NHS England have launched a consultation on the existing Never Events Framework. ‘Never Events’ is the term used to describe incidents which have the potential to cause serious harm or death to patients but which are completely preventable as long as national guidance or safety recommendations are adhered to. The current Never Events framework...
Self-Harm Awareness Day aims to improve understanding
This Friday, 1st March 2024, is Self-Harm Awareness Day in the UK, aimed at improving understanding of this sensitive and often misunderstood topic. Run by Harmless, the national centre of excellence for self-harm and suicide prevention, the awareness campaign, sometimes known as Self-Injury Awareness Day, provides “an opportunity for everyone across the country to...
Campaign aims to improve farm safety
A national campaign has been launched to improve farm safety in Britain, with a focus on the dangers of livestock. The Your Farm, Your Future campaign was relaunched on 19th February 2024 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after incidents involving livestock were identified as the number one cause of work-related deaths on...
Manufacturer fined £250K for ‘serious and avoidable’ incidents
A bedding manufacturer has been prosecuted and fined £250,000 after two of its employees were badly injured in “serious and avoidable” incidents at work. Sartex Quilts and Textiles Limited were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following separate serious incidents at its site in Rochdale in March 2020 and October 2021, which...
Employers must do more to support menopause in the workplace
Employers are being reminded of the importance of creating supportive environments and approaching menopause in the workplace with a “holistic view.” The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) recently spoke out to urge businesses to take action on menopause in the workplace. The world’s leading professional health and safety body said that firms...
IOSH: Prioritise workplace health to keep people in work
A policy expert from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has called on the government to prioritise investment in workplace health, safety and wellbeing in order to keep people in work. In a recent blog post, Corey Edwards, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at IOSH, said that better investment in occupational...
New briefing reveals concerns about in-patient mental health care for children
The NSPCC has published a new briefing about young people’s experiences of in-patient mental health care after a sharp increase in the number of children contacting Childline about this issue. The Helplines Insight Briefing reveals that children and young people often feel as though they’re not being listened to when they’re admitted to, cared...
75% of parents of young children worry for their mental health
New research shows that 3 in 4 UK parents with pre-school aged children worry about their mental health and wellbeing. A recent survey carried out by the NSPCC found that UK parents are anxious about their child’s mental health as well as issues such as social media use and bullying. The issue that parents...
Parental alcohol misuse impacts more than 70,000 children
Thousands of children in England are struggling with the impacts of parental alcohol misuse, a national children’s charity has reported. Last year, Child in Need assessments identified 71,580 children as living with a parent who regularly and consistently misuses alcohol, and the NSPCC reports that its helpline regularly receives contacts about this issue. The...
Children’s Mental Health Week: give children a voice
It’s Children’s Mental Health Week in the UK (5th-11th February 2024) and the theme for this year is ‘My Voice Matters’, as new data shows young people face barriers when seeking mental health support. Children’s Mental Health Week was founded in 2015 by the charity Place2Be. Now in its tenth year, the national awareness...
Race Equality Week asks us to listen, act, change
This week, 5th-11th February 2024, is Race Equality Week in the UK, with the aim of addressing barriers to race equality in the workplace. Run by Race Equality Matters (REM), the annual movement is a positive force for action that unites hundreds of thousands of organisations and individuals across the country for this key...
Lack of outdoor play harms children’s health and wellbeing
Charities have warned that a lack of opportunity for outdoor play is seriously impacting children’s health and wellbeing. As MPs lead an inquiry into how better planning could enhance children’s health and wellbeing, charities urged them to prioritise the need for outdoor spaces for play, saying that this would help improve the physical and...
First Response Training extends helping hand to Community Action Ledbury
A vital local charity is set to receive complimentary first aid training from a leading national training provider. Community Action Ledbury is a local charity dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals in the local area, including elderly and disabled people. Their minibuses are used to transport elderly people, wheelchair-bound people and school children,...
HSE: ‘too many’ metalworking firms lack key safety measures
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned that “far too many” metalworking firms lack key safety control measures to protect their workers. Britain’s health and safety watchdog began carrying out targeted inspections of metalworking firms last year. They have found that more needs to be done across the industry to protect workers from...
HSE launches new asbestos safety campaign
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new campaign to keep people safe from asbestos. With the ‘Asbestos: Your Duty’ campaign, Britain’s health and safety watchdog is focussing on buildings that people use in their daily lives, including workplaces, schools and hospitals. The campaign aims to improve understanding and awareness of what...