benefits of apprenticeships. |
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Skills Funding Agency: National Apprenticeship Week 2016 dates announced Skills + experience with no personal Bills Most jobs DON’T & WON'T require a Degree, but they will be 'backed' by qualifications |
| Encouraging the UK’s Future Skill base |
| The deadline for applications to establish a university technical college (UTC) is 29 January 2016. To help groups interested in opening a UTC, the DfE will publish guidance this autumn on the application process. |
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DfE: University technical college applications: deadline set Watch short film "Why study at a University Technical College?" |
| And about time too! |
| A new investigation body, the Independent Patient Safety Investigation Service (IPSIS) is being created in response to the Morecambe Bay inquiry. The new service will involve selecting incidents to investigate and to ensure lessons from serious failures are learned and acted on across the NHS to improve patient safety. Events it will investigate include those involving high cost litigation, “never events”, and incidents such as medication errors and wider systemic failings. IPSIS will use expert led investigations and disseminate learning to other parts of the NHS. |
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Achieving the best outcomes for the NHS requires ‘highlighting the worst’ |
| Something for IPSIS to start with! |
| Healthwatch England have launched 'Safely Home: What happens when people leave hospitals & care settings?', which brings together 3,230 stories gathered by 101 local Healthwatch from across the country, revealing the human & financial cost of getting the discharge process wrong. The report reveals 5 ways patients and care users say they are currently being let down by the system. |
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Healthwatch England: Getting hospital discharge right would stop suffering and save £ms |
| Are we heading for a Federal solution? |
| The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution in the UK is calling for evidence after launching a far-reaching inquiry on devolution & constitutional reform. The inquiry opened last week with a final report and recommendations to be submitted to the Communities Secretary Greg Clark MP, Minister for Constitutional Reform Oliver Letwin MP, the FM of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon MSP, the FM of Wales Carwyn Jones AM, and the FM of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson MLA, in March 2016. |
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| The law is not passive on this health issue |
| From 1 October 2015 it will be illegal to smoke in a car (or other vehicles) with anyone under 18 present. The law is changing to ‘protect children & young people from the dangers of second-hand smoke’. Both the driver & the smoker could be fined £50. The law applies to every driver, including those aged 17 and those with a provisional driving licence. The law does not apply if the driver is 17 years old and is on their own in the car. |
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| DH: Smoking in vehicles |
| Protection by design |
| The Government seeks views on providing public notice of registered design rights by marking relevant products with a website address. UK designers will no longer have to include a design number on products to be confident they can recover damages for infringement under new proposals announced on 16 July 2015. Making a false claim that a design is registered can result in a fine, so this proposed change would simplify the system for design owners & users. |
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BIS: Views sought on new measures to help designers protect their rights – (closes on 10 August 2015) |
| Our ‘rulers’ must be e-savvy |
| BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT launched a series of Ministerial briefing papers. It is keen to ensure that MPs & policy makers understand the fundamental changes that data & information will enable within education, policing, health & social care and help to improve the lives of every citizen. |
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BCS calls for more MPs to grasp the technological challenges the UK faces |
| Do you think others will support your cause? |
| The House of Commons and the government has launched a brand new petitions website facilitating members of the public to electronically petition the House of Commons. The website will allow users to create, publicise & sign petitions, with actions guaranteed at certain points in the process. Petitions submitted to the site will be considered by a brand new committee made up of 11 MPs. |
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| CO: New Petitions Committee offers the public a platform to press government & Commons for action |
| Communication, communication, communication! |
| Don’t lead potential clients ‘up the garden path’ by raising their expectations that you can help them when you cannot. |
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| Worth talking about |
| A forum has been launched to support & champion the interests of Defence personnel who stammer and to raise awareness of the condition. It is believed to be the first such network for Defence personnel anywhere in the world. |
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| Help & encouragement can speed return |
| A new support service, designed to help working people who face long-term sickness absence return to work more quickly, is now available across the whole of England. The free & confidential service, known as Fit for Work, will provide the services of occupational health professionals to employed people if they have been, or are likely to be, off work for 4 weeks or more. |
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Fit for Work: New return to work service goes live to help GPs, employees & employers across England CBI responds to fit for work scheme Work Foundation: Greater support needed for 7m older workers with chronic illness |
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More news, opinions, documents, claims & counter-claims; |
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ScotGov: Devolve social security and job creation powers ScotGov: Scotland Bill still needs amended Law Society of Scotland welcomes introduction of Scotland Bill LGA: Decentralisation and devolution inquiry opens |
