New research from the NSPCC and Action for Children reveals that more children in care could be reunited with their families if there was better support available. The survey of local authorities in England found that 78% of the 75 who responded want to provide more support to help children in care return to...
NSPCC launches new campaign to tackle child sexual abuse
The NSPCC has launched a new campaign with the Home Office to tackle child sexual abuse after new data revealed that police recorded almost 87,000 sexual offences against children last year. The national children’s charity said that new research showed that child sexual abuse crimes had reached near-record levels during 2022-23, and they want...
LGBT+ History Month 2024 focuses on medicine and healthcare
The theme for LGBT+ History Month 2024 in the UK is ‘Medicine – #Under the Scope’ – designed to celebrate LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to medicine and healthcare, both now and in the past. Founded in 2004 by Schools OUT, LGBT+ History Month runs throughout February each year and aims to reclaim the past, celebrate...
Skills for Care offer guide to new Social Care Certificate qualification
Skills for Care have published a new webpage, specification and FAQ guide to the new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification. The new Social Care Certificate qualification, which is due to launch in June of this year, is based on the existing Care Certificate standards. The specification for it has been developed by...
New measures launched to tackle school absences
The government recently launched new measures to help tackle widespread school absences. Launched as pupils were due to head back into the classroom following their Christmas break, the new measures are designed to drive up attendance and tackle persistent absences at schools in England. Figures show that the number of pupils frequently absent from...
5 top tips to help parents battle back-to-school illnesses
Health officials have offered some simple advice to help parents keep their children healthy amid concerns about back-to-school illnesses this January. As the new school term began, parents were encouraged to take 5 simple steps to help stop the spread of germs and keep their children and the wider community, including vulnerable individuals, as...
Blue Monday? Let’s embrace a happy and healthy start to 2024
We’re fast approaching the fabled ‘Blue Monday’ – the so-called most depressing day of the year. But it doesn’t have to be as gloomy as prescribed; we’ve got a few tips for helping to boost your mood at this time of year and get 2024 off to a happy, healthy start. The third Monday...
Skills for Care’s learning campaign returns for 2024
Skills for Care’s successful learning campaign is returning for 2024 to inspire social care workers to ‘Keep learning for success.’ The campaign first ran in January – March 2023 to highlight how ongoing learning and development is “absolutely vital” for social care staff at all levels, and is being repeated this January and February....
Mental health at work: will support be more widespread in 2024?
The last few years have seen significant strides made in the sphere of mental health at work. But will 2024 be the year that comprehensive workplace mental health support becomes more commonplace? As we bid the previous year goodbye and move into 2024, the Covid-19 pandemic, national lockdowns and enforced working from home fade...
HSE undertakes assurance inspections in the NHS
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is undertaking a series of assurance inspections in the NHS to assess how risks of workplace violence and aggression and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are managed. Inspectors from Britain’s health and safety watchdog are focusing on the findings and recommendations from the HSE’s 4-year inspection programme on the risk...
New Good and Outstanding Care guide launched by Skills for Care
Skills for Care has launched an updated edition of its Good and Outstanding Care guide. The national workforce development charity partnered with The Outstanding Society to update the guide ahead of changes being made to Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections. Outstanding care guide shaped around new CQC inspection framework Numbering 300 pages, the comprehensive...
One million people complete Oliver McGowan eLearning
Over one million people have now completed the e-learning segment of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. The “significant milestone” comes one year after the Oliver McGowan e-learning package was launched and seven years after Oliver’s tragic death in November 2016. The e-learning programme, which forms the first part of...
IOSH: people-focused work culture key for mental health
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has reiterated its belief that a people-focused work culture is key to reducing and preventing work-related mental health problems. The leading professional health and safety body spoke out after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published their annual statistics on work-related ill-health and workplace injuries for...
Building safety regulator leads ‘culture of higher standards’
The new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published its first three-year strategic plan in which it sets out how it plans to oversee a “culture of higher standards” in building health and safety. The new independent regulator was created by the Building Safety Act 2022 and is part of the Health and Safety Executive...
AI could speed up diagnosis of child mental health conditions
A research programme is working to develop an AI system that could revolutionise child mental health care. Dr Anna Moore is leading the project, based at the University of Cambridge, which is using cutting-edge technology to hopefully speed up the diagnosis of mental health conditions in children and identify those most at risk of...