Mark Sheldon

How local authorities are getting young people back into education, employment and training.

While the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training continues to rise, a report published by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, shows that local authorities can make a big impact on reducing the number of young people in this category.

Reducing the numbers of young people not in education, employment or training: what works and why highlights the strategies, partnerships and activities which 12 local authorities have successfully employed to attract some of the most difficult to reach young people into work or learning.

Download Reducing the numbers of young people not in education, employment or training: what works and why

This White Paper sets out the Government’s proposals for a comprehensive National Care Service.

“The Government is committed to creating a National Care Service for all adults in England with an eligible care need that is free when they need it. The National Care Service will offer high quality care and support for all – whoever you are, wherever you live in England, and whatever condition leads you to need care and support.”

Download the White Paper here

Almost a quarter of social workers are handling more than 30 cases at once and 56% have seriously considered leaving the profession during the last year, a BASW survey on The State of Social Work Today has found.

Social work respondents to an online survey were clear that the priorities for improving the way they work are reducing caseloads and recruiting more social workers to make the job manageable, with a combined 58% highlighting these two prescriptions as the most pressing requirement.

Read more on  the BASW survey on The State of Social Work Today

Via the CQC Website

“Emphasising people’s rights and entitlements, as opposed to their needs and requirements, the scheme will guide our work as a regulator. Through the new registration system, we have a real opportunity to focus on outcomes for people rather than processes and inputs. We believe quality care will maintain and protect people’s rights and promote equality.

We have the same expectations of ourselves as we do of those we regulate, and our aim is to create an environment where our staff are valued, involved, supported and feel safe from discrimination.

Developed over our first year of operation, the scheme will cover the three years until March 2013 but will be constantly reviewed monitored and updated as we receive evidence from people who use services, carers and our stakeholders.”

Download the document here

As part of the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force in the document ‘Building a safe and confident future’ the website for the National College of Social Work is accessible at the link below supported by SCIE’s communication and web services.

Interested parties are invited to engage in consultation from May 2010, which will shape the College’s future direction

http://www.collegeofsocialwork.org/

The report Raising our sights: services for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities has been launched on 19th March 2010.

The report, written by Professor Jim Mansell, and commissioned as part of the Valuing People Now delivery plan highlights the most important parts of planning and delivering support for people with the most complex needs

Download Raising our sights here

Implications for people with autistic spectrum conditions and their family carers

This At a Glance briefing examines the implications of the personalisation agenda for people with autistic spectrum conditions.

Produced by Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) the key messages it contains include;-

The National Life Story Network was launched at a conference in Leeds on 12th February. The network provides a national forum (www.lifestorynetwork.org.uk) to support the use of Life Story work among people with mental illness including dementia.

Lifestory network launch from NMHDU on Vimeo.

Life Story is a growing area of interest in policy and practice relating to the care of people. The Network has been promoted and supported by an independent steering group, with representation from a range of national and regional partners, including the Dignity in Care (DH) campaign, the National Dementia Strategy, Mental Health Foundation and the National Mental Health Development Unit.

www.lifestorynetwork.org.uk

The VPN newsletter is for people with learning disabilities, family carers, learning disabilities partnership boards, selfadvocacy groups and anyone who works with people with learning disabilities.

It tells you what they are doing to make Valuing People Now happen for everyone,
everywhere.

Covered in this newsletter, that is produced roughly quarterly,  is information about work that is going on in the regions and nationally.

It can be downloaded here

From 1 April, CQC will put in place a “tougher system” for enforcing essential standards of quality and safety across the NHS.

For the first time, NHS trusts that provide services must register with CQC.

This is, in effect, a licence to provide services.

Starting today, CQC will make three weekly announcements on its decisions to register trusts.

To be registered, trusts must meet the standards, which cover important issues for patients such as:

• Treating people with respect
• Involving them in decisions about care
• Keeping clinical areas clean
• Ensuring services are safe

For some trusts, the licence will be conditional on them taking further action to meet the standards.

Today CQC announced its decision to register 66 NHS trusts. However, for two of these trusts, registration will be conditional on further action being taken to address concerns about the safety and quality of care. Urgent improvements are needed at:

• Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
• Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

More information here http://www.cqc.org.uk//newsandevents/newsstories