Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides
ScotGov: As winter begins to take hold across Scotland, the nation's climbers & hillwalkers are being urged to ‘take care’. Minister for Public Health and Sport Shona Robison has delivered the annual Winter Safety Message aimed at making sure people planning a trip into Scotland's mountains & countryside are well prepared before they set out.
The sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) gives winter hill-goers, daily forecasts at 5 key locations in Scotland. The service, which runs from December to April, receives £121,700 of Scottish Government funding through sportscotland. SAIS also operates a text service allowing subscribers to receive daily text alerts of forecast avalanche hazards in their chosen area.
The Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) produces forecasts for eight UK mountain areas. The MWIS receives £42,300 annual government funding through sportscotland, and covers Scotland's 5 main upland areas. MWIS forecasts are also available on internet enabled mobile phones.
NICE: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently launched a new guide at their annual Conference in Manchester. ‘How to use NICE guidance to commission high quality services’ explains how NICE guidance supports the commissioning of high quality services and describes how the guidance can be used throughout the commissioning cycle. It illustrates the support available from NICE, as well as the benefits using NICE guidance can bring for local populations.
The guide is aimed at all those involved in commissioning health & social care services, as well as public health programmes within the NHS and partner organisations in England, but it may be a useful tool for all commissioners across the UK. Seeking to support commissioners in developing systems & processes that entrench NICE guidance into commissioning, it also highlights sources of further information and practical help.
LSC: The Legal Services Commission has published updated guidance on its position on the new rate of VAT applicable from 1 January 2010. Its General Principle remains the same -The VAT rate is driven by the date the case concluded.
Defra: New codes of practice for dog, cat & horse owners with practical advice on how best to look after their pets’ health & wellbeing have been published. Animal welfare organisations & vets helped Defra draw up the codes, designed to give people information about pet care including diet & exercise and to explain owners’ & keepers’ legal duties to their animals.
Although it will not be an offence to fail to comply with the Codes of Practice they could be used as evidence in court to support a case of poor welfare brought under the Animal Welfare Act which may lead to a prosecution for animal cruelty.
DCSF: New guidance has been announced on sexist, sexual and transphobic bullying is the final guidance in the ‘Safe to Learn’ set of guidance for schools. The guidance provides advice on how schools can help prevent & respond to gender related bullying – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information
Newswire – EA: After last month’s devastating Cumbria floods, the Environment Agency is urging owners of damaged properties to insist that insurers repair their homes and businesses to be more flood-resilient. Properties affected by flooding are often simply returned to their previous state, meaning that similar damage is likely if flooding occurs in future.
There are a variety of simple measures that can be taken whilst repairing a property that make it easier & cheaper to clean up after flooding, including:
* Laying ceramic tiles on the ground floor & using rugs instead of fitted carpets
* Raising the height of electrical sockets to at least 1.5 metres above ground floor level
* Fitting non-return valves to all drains & water inlet pipes
Press release ~ National Flood Forum’s ‘Blue Pages’ ~ EA: Flood ~
ScotGov: A guide to make parents aware of their responsibilities when it comes to their child's attendance at school has been published. It comes as statistics show more pupils have a 100% attendance record - up to 47,400 this year from 35,000 in 2007-2008.
Press release ~ Attendance and Absence in Scottish Schools 2008-09 ~ A guide for parents about school attendance
Press release ~ Attendance and Absence in Scottish Schools 2008-09 ~ A guide for parents about school attendance
