Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

DCSF: Guidance on how the Data Protection Act 1998 applies to the use of biometric data in schools has been published by Becta, the Government's schools ICT agency. It advises schools to fully involve parents in any decision to introduce biometric (or fingerprint) technology to run cashless lunch queues, school libraries and attendance systems.
 
It advises that schools should recognise some parents' or pupils' concerns over the introduction of biometric technology and offer alternative systems, like smartcards, to access the same services if they want to opt out.
 
The guidance also describes how biometric systems are designed simply to validate a pupil's identity - not hold any other data. It is stored as complex algorithms or number streams, from which it is currently technically impossible to recreate an actual fingerprint image.
Press release ~ Becta Schools - Guidance on the use of biometric systems in schools ~ Becta Schools - Data protection ~ ICO - Data protection ~ Data processing & sharing: DCSF guidance to the law
 
TDA: To sit alongside the recently published professional standards for teachers, the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has recently issued the revised professional standards for Higher Level Teaching Assistants and the National Occupational Standards for Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools.
 
The TDA is currently (available in November 2007) developing guidance to the HLTA standards, whose primary audience will be candidates and those involved in preparing and assessing candidates.
Press release ~ TDA: HLTA professional standards ~ NOS: Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools ~ TDA: Support Staff
 
NICE: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health recently issued two guidelinesaimed at offering the most effective treatment & support to encourage substance misusers over the age of 16 to adopt a drug-free lifestyle. 
 
Existing treatments for substance misuse are partially effective, but the guidelines recommend that by including individual social & psychological techniques, as well as advice on detoxification, current treatments will work even better.
 
The recommendations offer advice to families & carers on how they can support someone who is trying to come off a drug habit and give substance misusers the opportunity to make their own choices on how to lead a drug-free lifestyle.
Press release ~ Drug misuse: psychosocial interventions and opioid detoxification ~ Drug misuse: psychosocial interventions ~ Naltrexone for the management of opioid dependence ~ Methadone and buprenorphine for managing opioid dependence ~ Interventions to reduce substance misuse among vulnerable young people ~ National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health ~ Science and Technology Committee Report on drugs classifications (Making a Hash of it?) ~ Home Office - Drugs ~ Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) ~ Hidden Harm ~ Pathways to Problems
 
NICE: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance recommending varenicline (Champix) as an effective treatment for helping smokers to quit:
• Varenicline, within its licensed indications, is recommended as an option for smokers who have expressed a desire to quit smoking
• Varenicline should normally be prescribed only as part of a programme of behavioural support
 
These recommendations are part of a suite of guidance being produced by NICE on the most effective methods of tackling smoking and what works to help people quit.
Press release ~ Varenicline for smoking cessation ~ Related documents / guidance  Workplace smoking ~ Stop smoking start living ~ Smokefre e Public Places ~ Your business, your rubbish and the law ~ Quit smoking start living - How do I go Smokefree? ~ DH - Smoking
 
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