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Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides
Ofsted: Ofsted has launched Learner View, a website enabling learners to rate their further education & skills provider. Learners’ views are vital to Ofsted during an inspection and this new website enables them to give their views all year round. It not only gives valuable information to Ofsted but will also be of interest to other learners & providers who will be able to access this feedback in real-time.
Each learner’s response on Learner View will be confidential. Ofsted will not tell colleges or skills providers the names of any of the learners who have completed the survey.
EU News: The European Medicines Agency has recommended approval of NexoBrid (concentrate of proteolytic enzymes enriched in bromelain), an orphan-designated medicine, for removal of eschar in adult patients with deep partial- and/or full-thickness thermal burn.
Eschar is the dried-out, thick, leathery, black necrotic tissue that covers severe burn wounds. Its removal is essential to initiate the wound healing process and prevent further complications such as infections in burn victims.
Eschar is the dried-out, thick, leathery, black necrotic tissue that covers severe burn wounds. Its removal is essential to initiate the wound healing process and prevent further complications such as infections in burn victims.
EU News: The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended the authorisation of the first medicine specifically for the symptomatic treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the European Union (EU).
The Agency is recommending that Constella (linaclotide) be authorised for adults with moderate to severe IBS with constipation (IBS-C), a common subtype of the disease. Linaclotide is a new, synthetic 14-amino-acid peptide, which works by increasing the secretion of fluid in the intestine and accelerating the movement of material through the gut. It is taken by mouth once a day at least 30 minutes before a meal.
DfT: New frameworks setting out the competences expected of lorry, bus & coach drivers have been published by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) defining the skills, knowledge and understanding required to drive these vehicles safely & responsibly.
Press release & links ~ National Driving Standard Category C™ ~ National Driving Standard Category D™
NICE: Health & social care professionals in England can now download for FREE the NICE British National Formulary for children (BNFC) app available for smart phones & tablets. The BNFC app presents essential practical information to help prescribe, monitor, supply, and administer medicines for childhood disorders.
Covering neonates to adolescents, the BNFC app includes key clinical and pharmaceutical information, organised by the familiar BNF Classification. The app deals with the drug management of childhood conditions more extensively then the BNF and includes greater detail on the unlicensed use of medicines, and specialist neonatal & paediatric interventions.
CC: The Competition Commission (CC) has published procedural rules on how it will deal with appeals against certain decisions made by Ofgem & Ofcom.
WWF: WWF has unveiled a new guide to responsible investing in 10 major commodities sectors. The 2050 Criteria: Guide to Responsible Investment in Agricultural, Forest, and Seafood Commodities comes amid accelerating global interest, & controversy, around the financing of food & agricultural commodities.
The 2050 Criteria is designed as a field guide for mainstream investors, in particular banks, investors, and financial analysts, to help navigate this complexity and identify responsible companies & projects in the agricultural, forest and seafood industries.
NICE: NICE has produced a quality standard on antenatal care to help improve the care that women receive during their pregnancy. While the majority of women in the UK have pregnancies without complications, problems during pregnancy do occur. Miscarriage, fetal growth restriction & preterm birth are common, and rates of stillbirth have changed very little in recent years.
Furthermore, research shows that there still work to be done to ensure government pledges on maternity care are being met. A recent surveyfrom the Royal College of Midwivesfound that 47% of respondents would have liked to have spent more time with their midwife during pregnancy.
NICE: Smokeless tobacco products used by some people in South Asian communities are associated with serious health risks such as oral cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to latest NICE guidance. Many members of the South Asian community use smokeless tobacco products to freshen the breath or to aid digestion. These products, which include paan or gutkha, are typically served as a mixture which is chewed and consists of betel leaf combined with areca nut, tobacco and spices.
Ofsted: Ofsted has published - How colleges improve - a report commissioned by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) & Ofsted to highlight how colleges can ‘build on best practice and ensure the education & training they are providing is at least good or outstanding’.
Successful colleges shared the same characteristics centred on strong governance & management as well as a clear vision and direction. The determination & drive of senior leadership teams in making sure their visions, values & culture were embedded in the ethos of their colleges, were evident in those that were outstanding or improving quickly.
HMIC: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has published a study - ‘Taking Time for Crime’ - looking at how frontline police officers are supported & enabled to prevent crime in the field. It was conducted in collaboration with 6 forces which represent the breadth & depth of the policing challenge. The study is intended to inform discussion about the development of policing into the future.
CIPD: A tool for those with responsibilities for people management within SMEs has been launched by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). In recognition of the crucial role good people management has to play in driving long-term performance in SMEs, the tool will help users put people management and HR strategies into practice within their organisation.
ICO: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published guidelines to businesses to underline that companies remain responsible for how personal data is looked after, even if they pass it to cloud network providers – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
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