Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides
HSE: The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has developed an on-line form to enable tenants to notify instances of the non-issue of a Landlord Gas Safety Record, which LA staff are also welcome to use if they wish to. Previously LAs have reported instances where Landlords have failed to provide tenants with a copy of a Gas Safety Record.
LSIS: The 300th case study of good e-practice has been published on the Excellence Gateway – The Learning and Skills Improvement Service’s online service for everyone who works in the further education and skills sector in England. The case studies aim to stimulate & support innovation and improvement in learning & skills and are produced by the JISC Regional Support Centres (RSCs) on behalf of the Excellence Gateway.
WAG: An £11m package of funding to support vital bus & community transport services. It is being allocated earlier than usual to help local authorities support subsidised transport services and maintain the networks already in place, without undue worry to operators & passengers.
Newswire – ICO: The Information Commissioner’s Office is challenging the British public to make 2011 the year they ensure that their credit reference file is accurate & up to date. Under the Data Protection Act everyone has the right to obtain & protect the information financial institutions hold about them.
If the content of an individual’s credit file is inaccurate then that individual can ask for it to be corrected – which could in turn stop lenders from turning down their requests for credit.
If the content of an individual’s credit file is inaccurate then that individual can ask for it to be corrected – which could in turn stop lenders from turning down their requests for credit.
The ICO has a practical, easy to understand consumer guide detailing people’s rights, called ‘Credit Explained.’ Almost a third of the data protection complaints the ICO received in 2010/11 were about lenders.
CEOP: Vulnerable children are being taught how to stay safer online thanks to 2 new educational films & teaching resources, launched by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre – the UK’s national centre for child protection:
* ‘Know Your Friends with Josh and Sue’ - for young people with special educational needs & learning disabilities
* ‘Sam’s Real Friends’ - for young deaf people.
Although previous CEOP educational films have been subtitled, this is the first time such resources have been created specifically relating to online safety for children with additional needs. Accompanying lesson plans and suggested activity sheets are also available for each resource, allowing teachers & parents to work through the films with children in their care.
BHF: Kids are more likely to keep fit & active if they exercise with their best friend, according to new British Heart Foundation funded research from the University of Bristol. BHF have a range of resources to help keep children and young people fit & active.
ScotGov: Public Sector bosses across Scotlandhave been encouraged to look closely at their food & drink buying policies in a new guide which seeks to 'scotch the myths' about European procurement rules. Contrary to many views, EU rules actually support a sustainable approach to the buying of food & drink by councils, hospitals, colleges and prisons.
Press release ~ Catering for Change: buying food sustainably in the public sector ~ ScotGov: Food & drink information
EH: New guidance for local authorities & public sector bodies looking to transfer the ownership & management of historic buildings, monuments or landscapes to community-based organisations is now available on the English Heritage website.
It covers a range of issues from the viewpoint of the LA and the community respectively, including; taking stock of heritage assets, formulating transfer strategies, developing support for the project, assessing options for new uses, managing the risks, agreeing terms for transfer, raising finance and maintaining long-term viability. The guidance offers tips & checklists and provides numerous links to sources of further advice & support.
Press release ~
NICE: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published a commissioning guide to help the NHS in England effectively commission evidence-based services to help women who smoke during pregnancy and after childbirth to quit.
The guide provides support for the local implementation of NICE guidance through commissioning and is a resource for people involved in commissioning health & social care services and public health programmes within the NHS & partner organisations in England.
