Annual Reports

PC&PE: A report published recently by the Work & Pensions Select Committee concludes that the Government should learn the lessons of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) for Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), originally introduced in 2008.  

The Government should not introduce Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments nationally until it has satisfied itself, in the planned initial roll-out of the new assessment in a limited geographical area, that the assessment is empathetic and accurate.
Press release & links
 
DH: The Deputy Minister for Social Services Gwenda Thomas has welcomed the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) Chief Inspector’s Annual Report for 2010-2011, published recently. The report sets out key findings about social care & social services, focusing on quality & improvement and safeguarding people.
Press release & links
 
CIPD: The last quarter has seen pay intentions reach their highest level since spring 2009, according to newly released data from survey of more than 1,000 employers, commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Press release & links
 
ICI UKBA: The UK Border Agency's Detained Fast Track (DFT) system was ‘removing the majority of people with no right to be in the UK, however it was not working as quickly as intended and had insufficient safeguards to prevent people being incorrectly allocated to it’, said John Vine CBE QPM, the Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, publishing his thematic inspection report.
Press release & links
 
Monitor: An independent report published by Monitor sets out the opportunities for improving patient care by developing the way providers of NHS services are paid. The main objective of a pricing system should be to drive the best possible care for patients and achieve the best use of valuable resources.
 
This report is the first stage in establishing the evidence for Monitor to use to develop new ways of using pricing to deliver benefits for patients. One of the key issues emerging from the report is the importance of good quality information on costs
Press release & links ~ Evaluation of the reimbursement system for NHS-funded care
 
SFA: Following the Skills Funding Agency’s commitment to the sector and in line with the intentions of the Government’s Transparency Agenda, the SFA are publishing a list of subcontractors  with an aggregate contract value of £100,000 & over, together with details of their lead provider.
Press release & links
 
OfstedChildren’s Rights Director Roger Morgan has published the annual Children’s care monitor which gives nearly 2,000 children’s views through an online survey. This year, the monitor survey included a new focus on children’s experiences of placement change in care.  As in previous years, the 2011 survey found a high level of separation of siblings in care.
Press release & links
 
DH: The Department of Health has published its findings from the Performance & Capability Review of the Care Quality Commission.
Press release & links
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