Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides
FRC: The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published an Update for Directors of Listed Companies in the UK to assist them in responding to increased country & currency risk in their annual & half-yearly financial reports. The Update was prompted by the current economic uncertainties facing a number of countries around the world.
The Update is designed to be relevant to annual & half-yearly financial reports issued by companies in the listed on a regulated market in the coming months. It aims to draw together Directors’ attention to some of the more significant issues they may need to consider in order to provide a balanced & understandable assessment of the company’s position and prospects in the context of increased country and currency risk.
Press release & links
BHF: New national guidelines to help nurseries & childminders provide healthy meals for young children have been unveiled by the School Food Trust. The charity’s ‘Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years Settings in ’ is aimed at helping ensure healthy food in childcare venues for the under-fives to help reduce diet-related problems like childhood obesity.
It provides childcare providers with a nationally-recognised source of information about food they should offer children, portion sizes and sample menus. Victoria Taylor, British Heart Foundation Senior Dietitian, said: “More than a fifth of children turn up to their first day at school overweight or obese and that has to change”.
Press release & links
NICE: Thousands more nurses & healthcare assistants are following the NICE venous thromboembolism (VTE) guidelines, following a drive by the Royal College of Nursing to raise awareness of the ‘silent killer’. It is estimated that 25,000 people who are admitted to hospital die from preventable VTE every year, leading the Department of Health to make prevention a priority across the NHS for the forthcoming years.
In order to improve adherence to the NICE VTE guideline, the RCN developed a free & interactive e-learning module, focusing on the practical aspects of blood clot prevention. It aims to encourage nursing staff to routinely assess patients for their VTE risk, to routinely educate patients about VTE prevention, and to increase the number of nursing staff correctly fitting preventative devices such as anti-embolism stockings.
Press release & links
ScotGov: The new Scottish Energy and Resource Efficiency Service (SERES) web portal, which streamlines existing support & advice programmes, is now available. This virtual service will provide more consistent & comprehensive advice through a single enquiry point & improve cross-referral between agencies.
The Scottish Government also intend to establish a new integrated Business Resource & Energy Efficiency Service from 2013. This new service will integrate the support currently provided by Carbon Trust, Energy Saving Trust and Zero Waste Scotland to Scottish businesses & public sector organisations.
Press release & links
LGA: A new programme to help councils make further efficiency savings in adult social care is set to save more than £50m, council leaders have announced recently. The Local Government Association's ‘Adult Social Care Efficiency programme' will help town halls examine the services they provide to the elderly & most vulnerable members of society and identify where they can further improve efficiency and productivity.
Press release & links
Monitor: A new briefing looks at the evidence from Cost Improvement Plans (CIPs) across the NHS to identify important lessons and provide examples of how NHS trusts & foundation trusts can use CIPs to deliver lasting benefits for their patients and service users – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
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