General Reports and Other Publications
HEFCE: Details of how universities & colleges can do still more to help businesses during an economic downturn have been published recently by Universities UK and GuildHE, supported by HEFCE. The brochure, 'Standing together: universities helping business through the downturn', sets out the kind of support universities & colleges can offer employers, both in the current economic climate and longer term.
With over 150 providers to choose from, it lists a point of contact within each HE institution for businesses to use to find out more about how higher education and business support providers can help them.
Press release ~ Standing together: universities helping business through the downturn ~ Universities UK ~ GuildHE ~ HEFCE's work in the area of economy and society
HC: The Healthcare Commission has published the findings from the fourth annual census of the ethnicity of inpatients in mental health & learning disability services. The figures continue to show that some black & minority ethnic (BME) groups are three or more times more likely than average to be admitted as inpatients in mental health services.
As a result, the report calls for healthcare providers, local authorities and other statutory agencies to work together to prevent & better manage mental illness in BME groups. Some BME groups are also more likely to be detained on admission and are more likely to be admitted through the criminal justice system.
The report notes issues such as higher rates of mental illness in some ethnic groups, socio-economic factors, living alone and family & social support, as important factors in the different pathways into care and rates of admission & detention of some BME groups.
Press release ~ Count me in census 2008: Results of the national census ~ Count me in Census 2008: Welsh press release ~ More information on the census ~ National Institute for Mental Health in England ~ Five-year action plan: Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care ~ DH - Black and minority ethnic mental health
ESRC: A major reform of the way that NHS hospitals pay for legal liability insurance has led to improvements in patient safety, according to research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Offering discounts on insurance premiums to hospitals that meet certain targets has led to falls in MRSA infection rates.
A team of academics looked at how the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) had changed the way that hospitals paid into the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST), which funds the cost of clinical negligence claims, and whether these changes had improved patient safety.
Press release ~ Public Services: Liability, risk pooling and health care quality ~ Public Services: Quality, performance and delivery programme ~ NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) ~ Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) ~ ESRC Society Today ~ National Patient Safety Agency
IfL: The Institute for Learning (IfL) has published a report summarising the findings of its first member survey, which nearly 6,500 members completed during summer 2008. The purpose of the survey was to help IfL learn more about its members' views so far and develop a better understanding of what they valued and their requirements.
LSN: The Learning and Skills Network’s quest to understand employability skills has revealed ten key messages. The document summarises their quest, over the past twelve months, to understand what we mean by ‘employability skills’; their importance to learners and employers; and how colleges, work-based learning and other providers are tackling the issue.
CRE: The Commission for Rural Communities has submitted the first of its regular reports to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the rural impacts of the recession. Its briefing helps inform his contribution to the National Economic Council, which meets weekly to consider impacts of the recession and recovery measures.
Press release ~
NSG: What is evidence? Whose evidence is it? How can using evidence help deliver better public services? These challenging questions are addressed in a new Evidence Based Policy-Making report, which marks the culmination of a series of seminars run by the National School of Government in partnership with the Public Management Policy Association (PMPA).
The seminars brought together policy professionals & academics involved in the supply of data & analysis to consider issues & tensions which may arise in ensuring policies are evidence based. In particular, areas such as knowledge sharing, understanding different analytical approaches and ways of working together were identified as key to successful collaboration.
Press release ~ Evidence Based Policy-Making report ~ NSG - Professional Skills for Government (PSG) ~ Public Management Policy Association (PMPA) ~ Professional Skills for Government
NAO: CDC Group plc, the government-owned fund management business tasked to invest in private businesses in developing countries, has exceeded the financial and investment targets set for it in 2004, when it was restructured. CDC has secured a good return on public funds, in a portfolio weighted towards poor countries, and to that extent it has achieved good value for money.
But the Department for International Development (DFID) needs better information to show how far profitable CDC investment contributes to poverty reduction and to confirm improved monitoring of compliance, according to a National Audit Office report.
Press release ~ Investing for development: the Department for International Development’s oversight of CDC Group plc ~ Executive Summary ~ CDC Group plc ~ DFID
ScotGov: The use of imprisonment is inappropriate for people with severe & enduring mental health problems according to a thematic inspection report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons. At least 315 prisoners have a severe & enduring mental health problem (4.5% of the prisoner population excluding HMYOI Polmont).
The number of prisoners with these problems is rising and some of them are being released from prison with few, if any, links to continuing support in the community.
.gif)
