Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

LLUK: The General Professional Recognition Learning and Skills (GPRLS) B4 has been launched. GPRLS B4 is a new route to Recognition for those teachers, tutors, and trainers who are not required to comply with the regulations, but who may be expected to gain QTLS or ATLS status by their employer, or who seek to do so voluntarily.
 
The B4 route has been designed to take in to account the experience gained by long standing members of the workforce and so is open to those teachers, tutors and trainers who entered the sector prior to the introduction of the regulations.
 
Those who are successful in achieving generic Recognition through Lifelong Learning UK on behalf of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), are then able to commence the process of professional formation and subsequently go on to apply for the status of Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) or Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS) depending on their role.
 
To request a GPRLS B4 pack, please  telephone 0113 241 0433, or email the recognition team at:  recognition@svuk.eu.
Press release ~ LLUK ~ Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS)
 
Defra: Defra Ministers have welcomed the news from the Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales that it is to take forward work to put the Agricultural Wages Order into a more user friendly format.  This will make it easier for both workers and agricultural employers to understand their rights and obligations.
 
The AWB was originally set up to protect an isolated and scattered workforce, with little scope for collective bargaining.  These conditions still exist today for many workers, as well as new problems arising from the use of seasonal migrant labour.  The Government supports the continuing work of the AWB in protecting agricultural workers, regardless of their status.
Press release ~ Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales ~ Agricultural Wages Order (2007)
 
ScotGov - Catering staff across Scotland will be able to calculate the healthiness of the meals they are making for Scotland's school pupils with the help of new guidance from the Government, which has been written for catering providers and staff who are responsible for menu planning, food purchasing, preparation & service of food in schools and staff recruitment & training.  
 
It gives a full explanation of the requirements, as well as advice for caterers to calculate the necessary vitamin, fat and sugar content of food.  It also recommends providing extra bread to pupils at no additional charge as a meal accompaniment; promoting wholegrain & wholemeal bread and putting a bread basket where children can help themselves.
Press release ~ Healthy Eating in Schools: A Guide to Implementing the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008 ~ ScotGov – School Meals ~ Healthy Eating, Active Living: An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity (2008-2011) ~ Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 ~ Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Scotland Act: Health promotion guidance for local authorities and schools ~ Health and Wellbeing ‘draft outcomes’ ~ Hungry for Success initiative
 
DH: Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has announced the publication of a risk assessment for venous thromboembolism (VTE), recommended for all patients admitted to hospital in England, to help hospital staff identify patients at risk. VTE in hospitalised patients is responsible for around 25,000 deaths in England each year.
Press release ~ Risk Assessment for Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)
 
WAG: An innovative new website to help councils lift children out of poverty has been launched Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Dr Brian Gibbons.  The ‘Child Poverty Solutions Wales’ website offers support & advice services to councils and their partners ranging from a self assessment toolkit for monitoring success in tackling child poverty to guidance in developing statutory children and young people plans – See ‘In the News’ for more information
Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story