WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
| Reducing confusion of route to gaining technical skills |
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Thousands of ineffective courses that short-change employers and young people will be replaced with 15 straightforward routes into technical employment creating a more skilled workforce fit for modern Britain. Currently young people considering a technical education must choose between more than 20,000 courses provided by 160 different organisations with no clear indicator of which course will give them the best chance of landing a job. For example a budding engineer must choose from a possible 501 courses. A report into technical education by an independent panel, chaired by Lord Sainsbury, has recommended simplifying the current system so technical education is provided through 15 high-quality routes, with standards being set by employers. In response, the Skills Minister has recently published the ‘Post-16 skills plan’, accepting every one of Lord Sainsbury’s recommendations, while setting out the government’s vision for the future of technical education. |
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DfE: Technical education overhaul unveiled by Skills Minister BCS welcomes the Sainsbury Panel report CBI: Response to DfE technical skills overhaul announcement TUC: Improving technical education will be essential to overcoming Brexit challenges techUK welcomes Government commitment to basic digital skills Government confirms £80m for National Colleges to deliver the workforce of tomorrow New food & farming degree apprenticeships to boost innovation Dramatic increase in the number of higher apprenticeships – new figures released Apprenticeships offer young people a chance to reach their potential £1.6m HEFCE Catalyst funding for higher apprenticeships in partnership with business Skills emergency could 'starve growth' - CBI/Pearson survey Government rolls-out flagship Degree Apprenticeships Encouraging start to the year for apprenticeships and traineeships Cable: new generation of National Colleges will lead revolution in hi-tech skills |
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Each day, around 15 million journeys take place on the trains, buses and Underground networks of London. Transport for London (TfL) runs the public transportation network, managing the varied systems that move Londoners and visitors safely to their destinations. This video showcases how TfL transformed its ticketing system with contactless payments to provide time-saving convenience for transit riders and operational efficiencies for TfL. As a result, these changes enabled:
Click here to learn how contactless payments can bring efficiency and convenience to your city. |
| But is ScotGov providing the necessary additional resources & rewarding staff for the extra responsibility? |
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Deputy FM John Swinney has ‘clarified’ to Parliament the implementation of the named person policy in light of uncertainty around the Supreme Court decision. The named person and child’s plan provisions in parts 4 & 5 of the Children & Young People Act are currently scheduled to commence on 31 August 2016. The policy has been upheld twice in the Scottish Court of Session and a determination by the UK Supreme Court is currently pending. In a (recent) letter to the education committee, Mr Swinney said: “ ……. I wish to advise Parliament that the Government will not move to implement Parts 4 and 5 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 until there is a definitive judgement from the Supreme Court on this judicial review. This follows usual practice and provides clarity for all concerned. |
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ScotGov: Implementation of named person Did anyone ask Head Teachers & Health Visitors? ScotGov committed to named person Investing to support children & families ScotGov: Focus on the Named Person What is the named person scheme? - BBC News The Named Person Scheme - NO2NP Sturgeon: parents are not legally obliged to use named person scheme The Guardian: Named person scheme is yet more SNP big brother A Named Person speaks out | Parents and kids | Risk | Scotland | spiked Consultation on complaints concerning functions relating to the named person Nicky MacCrimmon: Here's how the Named Person scheme really works |
| ‘Limited room at the Inn’ |
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On 1 January 2016, the population of the EU was estimated at 510.1m, compared with 508.3m on 1 January 2015. During the year 2015, almost 5.1m babies were born in the EU, while more than 5.2m persons died, meaning that the EU recorded for the first time ever a negative natural change of its population. The remainder of the change (positive) is driven mainly by net migration. The most populated EU Member States continue to be Germany (82.2m residents – 138,000sq km), France (66.7m – 210,000sq km), the UK (65.3m – 93,000sq km) and Italy (60.7m – 116,000sq km). Together, they are home to more than half of the EU population. |
| Editor’s Note: This helps explain why most of the other 27 members of the EU don’t ‘understand’ the UK’s desire/need to curb migration. In the UK births exceed deaths, so unlimited migration is a problem, especially when you factor in the relative size of the UK compared to say France & Germany. We certainly don’t need to be ‘assigned’ additional migrants by Brussels! |
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One last point related to population statistics, remembering the accusations about the Remain campaign’s £350m pw EU contribution claim. Better in were always claiming we would lose access to 500m+ consumers in the single market, which ignores the fact that the UK makes up 65.3m of that number! So both sides were claiming a gross figure and it was a case of the ‘Pot calling the kettle black! |
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IPPR proposes emergency brake on free movement as it sets Brexit options for Theresa May Enhancing legal channels: EC proposes to create common EU Resettlement Framework Relocation & Resettlement: Positive trend continues, but more efforts needed The Guardian: Europe needs many more babies to avert a population disaster |
| It’s all about YOU! |
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People with long-term conditions in 37 areas across England are next in line to receive person-centred support to manage their own care, thanks to the roll-out of an evidence-based tool over the next 5 years. The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a validated tool which captures the extent to which people feel engaged and confident in taking care of their health & wellbeing, helping professionals tailor support to better meet their needs. NHS England agreed a deal to grant 1.8m people access to the tool as part of its developing Self Care Support programme, and invited local NHS organisations & their partners to apply to use them in their areas. 37 bids – including a number of new care model vanguards and sites working as part of the Integrated Personal Commissioning (IPC) Programme – have now been confirmed, which will see use of the tool spread across England and applied to help improve care and outcomes for a variety of different patient groups. For example:
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NHS England: 37 areas to lead rollout of tool to deliver person-centred care |
| SME Supplier Locator update... |
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UK Government and public sector spend with SME’s is continually on the increase and by 2020, it is the stated intent of Cabinet Office that £1 of every £3 spent on government contracts goes to SME’s. The past 5 years have seen government make a priority of getting money through its supply chain into the hands of SMEs, by both setting targets and introducing new procurement mechanisms. Against this backdrop, the WiredGov Supplier Locator service has been developed specifically to embrace the SME Agenda and provide the ideal platform for SME’s to promote their services, solutions, accreditation and success stories directly to our ever increasing audience across all government and public sector verticals and Tier 1 suppliers. |
| One can never ‘cure’ the problems of the NHS; stability is the best one can hope for |
| Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have secured better engagement from GPs than previous forms of commissioning but still face numerous barriers to putting power in doctors’ hands, according to a new report published by The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust. |
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Kings Fund: Cornerstone of NHS reforms faces uncertain future Kings Fund: Politicians must be honest with the public about the NHS King’s Fund calls for NHS commitment to a new partnership with patients NHS Confederation responds to King's Fund report on NHS deficits Improving the gateway to better healthcare Was the NHS funded for the 330,000 rise in population from last year’s nett migration? |
| Urgent appeal to find family of Liverpool Sergeant killed in World War 2 |
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At just 19 years old, Sergeant (Sgt) Arthur Pulman should have had his whole life before him, instead he was killed when his RAF Lancaster bomber was shot down over Germany in 1944. The MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) is appealing for the gunner’s family to get in touch after his grave site was finally identified over 70 years after he was killed in action. An appeal has been launched by the MOD to track down any of Arthur’s surviving relatives so that they can be invited to attend a service of rededication of his grave in Rheinburg War Cemetery during September. |
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| Difficult to fight for ‘Queen & Country’ while thinking about your family living in sub-standard housing |
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A Public Accounts Committee report says Government must take decisive action now to improve the accommodation service provided to Armed Forces families. In the Committee's report, it concludes the MoD and contractor CarillionAmey are "badly letting down service families" by providing them with poor accommodation and often leaving them without basic requirements. The Committee describes CarillionAmey's performance as "totally unacceptable" and says it is right that the MoD is considering terminating the contract. In some cases, warns the Committee, frustration with the failure to carry out repairs "may be driving some highly trained personnel to leave the military, wasting the investment made in them". |
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PC&PE: Service family accommodation has failed families for years |
| Being prepared for life |
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Demos’ independent evaluation of the Scout Association’s Character by Doing pilot scheme in English schools – supported by the DfE’s character grant – has found extra-curricular activities can encourage “statistically significant and positive impacts” on primary school children’s leadership skills. The evaluation showed students participating in the pilot improved their leadership capabilities by 22% over 6 months. Children were given the opportunity to participate in outdoor games and camping activities, learn about natural sciences and biology, cooking classes, arts and crafts, youth social action, residential adventure, and challenges designed to build specific skills – such as communication, team-working and problem-solving. Aside from the substantial boost to leadership, the Demos evaluation also found that both teachers and students had enjoyed participating in the pilot, and supported its expansion across other schools. Students also reported that the pilot had made them feel proud, had a positive impact on their relationship with their school, and that they would like to continue Scouting. |
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| Possibly save time & money |
| Ahead of the new academic year, schools are being urged to take advantage of special deals negotiated by the government that could save them thousands of pounds on their energy, ICT equipment and printers and photocopiers. All publicly funded schools are free to make use of these pre-existing contracts, and on average they could save up to 10% on energy and over 40% for printers and photocopiers, also known as ‘multi-functional devices’ (MFDs). |
| NCA uses ‘Al Capone move’ to ensure crime doesn’t pay |
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A £650,000 house is to be sold to meet the tax liability on cash payments linked to an alleged conspiracy, backed by Moammar Gaddafi, to assassinate the then Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. Stephanie Jeavons, Deputy Director of NCA’s Economic Crime Command, commented: “Few people realise that the NCA has the power to disrupt criminality through the use of tax powers as well as through civil proceedings. These are very powerful weapons in our arsenal which do not necessarily require an existing conviction. |
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NCA: Tax payable on assassination plot profits ~ FBI — How the Law Finally Caught Al Capone |
| Editorial Comment: Has Baldric moved to Scotland with a ‘cunning plan’? |
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Although the ScotGov is still valiantly ‘pretending’ its economy is backed by significant oil revenues, the November 2015 OBR forecast figure for this year of £130m contrasted with actual receipts for 2014-2015 of £2.2bn, leaving a significant shortfall. Despite this ‘reality’ the SNP keep talking up a second independence vote and/or finding a way to stay within the EU. Could it be that at the heart of this position is a plan to grab £bns of revenue from the City of London, who may/will lose their ability to ‘passport’ their financial dealings with the euro, etc. upon the completion of Brexit? Rather than banks having to move major parts of their operations/staff to Paris / Dublin / Frankfurt / etc., they could expand their operations in Edinburgh, which already has a significant English speaking financial sector and is in the same time zone as London. Unfortunately (like all of Baldric’s plans) the ‘devil is in the detail’ and one cannot see the rUK facilitating any such outcome |
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Official North Sea oil revenue forecast down by 94% - BBC News What is an EU 'bank passport'? - BBC News IPPR Scotland: 'UK Government must help not hinder Scotland from remaining in the EU' |
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More news, opinions, documents, claims & counter-claims; |
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DCLG: Devolution & the Northern Powerhouse ScotGov: Transfer of new powers NGLN: Devolution Revolution - The next steps to deliver outcomes 10DS: PM to visit Scotland and underline commitment to "preserving this special union” |
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