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Policy Statements and Initiatives
ScotGov: A blueprint for improving the quality of care patients receive from the NHS has been announced. The Quality Strategy recognises that the patient's experience of the NHS is about more than speedy treatment - it is the quality of care they get that matters most to them.
For the first time, the quality of care provided by the NHS will be measured through the experience of patients and the information will be used to drive up standards. Patients will be encouraged to be partners in their own care and can expect to experience improvements in the things patients have said they want from their health service.
The work of the Patient Safety Programme and the Healthcare Associated Infection taskforce will also be integrated into the Quality Strategy. Over the coming months, all NHS boards will be expected to use the draft to identify steps they can take to improve the quality of care they give. The final version will be published in April 2010.
Press release ~ Healthcare Quality Strategy for Scotland – Current Draft version ~ Patient Safety Programme ~ Healthcare Associated Infection taskforce ~ CARE measure - Scotland ~ NHS Scotland ~ Supporting Improvement
HO: Families of police officers killed in the line of duty are to get financial support through a new government-funded scheme, Policing Minister David Hanson has announced. The Police Survivor Support Scheme will see up to £20,000 given to families left struggling financially after officers have been killed, while keeping the streets of the country safe. It will be run by the Police Dependants’ Trust (PDT).
The cash is aimed at partners of dead officers who have formed a new relationship, which means they are no longer eligible for the survivor pension. Now the one-off payment of up to £20,000 will be handed out to give added financial support after the end of the pension entitlement. Register applications by 30 March 2011.
DCMS: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, Ben Bradshaw, has issued a Written Ministerial Statement on Television Product Placement.
WAG: Environment Minister Jane Davidson and Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones have jointly approved a new conservation plan for red squirrels in Wales. The red squirrel is in need of concerted conservation action to save it from extinction. The new conservation plan claims to ‘put this work on a surer footing, bringing renewed hope that future generations can continue to enjoy sightings of this much-loved mammal’.
Work to turn the Conservation Plan into action is being led by the Wales Squirrel Forum - a group chaired by the Countryside Council for Wales.
Press release ~ Red Squirrel Strategy for Wales (2009) ~ Wales Squirrel Forum ~ Countryside Council for Wales ~ Squirrelpox virus ~ WAG: Environment and countryside
GEO: More women than ever before are working part-time (42% of working women - 5.8m women), but too many have to downgrade when they leave full-time employment. The Government has published Working Towards Equality: a Framework for Action, which ‘demonstrates’ how it will work to tackle the gender pay gap, and ensure our labour market is one:
* Where being a parent or carer is not a barrier to opportunity or success
* Where a person's aspirations & opportunities are not constrained by their gender
* That is transparent & free from gender discrimination
DCSF: Successful schools & education institutions, business, faith and charity groups have been invited to apply to become Accredited Schools Groups and Accredited School Providers. Under this new system these groups will be able to gain a ‘chartermark’ to support or take over under-performing schools and turn them round. This first round for applications closes in March, but there will be subsequent rounds.
To achieve accreditation, providers will need to demonstrate they have the following key skills:
* sound governance
* highly effective leadership & management
* a strong model for managing & improving schools
* a track record of improving outcomes for children & young people
* the capacity to achieve transformational change in the schools they are supporting
Press release ~ Application and criteria documents ~ Schools White Paper: Your child, your schools, our future: building a 21st Century Schools system
HO: Foreign students from outside Europe wanting to come to the UK to study will be required to meet stricter entry criteria, the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson has claimed, following a review of Tier 4 of the PBS. It is hoped that the new regulations will ensure that students studying below degree level have a limited ability to work in the UK and that their dependants cannot work here at all.
In addition, the Home Secretary has confirmed that the Government will implement plans to introduce a points test by 2011 for those who wish to earn British Citizenship. The decision to introduce it follows the results of a public consultation on the proposals which have just been published. Three quarters of the public polled during the consultation are in favour of the Government's plans to introduce a points scheme for citizenship.
Press release ~ Implementation Plan for Tier 4 of the PBS ~ 'Earning the right to stay: A new Points Based Test for Citizenship' (closed) consultation ~ UKBA: British citizenship ~ Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009
DFID: The UK and Palestinian National Authority (PNA) have agreed to a new approach to tackling poverty in the OccupiedPalestinianTerritories (OPTs) in a drive to improve basic services and raise the standard of living for tens of thousands of people.
The agreement will see the UK work with the PNA over the next 2 years to strengthen state institutions, including government Ministries & the civilian police, thereby building Palestinian leaders’ ability to meet the needs of its own people. This will include the development of key services such as health & education.
ScotGov: The Scottish government have published an action plan & marketing campaign toimprove the safety of children on the internet and prevent problems such as cyber bullying, internet fraud & online grooming.
Press release ~ Child internet safety information ~ Safer Internet Programme: Empowering and Protecting Children Online ~ UK Council for Child Internet Safety's (UKCCIS)
ScotGov: Crawford Beveridge, Sir Neil McIntosh and Robert Wilson will conduct Scotland's Independent Budget Review, it was announced last week. The panel's remit was agreed as part of this year's Budget process and the work will now be taken forward independently of government, with Mr Beveridge (a former Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise) as the chair.
The purpose of this review will be to inform public & Parliamentary debate in advance of the next Comprehensive Spending Review (expected in Autumn 2010) about the challenges & choices that will exist in a significantly constrained public spending environment and to ensure priorities can be established. The review will report by end July 2010.
WAG: Deputy Minister for Children Huw Lewis has met with young people from across Wales at an event aimed at providing young people with the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them. More than 250 young people from schools, youth forums, youth settings & Funky Dragon met at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea to have their say on a range of topics such as school uniforms, basic skills and child poverty.
The event, entitled ‘Your Choice Your Voice’, has been organised by the Welsh Assembly Government with funding from the 'Reach the Heights - First Footholds ESF Project.' As well as attending workshops attendees were able to voice their thoughts & opinions through video booths, post boxes & an electronic graffiti wall.
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