WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

A ‘We told you so’ moment?
An emergency proposal to relocate an additional 120,000 asylum seekers from Italy, Greece and Hungary among EU member states was backed by Parliament on Thursday.  If – for justified & objective reasons, such as a natural disaster – a member state is temporarily unable to participate, it would have to make a financial contribution to the EU budget of up to 0.002% of its GDP instead.
Researched Links:

MEPs give go-ahead to relocate an additional 120,000 asylum seekers in the EU

The alternative to helping them in their own countries could be even more refugees / asylum seekers coming to Europe / the UK (January 2015)

 

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There is nothing ‘Glorious’ about a game one cannot see or participate in
Ministers have urged sports clubs & venues to step up their game on access for disabled fans, after the launch of a government report on the issue, which highlights the frustrations of disabled sports fans across the UK and found that some disabled fans are unable to sit with their children, or with their fellow supporters, when attending matches.
Researched Links:

DWP:  Ministers highlight ‘inexcusable’ lack of disabled access at some sports clubs & venues

EHRC:  Access to Premier League football grounds for disabled fans

Accessible Stadia Guide - Sports Grounds Safety Authority

Sports Grounds Safety Authority Updates Standards for disabled access at spots grounds

Rowing innovation recognised at Sports Technology Awards

Bid to improve disabled access at sports stadiums

'Transformation' in British attitudes towards disabled people since Paralympics 2012

Government blows the whistle on disability discrimination in football

Lottery backing gets disabled young people into the sport zone

Celebrities join forces with disability charity on role models campaign

Disability Sport Clubs - parasport.org.uk‎

Disability Sports Group - Scope.org.uk‎

Disability In Sports - bespoken.me‎

Accessible Sports Facilities - Sport England

Access for All: Opening Doors

READY Charity: Raising Funds For Disabled Children's Sport

Safeguarding deaf & disabled children - CPSU

Sporting Chance - Youth Sport Trust

 
An ‘army’ of observers will help ensure there is no hiding place for abusers

The Ask, Validate, Document & Refer (AVDR) programme has been awarded £115,000 by ScotGov to develop & deliver domestic abuse training throughout Scotland, teaching professionals on how to look out for the signs of domestic abuse and to give guidance on how to get further support to victims.

The programme, set up by Medics Against Violence and the Violence Reduction Unit, trains professionals to spot the signs of domestic abuse and raise it with clients during a routine check-up or visit in a private setting.  So far, 2,000 have been trained, but it will potentially reach 100,000.

Researched Links:

ScotGov:  Spotting the signs of domestic abuse

Medics Against Violence: Domestic Abuse Initiative

Medics Against Violence

Time to ‘lift the rock & expose the problems’

Help when you really need it!

If it wasn’t for Grexit and Tunisia this would be front page news

There is no justification for either male or female domestic violence or abuse

Why do senior officers get paid more to ‘be responsible’ if they never suffer the consequences of their inaction?

They have already 'paid a price'

 
A Degree’s value depends on its degree of requirement by employers
Government statistics disguise the extent of graduate over-qualification in the UK according to the CIPD and the Edge Foundation.  David Harbourne, Acting CE of the Edge Foundation, commented: “The same official statistics cited by the Universities Minister show that, after accounting for non-working graduates, around half of all 2011 graduates failed to get a graduate-level job within 3½ years of completing their degree.  And this is an average figure: for people with arts, humanities and social science degrees, the situation is significantly worse. …..  In addition many of these ‘graduate level’ jobs in the official statistics can be accessed by people without degrees, who have vocational qualifications or who have worked their way up via an apprenticeship”.
Researched Links:

Government statistics disguise full extent of UK graduate over-qualification according to CIPD and The Edge Foundation

Celebrating the resurgence of apprenticeships

Most jobs DON’T & WON'T require a Degree, but they will be 'backed' by qualifications

New CIPD report on UK’s graduate over-qualification problem a wake-up call for employers, government and for young people

Response to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report on graduate employment

Some of the ‘brightest & best’ choose an alternative to university

BAE Systems announces plans to recruit 2,000 new apprentices

On target for a higher skilled workforce

TfL develops degree level QS Apprenticeships

Government rolls-out flagship Degree Apprenticeships

IPPR - Women needed to fill UK’s graduate level engineers gap

Second highest work rate but lowest pay for media studies graduates

Third of young people trapped in underemployment by 2018, warns LGA

UK will fall behind unless high skills provision is transformed - CBI

UK needs to match Finland’s education system to drive economic growth, says CBI chief

 
Defending the UK from the ‘Dark Side’ of an e-World
The Ministry of Defence (MOD), working with Dstl and KTN, is hosting a hackathon for an enhanced Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) capability.  MODHack is a unique opportunity to collaborate with software developers, data scientists & innovators to develop ideas & solutions for mining of the deep web, using a range of open source tools & services and build something that has the potential to support the national security of the UK.  MODHack will run from midday on Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September 2015.
Researched Links:

MoD hackathon to mine the Deep Web

 
Medical Research + Aid + ‘Political Will’ can work wonders
Malaria death rates have plunged by 60% since 2000, translating into 6.2m lives saved, the vast majority of them children, according to a joint World Health Organisation - UNICEF report recently released.
Researched Links:

DIFD:  Malaria death rates drop by 60%

Unicef: Finalists selected in Global ‘Wearables for Good’ Design Challenge to Transform Children’s Lives

World Hepatitis Summit

Europe and Africa double research efforts to tackle AIDS, Ebola and other infectious diseases

Malaria: a persistent health threat that we must face head on

Steep drop in pneumonia deaths in last decade, but much further to go – UNICEF

Revised guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers from the UK

Spending on fight against malaria may not provide good value

A life saved every three minutes – Britain leads the way in fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria

DFID Research: The essentials for RDT implementation

 
Attention Health Workers!
A Patient Safety Alert has been issued by NHS England to launch an NHS-wide programme of work based around the National Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs) that were published on 7 September 2015.  The alert asks NHS providers to review current clinical practice and ensure the NatSSIPs are embedded into local processes by developing their own local safety standards for invasive procedures (LocSSIPs) in collaboration with staff, patients and the public.  The aim is to reduce the number of patient safety incidents related to invasive procedures in which surgical Never Events could occur.
Researched Links:

NHS England:  Patient Safety Alert – Supporting the introduction of the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures

 
One suspects that they would like to do a lot more than ‘just speak to him’
Investigators from the National Crime Agency are appealing for information to trace a man they want to speak to in connection with a number of large-scale drug importations.  Indian national Balwinder Rai, 28, previously lived at an address in Hamilton Road, Hayes, London, and is thought to still be in the area.
Researched Links:

NCA:  Appeal to trace suspect over drug smuggling attempt

 
But the CBI doesn’t have to get elected
The CBI has identified total savings of up to £16.3bn over the next 5 years as part of its submission to the Treasury ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).  To achieve this, the UK’s biggest business group is calling for action to ensure ring-fenced departments (health, education, international development) are open to reform and to protect growth enhancing spending on infrastructure, innovation, education, skills and exports.
Researched Links:

CBI identifies £16.3bn CSR savings

 
Despite the ‘scandals’ some things are easier
Do we believe them?
Researched Links:

HM Treasury:  7 ways banking has been made easier

 
We need to know what we are ‘getting in’ too
The Nuclear Commissioning Authority is seeking applications for PhD research proposals by Tuesday 20 October 2015.  Eligibility will cover PhD projects involving universities or sub-contractors where the bursary is used as a grant top-up to access national facilities for research involving the handling of radioactive materials.
Researched Links:

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority:  Apply for PhD bursaries related to nuclear decommissioning

 
Music to the ears of IDS & Cameron?
Foreigners who go to Germany to obtain social assistance or whose right of residence arises solely out of a search for employment are excluded from entitlement to German benefits by way of basic provision (‘Grundsicherung’).
Researched Links:

CJEU: A Member State may exclude EU citizens from certain non-contributory social security benefits

 
CJEU court ruling allows claims to take-off
In case of cancellation of a flight, air carriers are required, under EU law, to provide adequate care for the passengers concerned and to pay compensation (between €250 & €600, depending on the distance).  However, a carrier is not obliged to pay that compensation if it can prove that the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
Researched Links:

CJEU: Compensation by air carriers in the event of a flight cancellation

 

 More contributions to the UK constitutional debate

More news, opinions, documents, claims & counter-claims;

Researched Links:

ScotGov:  Parliament debates Scotland’s Future

HMRC:  The Scottish rate of Income Tax

ScotGov:  Scotland Bill ‘must be rectified’

 
Please choose from the links below to view individual sections of interest:

A former plumber who was kicked out of school and demonstrated against the Iraq war. Those are some of the credentials of our new shadow secretary for communities and local government, Jon Trickett. Read all about him here, the new shadow housing minister John Healey here and the rest of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet here.

Also on the network
The real reason the Tories want to scrap fire and rescue authorities

The real reason the Tories want to scrap fire and rescue authorities
Government has embarked on a scorched earth strategy to impose cuts: if you can’t beat them, abolish them

In Cornwall, we refuse to give up our fire service to the police commissioner

In Cornwall, we refuse to give up our fire service to the police commissioner
The council is in a better position to control fire and rescue than the cash-strapped police commissioner

Soon there won't be enough senior council roles left for graduates like me

Soon there won't be enough senior council roles left for graduates like me
Bright young staff on the local government scheme, we thought we were the future. Now I’m not so sure

News in brief
• David Cameron promised a fresh shake-up of public services
• Government passing buck on air pollution to councils, said campaigners
• Government scientists were on strike over pay
• Former DG for civil service reform Oliver Robbins to move to Home Office
• Police could be sacked for Shoreham air crash posts on social media
• Judge condemns Gloucestershire children’s services in foster case
What you’re saying about ...
I do much more than police work. But if I don’t do it, who will?

I do much more than police work. But if I don’t do it, who will?
I'm very busy with the extra work police have taken on. With so much inspection, I’m too scared to do less