Councils in England are to be given over £500 million in funding to help them restore preventive family and parenting support services. The Department for Education said the funding would help ensure that the most vulnerable children in England are “prevented from falling through the cracks,” and formed part of its plan for change...
Government announces abolition of NHS England
In a surprise move last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that his government are abolishing NHS England in a bid to cut bureaucracy and save money. The Prime Minister said his plan to abolish NHS England would bring the health service back into government control, save hundreds of millions of pounds every...
New year brings new reforms to transform social care
The government started off the New Year by announcing immediate investment and new reforms to help transform adult social care in England. Alongside additional funds and reforms to improve outcomes, support the workforce and relieve pressures on the NHS, the government also announced the creation of a new independent commission into adult social care,...
Government publishes plan to Get Britain Working
The government has published its plan to get Britain working again. The Get Britain Working Whitepaper was published last week (26th November 2024) and sets out the government’s plans to tackle “spiralling economic inactivity” and get Britain growing again. It forms a key part of the government’s commitment to build “an inclusive and thriving...
Employment Rights Bill a ‘watershed moment’ for the UK, says IOSH
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has responded to the publication of the new Employment Rights Bill, saying it “has the potential to be a watershed moment for the UK,” providing “long overdue” protections for workers. IOSH’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Ruth Wilkinson, published a statement in response to the...
300 new state nurseries promised to meet childcare demands
The Education Secretary has pledged the introduction of 300 new state nurseries in England within the next 12 months. The nurseries are set to open within English schools by next September to meet rising demand prompted by the introduction of free childcare for children from the age of 9 months. The new Labour government...
IOSH calls for focus on ‘looking after people at work’
Responding to the King’s Speech last month, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) welcomed plans to strengthen workers’ rights and urged a “greater focus more generally on looking after people at work.” IOSH’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Ruth Wilkinson, penned a blog post following the King’s Speech in the House...
Reforming Mental Health Act a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’
A leading mental health charity has called the new government’s pledge to reform the Mental Health Act a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.” Responding to the King’s Speech, national charity Mind said that plans announced within it to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983 were “a welcome first step in tackling the nation’s mental health crisis.” The...
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...
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...
Child cruelty offences have doubled in 5 years, says NSPCC
New data released by the NSPCC reveals that reported cases of child cruelty and neglect have doubled over the past 5 years. The data, obtained by the national children’s charity through a Freedom of Information Request to police forces in England, shows that there has been a 106% increase in recorded offences of adults...
IOSH calls for ‘proactive and holistic’ approach to health and safety
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is calling for a “more proactive and holistic approach” to health and safety at work to prevent UK standards from falling. The world’s largest professional health and safety body is urging the government to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) conventions relating to occupational safety and...
Government safety pledge amid school concrete crisis
The government has pledged to “spend what it takes” to ensure safety as the school concrete crisis continues. As pupils across the country prepared to head back to school this September, more than 100 were forced to either shut down fully or partially close due to the significant safety risks posed by reinforced autoclaved...
Child sexual abuse victims lack access to specialist support
Analysis conducted by the NSPCC reveals that most victims of child sexual abuse will struggle to access specialist support, as 77% of local authorities do not offer it. The national children’s charity found that less than a quarter (23%) of local authorities in Britain offer specialist, dedicated support – in the form of independent...
Children’s social care strategy ‘lacks ambition and pace’
A new report from a House of Lord’s Committee has concluded that the Children’s social care strategy is unambitious and slow. The Public Services Committee has published its new report in response to the Government’s Strategy to reform children’s social care, ‘Stable homes built on love: implementation strategy and consultation: Children’s Social Care Reform...