Policy Statements and Initiatives

DH: Health Secretary Alan Johnson has announced an extra £520m of ring fenced funding to transform Social Care over the next three years through the introduction of Personal Care budgets. 
 
In a new concordat ‘Putting People First’, Central Government, Local Government, the professional leadership of adult Social Care and the NHS have jointly committed to a transformation of Care Services over the next three years.
 
Key elements of the transformation programme in every community will include:
* Giving the vast majority of people who receive funded care their own personal budgets
* High quality care homes, home care & day services to be rewarded
* Initiatives such as first-stop shops becoming common place so that everyone, including people who don't have support from social services, will have access to advice & advocacy about community services
Press release ~ Putting People First ~ DH - Personalisation ~ The In Control Website ~ Independence, choice and risk: a guide to best practice in supported decision making ~ National Indicators ~ Care Quality Commission
 
ScotGov: Mental health services in Scotland are set to be improved through major developments, including:
* A new early diagnosis of dementia target for NHS Scotland
* Setting up of Mental Health Collaborative in 2008
* Launch of guidance on support for people with substance misuse & mental health problems
Press release ~ Mental Health in Scotland: Closing the Gaps - Making a Difference ~ ScotGov – Mental Health
 
BERR: BERR is conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment which will assess the objective of achieving up to 25GW of offshore wind generation capacity by 2020, on top of current plans for 8GW of offshore wind.  
 
For offshore wind leasing, the SEA will cover the UK territorial waters and adjacent areas where the water depth is around 60m or less, but excluding Scottish and Northern Irish territorial waters, where it is understood there is limited scope for development.  Under The Crown Estate Act 1961, The Crown Estate is landowner of the UK seabed and areas of foreshore.
 
Energy Secretary John Hutton also announced that he will chair a panel of experts to advise him on renewable energy.
 
In addition, the Government is working on a regulatory regime to ensure that all offshore projects can connect to our onshore electricity transmission & distribution networks, quickly, securely and as cheaply as possible.  A response to the recent consultation on this issue will be published by BERR shortly.
Press release ~ BE RR: Offshore Energy SEA Scoping ~ Crown Estate ~ Map of Rounds 1 & 2 sites ~ Renewables Advisory Board (RAB) ~ BWEA ~ BERR - Wind
 
Cabinet Office: Launched by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell and Minister for Skills David Lammy MP, the Growing Talent Pilot is a high - level mentoring programme, aimed at equipping talented black and minority ethnic staff with the skills & attributes they will need to become future candidates for the Senior Civil Service.
 
After a rigorous assessment programme, twelve successful applicants to the scheme have now been paired with mentors from the Senior Civil Service, all of whom are currently permanent secretaries or work at director-general level.  High-level mentoring is the core of the programme, but there will also be other events running throughout the next year to reinforce what participants have learned through the mentoring programme.
 
The Growing Talent pilot is one of the first initiatives put into place by the Minority Ethnic Talent Association (META).  It is intended that over a four year period, the Growing Talent pilot and subsequent successor programmes will contribute to the objectives of the Cabinet Office 10-Point Plan for increasing diversity in the Senior Civil Service.
Press release ~ Minority Ethnic Talent Association (META) ~ Leaders UnLtd ~ Delivering a Diverse Civil Service - A 10-Point Plan ~ Civil Service diversity
 
CLG: A new written agreement which is intended to transform the relationship between central & local government and which sets out ‘new freedoms’ for local areas & communities has been signed by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and LGA Chairman Sir Simon Milton.
 
The Central-Local Concordat spells out key priorities which central and local government will deliver together - this includes tackling anti-social behaviour & crime, delivering good local services, more opportunities for young people, promoting enterprise - and how the two should work together.
Press release ~ Central-Local Concordat
 
Defra: A blueprint to help to deliver improved protection for people and property nationally, from coastal flooding & erosion has been published - The Environment Agency's Strategic Overview Implementation Plan.
 
Currently there are 92 coastal local authorities responsible for coastal erosion works, some of which also carry out sea flooding work.  In addition, the Environment Agency oversees the majority of sea flooding works, but doesn't have a role in coastal erosion.  At present both local authorities and the EA put forward local projects, which, if successful, are funded directly by Government.
 
Once this blueprint has been fully implemented, the Environment Agency's strategic overview role means that they will be responsible for the funding of all coastal work as well as overseeing its delivery.  Government will still set the criteria that projects will need to meet in order to receive funding.
Press release ~ Environme nt Agency's Strategic Overview Implementation Plan ~ Defra:  Sea Flooding and Coastal Erosion overview ~ Flooding Lessons Learned Review ~ Defra, UK - Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management ~ Regional Flood Defence Committee's - National Flood Forum ~ Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) ~ Env ironment Agency - Flood risk management ~ Flooding in Scotland
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