Skills for Care is providing resources to help employers in the care sector to engage with their workers and provide guidance about wellbeing and Covid-19 vaccinations. It comes as the government announced that they are planning to bring forward regulations that will make Covid-19 vaccination a condition of employment for those working in CQC-regulated...
Autumn Covid-19 booster jabs for over 50s
Vaccine experts have advised that more than 30 million people, including all adults aged 50 and over, should receive a third dose of a coronavirus vaccine ahead of winter. It is understood that the NHS has started planning a Covid vaccine booster jab programme for the UK in anticipation of a bigger than normal...
Charity calls for greater awareness of ‘awful toll’ of asbestos exposure
Charities, campaign groups and other organisations are calling for greater awareness of the dangers of exposure to deadly asbestos fibres. Tomorrow (Friday 2nd July) is Action Mesothelioma Day, with the annual event being held virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions. Ahead of the awareness day, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has joined...
Fully inclusive workplaces ‘crucial’ to business success, says IOSH
As Pride Month comes to an end, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has spoken about how fully inclusive workplaces are “crucial to the success of organisations.” The world’s largest occupational health and safety body have said they believe that making sure that all employees feel safe at work is key to...
Firm fined £60,000 after worker suffers ‘life-changing’ injuries
A firm has been fined £60,000 after a worker had to have their arm amputated after becoming entangled in a machine. Superior Machines Ltd, which manufactures agricultural machinery, were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a 68-year-old employee suffered life-threatening injuries when he became entangled on a manual lathe. The incident...
HSE continues Covid spot checks as infection rates rise
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have advised that they will be continuing to carry out Covid spot checks and inspections on businesses after the date for the final easing of lockdown restrictions was pushed back. Amid rising infection rates, as the new Delta variant of Covid-19 spreads, businesses must continue to have Covid-secure...
Children with SEND disproportionately affected by pandemic
A new report from Ofsted has revealed that children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The report contains the findings of joint visits made to local areas by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during the autumn term of 2020 and...
Childline supports young people with sexuality and gender identity
During Pride Month, Childline has voiced its support for children and young people struggling with their gender identity or sexuality. The national charity helpline says that, over the past year, it has seen a 29% increase in the number of young people contacting them to talk about concerns relating to coming out. The helpline...
‘Disruptive’ Covid school rules to end
Covid-19 control measures for schools, which mean that groups of pupils have to self-isolate when one tests positive, could come to an end in the autumn, it has been suggested. The new Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, has pledged to address the issue after figures revealed that 279,000 children in England were self-isolating after having...
Oliver King’s family renew call for compulsory defibrillators
The family of a young boy who lost his life following a cardiac arrest have renewed their calls for defibrillators to be made compulsory in schools and workplaces after footballer Eriksen’s recent collapse on the pitch. Oliver King was just 12 years old when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a school swimming lesson...
Department for Education had ‘no plan’ to deal with pandemic
A group of MPs has claimed that the Department for Education (DfE) had “no plan” to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. A report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says the DfE struggled to react to the unfolding pandemic in a timely and effective way and that their failure to set standards for both...
New helpline for abuse in education receives hundreds of calls
The NSPCC’s new independently run Report Abuse in Education helpline has received hundreds of calls since it was launched on 1st April this year. Commissioned by the Department for Education, the helpline was set up by the national children’s charity after thousands of testimonies alleging child sexual abuse and harassment in schools were posted...
Childline counsels 90,000 children during pandemic
The NSPCC’s confidential helpline, Childline, delivered nearly 90,000 counselling sessions for young people worried about mental health or abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic. The national children’s charity said they had grown increasingly concerned about the “huge toll” the pandemic has had on young people. Data from Childline for the period 1st April 2020 until...
New awards for outstanding practice in adult social care
New awards are being launched to recognise outstanding contributions in adult social care. The Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, Professor Deborah Sturdy, has announced new gold and silver awards to acknowledge the exceptional efforts of the social care workforce in England and their range of skills, expertise and compassion. The awards are the...
CQC launches new guidance for culturally appropriate care
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has launched a new online resource to help those working in adult social care to provide culturally appropriate care. The care watchdog stresses that it has always been vital that care is underpinned by person centred principles, but explains that, during the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK it has...