The adult social care sector is set to receive a £269 million funding boost to help protect and support staff and those receiving care. The funds will be split, with a new £120 million fund to enable local authorities to boost workforce capacity and a £149 million grant system to support lateral flow device...
1 in 4 frontline doctors seek mental health support
It has been revealed that a quarter of frontline doctors have sought mental health support during the coronavirus pandemic in the UK. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published data showing that, after having faced one of the worst public health crises of the modern era, 1 in 4 doctors has sought mental...
Teachers ‘not at significantly higher risk’ from Covid-19
New figures suggest that teachers are not at significantly higher risk of death from Covid-19 than the general population. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that care workers, restaurant staff, taxi drivers, security guards, nurses and people working in certain manufacturing roles were among those with the highest death rates....
Aviva reducing office space in favour of permanent home-working
Investment company Aviva has announced that it will be closing many of its offices across the UK and allowing staff to work from home as standard practice. Aviva currently employs 16,000 people in the UK and sought to assure that the changes they were making would not amount to job cuts and that staff...
HSE checks Covid-secure measures in transport and logistics
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been conducting spot inspections on transport and logistics firms to ensure they’re managing the risk of Covid-19 during periods of high demand. Britain’s health and safety watchdog has been working with local authorities to carry out the spot inspections and ensure that businesses in the transport...
‘Shocking’ rise in child abuse during lockdown
The Children’s Society has described the 27% increase in reported incidents of children dying or being seriously harmed following suspected child abuse or neglect as ‘shocking.’ It has been revealed that the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel received 285 serious incident notifications from April to September 2020, following England’s first national lockdown to combat...
Skills for Care investigates key issues affecting BAME workers
A recent survey from Skills for Care has found that adult social care workers from black, Aisan and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds face significant challenges with racism, progression, representation and health. People from BAME backgrounds account for 1 in 5 of the adult social care workforce in England, but despite playing a crucial role...
Early Years groups call for vaccine priority
Early years groups are calling for nursery workers to receive the Covid-19 vaccine as a priority. The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey), Early Years Alliance (EYA) and National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) want mass testing to be carried out in early years settings, as well as vaccine priority for the early...
New Oxford vaccine rolled out to GP sites
It has been confirmed that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19 is to be rolled out to hundreds of GP-led vaccination sites in local communities today. Over 700 local vaccination sites, as well as another 180 GP-led sites, 100 new hospital sites, and possibly local pharmacy sites as part of a new pilot scheme, will...
Delay to new school term will be ‘as short as possible’
The Education Secretary has said that the closure of schools in England due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic would be as “short as possible.” Gavin Williamson defended the recently announced delay to the start of the new school term, saying that the government was “battling this hidden enemy” and that schools were being provided...
Study shows pandemic’s impact on mental health
A new research study has found that key indicators of poor mental health and wellbeing – such as loneliness, suicidality and not coping well with stress – have worsened among UK adults since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The four-nation longitudinal study, led by the Mental Health Foundation and its university partners, has...