Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

LLUKLifelong Learning UK highlights that the Equality Act 2010 has replaced all previous anti-discrimination legislation and consolidated it into a single act, making it unlawful to discriminate against an individual because of their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation.
Press release ~ The Equality Act 2010 – guidance and resources
 
Newswire – CWDCChildminders looking to increase their skills and take part in early years workforce development training can now benefit from improvements made to the online Early Years Workforce Qualifications Audit Tool.
Press release ~ Early Years Workforce Qualifications Audit Tool ~ NCMA
 
LLUKLifelong Learning UK has produced adocument which supports the Workforce Strategy for the Further Education Sector in England 2011.
Press release ~ Implementing the FE Workforce Strategy – A development agenda for Local Adult Learning Providers
 
FSA: The Food Standards Agency has issued guidance to clarify the steps that food businesses need to take to control the risk of contamination from the food bug E.coli O157. Serious outbreaks of E.coli in Scotland in 1996 and Wales in 2005, resulted in serious illness in some individuals and, in a few cases, death.
 
These outbreaks were attributed to cross-contamination arising from the poor handling of food.  This guidance has been developed to remind food businesses what they should be doing to protect their customers from the serious consequences of E.coli food poisoning.  It is also expected that the guidance will be used by local authority food safety officers when inspecting businesses in their area.
Press release ~ E. coli O157: control of cross-contamination
 
LGG: The Local Government Group (LG Group) last week launched an approach to self regulation for the local government sector, which will help local authorities strengthen their accountability & revolutionise the way they evaluate & improve services. 
 
The 7 point offer is designed to help local authorities capitalise on the LG Group’s successful campaign for the £2bn burden of central government inspections to be drastically reduced. “Taking the Lead” will offer a range of local accountability tools to help councils and other local authorities further improve the way they gather & respond to feedback from residents, partners and community groups.
Press release ~ Taking the Lead ~ LGA: Improvement and assessment
 
WAG: New advice for people diagnosed with dementia and their carers, developed by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Alzheimer’s Society in Wales, has been launched. The National Dementia Vision for Wales highlights the support that is available in Wales.  This will ensure advice will be available to anyone diagnosed with dementia to help them find the services they need.
 
In addition, a dedicated helpline & website has been launched to offer emotional support & advice to anyone who has been diagnosed with dementia or for relatives and carers of people with dementia.
Press release ~ Alzheimer’s Society in Wales ~ WAG – Dementia services
 
HLHomeless Link has launched a 4-page joint briefing for local authorities ‘4 facts, 4 questions about the future of Supporting People’. Written jointly with 13 other charities, including Crisis, National Housing Federation, Mind, Salvation Army and St Mungo's, it represents views from across health, social care, housing, homelessness, substance misuse and criminal justice.
 
The briefing aims to highlight the clear benefits of Supporting People services, and the questions that local authorities should consider when making decisions about them.
Press release ~ 4 facts, 4 questions about the future of Supporting People
 
Ofsted: Last week Ofsted launched the Inspection of children’s homes, a new inspection framework for all children’s homes in England.  The framework will focus inspection on the quality & impact of services and the outcomes achieved for children & young people.
 
The Department for Education will shortly publish new Children’s Homes Regulations and new National Minimum Standards for Children’s Homes for implementation from 1 April 2011.  All inspections of children’s homes will be carried out under the new framework, taking into account with the new regulations & standards, from that date. To strengthen the approach to inspections, all the inspections will be unannounced.
Press release ~ Framework for the inspection of Children’s Homes Document Report ~ Evaluation schedule for the inspection of Children’s Homes Report
 
DfE: The Government wants the network of Sure Start Children’s centres children’s centres to be retained, but focused much more effectively on those families who need them the most.  LAs continue to have duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to consult before opening, closing or significantly changing children’s centres, and to secure sufficient provision to meet local need so far as is reasonably practicable.  
 
Statutory guidance accompanies these duties, which outlines how the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 provisions relate to children’s centres.  It also advises local authorities, primary care trusts and Jobcentre Plus on the action they should take to comply with their duties as they work with their local communities to plan future children's centre provision. 
Press release ~ Sure Start children's centre statutory guidance (External site, opens a new window)
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