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All four current England Cricket Captains; Andrew Strauss, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook and Charlotte Edwards brought cricket to some of Nottingham’s inner-city youngsters today when The Lord’s Taverners staged a special coaching session ahead of the England Test with West Indies at Trent Bridge.
As cricket’s number one charity, The Lord’s Taverners is dedicated to giving young people access to sporting and recreational opportunities. The four England captains joined together for the first time to assist the session, led by two graduates of the charity’s Street Elite programme.
Over the past six months the Street Elite scheme, supported by the Berkeley Group, has trained a group of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and seen them gain coaching qualifications in cricket, rugby and futsal. The participants have since organized sessions with youngsters on local housing estates, inspiring them to get involved in sport and other positive activities which help address the kind of disillusion which led to the August 2011 riots across much of the country.
The four captains were on hand to assist Street Elite graduates Kemar Campbell and Akiem McCarthy, both 21, deliver the session for 60 young people from Bentinck Primary School, Berridge Junior School and Catch22 at the Bridlington Street MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) in central Nottingham.
England One Day International Captain and Lord’s Taverners ambassador, Alastair Cook, said: -It’s great to come down and interact with the kids.
-While Andrew, Stuart, Charlotte and I were fortunate enough to realise our sporting potential through the ECB performance pathway, these youngsters also need a framework which organisations like The Lord’s Taverners are putting in place.
-The Lord’s Taverners is doing a great job around the country giving kids access to sport so were delighted to have the opportunity to do our part.”
Matthew Patten, Chief Executive of The Lord’s Taverners, said: -The Lord’s Taverners is all about giving young people like Kemar and Akiem the opportunity to transform their lives through cricket and other sports.”
Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, the UK Government’s Special Representative to Business for Cyber Security, has commended ITEC’s first Cyber Security Training and Education Workshop for the significant attention it has drawn to combating this evolving threat.
During her opening presentation, Baroness Neville-Jones provided an in-depth analysis of the progress being made in developing the nation’s resilience to malicious attack and the continued urgency with which the issue will be addressed.
-Cyber is making it wonderfully clear that time is not on our side” she asserted and, reflected by the increase in deliberately directed acts, -events are pushing us [into action]”. Tackling the assumption of those who understand the threat to be little more than a nuisance, the Baroness was adamant that -our understanding of resilience has to change…at the moment the advantage lies with the attacker, we must up the defence”.
The UK Government has allocated considerable funding to protecting the nation’s digital infrastructure which, while global defence budgets continue to be slashed, indicates the importance it is investing long-term. However, ITEC also provided a platform for the Baroness to emphasise the value of partnership between the parliamentary powers, the private and public sectors. To outwit the enemy requires initiative; the cyber battlefield must be approached from all angles. -It is really important that industry takes responsibility and works together [with the Government] in a collective sense” she stressed.
An emerging theme during the first day of ITEC’s Cyber Security Workshop exposed the central role that cyber skills will play in the coming years. Accordingly, if we are to safeguard nations’ digital infrastructure, awareness must be given to fostering these skills within the main educational framework.
ITEC’s debut into this critical arena confirmed that, once supported by a robust body of research, strong cross-sector partnerships and an attentive social audience, -we will have a much greater chance of success in the future”.
The show is taking place at ExCeL, London, 22-24 May 2012.
ITEC 2013 will be held 22-24 May in Rome.
www.itec.co.uk
Sitting at the heart of Belfasts historic ship yard stands the UKs latest tourist attraction, the iconic Titanic Belfast building. This is an interactive insight into the history of the worlds most famous ship The RMS Titanic. There are nine galleries which take you through the life of the Titanic from its concept to the sinking 100 years ago and its influence up to modern times.
Officially opened on 31st March 2012, the building was designed around many maritime themes including the ships hull. During the last Century, the Titanic has been a story of fascination for many and Titanic Belfast already welcomes thousands of visitors each week.
With large numbers of the public expected, and their safety a priority (as well as that of the staff), it was decided that a reliable voice evacuation system must be installed. (It is proved that people react far quicker to a spoken evacuation message than a misunderstood bell or sounder.)
In addition to the voice evacuation, a disabled refuge and toilet alarm system was also needed for the site. This type of system provides two way communication between building management and areas of refuge for those that would need assistance during an evacuation.
DJ Kilpatrick (DJK) of Belfast was chosen by G4S Fire Security as the supplier for both types of system and they opted to use products from UK manufacturer Baldwin Boxall. The structure of the building is complex not a single right angle is in view throughout the attraction. DJK, working closely with Baldwin Boxall, designed the voice evacuation system to ensure speech intelligibility was high in all areas. Careful thought was needed regarding the placement of the Penton loudspeakers, as there had been concern about potential over flow within certain areas, especially the atrium.
The Voice Evacuation System:
An eight zone centralised voice evacuation system providing phased evacuation to all areas of the attraction. Inputs to the system include background music, localised paging microphones, multi-zone microphones and all call fire microphones. Sitting at the heart of the system is Baldwin Boxalls well established DSP router the BVRD2M.
The system employs DC line monitoring technology which is one of three monitoring solutions offered by Baldwin Boxall (the BVRDADIM). The Penton loudspeakers were supplied with capacitors and by doing this the BVRDADIM allows one amplifier to drive two loudspeaker circuits. If one circuit should suffer a short circuit the BVRADIM will isolate the affected circuit and allow the other circuit to function with only a slight drop in level. The system has amplifier redundancy and is battery backed as standard.
The Disabled Refuge and Toilet Alarm System:
VIGIL Omnicare was the preferred disabled refuge/toilet alarm system and two separate systems were installed. The first was a six-way system for the car parks with the second being a larger, 46-way system, for the attraction. Omnicare was chosen due to the loop wiring configuration, the ideal choice for new builds as the cost of cable is dramatically reduced compared with radial systems.
G4S Fire Security, the installation company, was extremely happy with the ease of the installation and the service given by DJK. Their project manager Gary Graham commented From the start of the project we have been delighted with the service provided by DJK. By choosing Baldwin Boxall equipment we were safe in the knowledge that we were installing quality equipment. The end result is we have a voice evacuation system that allows our client to make paging announcements/message broadcasts knowing they will be clearly heard by the general public and staff.
Jim Hooks, Managing Director of DJ Kilpatrick said DJK has been a distributor for Baldwin Boxall for over 15 years and this is another successful project for us using their products. The team at Baldwin Boxall were effective with their design and all round assistance with this project.
A few weeks ago, US President Barack Obama asked the US Congress for the authority to consolidate trade and business related parts of the federal government to untangle what he called a bureaucratic maze. He said he wanted to merge six departments and agencies into one, in a move that would effectively eliminate the Commerce Department. “With this authority, we would help businesses grow, save businesses time and save taxpayer dollars,” he said.
And, addressing Chancellor George Osborne, CBI director-general John Cridland said ‘fiscal consolidation is vital in a more challenging growth environment.’
Working with local government and not-for-profit sectors through Randstad’s specialist business divisions has given us unique capabilities underpinned by an ability to deliver cost, quality and process efficiencies. As our customers have consolidated, so have we. Our public sector business levels now mirror the working population in this sector, and our model reflects the demographics of society. Inspired to -imagine what we can do together†we developed the ‘Master Vendor ‘ solution to offer our public sector customers with a -one-stop†solution providing access candidates across all job roles (including teachers, social workers, carers, clerical, financial, site maintenance, HR and executive roles).
As Randstad developed that deep understanding of the public sector and its focus in supporting service users, this ability now allows us to deliver across all skillsets. Randstad’s industry leading -Gold standard compliance†model ensures effective safeguarding, process and legal compliance on a proactive 24/7/365 basis, with an OJEU (UK procurement legislation) compliant contract. We are expert in managing the impacts of Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) and we have access to government funding for those with learning disabilities and offer programmes to support service users to fulfill their potential in workplaces.
Randstad’s specialist business divisions combine to provide the local government and not for profit sectors with unique service capabilities underpinned by an ability to deliver cost, quality and process efficiencies across our clients’ organisations, delivering a wide range of temporary, contract and permanent recruitment services to local authorities, universities, schools, charities and other not-for-profit organisations, with new customers added every month. Randstad is leading the field in Social Care and Education support in the UK and has a proven track record in delivering total cost of labour reductions allowing redistribution of funds to other key services.
Randstad is also a top master vender (or managed service provider) of all skillsets required in several local authorities including Bristol, Hackney, Leeds city council, Rhonnda Cynan Taff and more than 50 Housing Associations to provide Business Support and Administration, Finance & Commercial, Housing Management, Trades & Operatives, Support Workers, OT & Nursing, IT, Human Resources & Facilities, Contact Centre, Marketing & Communications and Senior Management & Executive.
Our deep understanding of the sector and its focus on supporting service users/tenants allows us to provide a supervised service with Randstad managing the recruitment supply chain to ensure safeguarding, process, AWR and cost compliance, supporting the organisation in maximising funding using our unique capability and access to central government funded initiatives, plus additional HR and staffing services including resource pool/bank payroll, recruitment advertising, brand management and outplacement support.
Hot-desking – enabling staff to work from any desk in the office, at home or on the move – has become an increasingly commonplace feature in the public sector.
However the concept still divides opinion in terms of whether it genuinely facilitates more flexible working, or is simply a cost-cutting measure. Peter Gradwell, managing director of telecoms and internet service provider Gradwell, debates the pros and cons.
Hot-desking has become a buzz-word in the public sector in recent years, with many more management teams adopting the practice and reaping the benefits. In fact, recent research indicates that public sector workforces are working more flexibly than their peers in the private sector. While it is not unreasonable to assume that the shift is at least partly driven by tough efficiency targets and budget cuts, for many organisations and teams, it brings with it significant long-term benefits of a more agile workforce.
In my experience, hot-desking helps to save money, encourages staff to work more closely with colleagues and ensures that expensive office space is being used efficiently. Importantly, it also provides staff with the freedom to work outside of the office, as they can use technology to create their own virtual, portable office, wherever they are.
The decision by management teams to implement hot-desking is often met with mixed reviews, as not everyone prefers this open method of working. The barriers within a team can be organisational, physical, technological and cultural. Some people do not like change, particularly if they have spent their working life at one desk. This mind-set can be difficult to change. They may ask why as they already have a familiar work culture with everything they need to hand.
Many public sector organisations have operated the same culture for decades; if this is the case, it might be difficult for managers to try and introduce a new system, as it’s one that can dramatically change the appearance and set-up of the whole office.
The advances in technology mean that we can now set up anywhere and are no longer dependent on having a fixed work space and landline phone, as we’re more mobile these days. For example, we can use Wi-Fi networks to access emails, or introduce services like Gradwell One into the office network to re-direct calls to the phone of our choice.
We created the Gradwell One service to provide organisations with the flexibility to work from any location and enable them to be available at all times. Users can set their office phone number to react in different ways depending on the status they set, which is particularly useful if they’re hot-desking at a different location and colleagues can’t physically see them. For example, if they set it to ‘Meeting’ it can send calls to voicemail, whereas if it’s set it to ‘On the road’, they can have calls come direct to a mobile without any change in experience for the caller. They can even have their landline number call a mobile first, then, if they don’t answer after 30 seconds, call their desk phone. Also, the statuses help colleagues to see everyone’s availability, so they know whether that person is around to take a call, giving callers the option to talk to someone else rather than being fobbed off to voicemail.
A good place to start when considering hot-desking is whether the current system marries with reality. If workers are predominantly out of the office, they won’t necessarily need to have a designated desk, but if they are office-based, managers should decide whether more flexibility is appropriate. This decision may affect the layout of the office and whether some staff work from home or other offices; these decisions could mean a reduction in the costs of potentially unnecessary desks, the cost of IT and telephony connectivity, parking spaces and equipment.
If hot-desking is right for the working environment, the appropriate technology is vital to support the new system. Hot-desking has moved on from the ability to simply log on at any computer in the office, as a desk phone with a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connection can also help to pick up calls after setting up your own ‘hot-desk location’. This is something we now offer to our Gradwell customers, following a client request, and is ideal for workers who need to have telephone contact with colleagues, clients and partners, wherever they are located.
Clearly the greatest benefits are felt by truly mobile workers, who might be in the office one day per week for example. However, hot-desking technology is less useful for purely desk-based workers, as these individuals have all the technology they need at their desk; by being ‘set up’ and ready to go, they can come in to the office and start working promptly.
The concept of hot-desking, and flexible working more generally, undoubtedly represents a significant cultural change for many public sector workforces. It is not right for everyone, however it is becoming apparent that for many it can genuinely revolutionise working practices to the advantage of staff, management and citizens alike.
There is nothing that knocks an individual’s self-confidence quite like taking a career break and it is easy to lose one’s identity and simply become someone else’s -carer”, -Mummy” or -Daddy”. Those on a career break are often unaware that the skills gained during their time away from work, including multi-tasking, time management and -people skills” are valued in the workplace and so for all too many, memories of that interesting job they once held can begin to seem like fiction.
This is a problem experienced by many professionals who take a career break but is particularly acute for those with a background in science, engineering and technology. The fast pace of development in technological areas means that knowledge and skills soon become outdated. For many, returning to education to refresh their skills is often out of reach for financial reasons and as a result many find it impossible to return.
The Daphne Jackson Trust is an independent charity which provides tailored retraining programmes for scientists, engineers and technologists who have taken a career break for family, caring or health reasons. The trust offers flexible, two year part-time fellowships, comprising of a retraining program and research project in their chosen research area.
Rebecca Ward is a Daphne Jackson Fellow researching how buildings interact with their environment, particularly in terms of passive thermal and ventilation strategies. Rebecca is working for the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, using data from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Kew is a World Heritage Site which contains more than 50 buildings, including a range of different and large biomes to house and preserve plants from all over the world, so finding ways to reduce the carbon foot-print of such a varied and historic site is a challenge.
Rebecca has now developed computer simulations for a group of buildings, including the Princess of Wales Conservatory, and has modified an existing analytical model of the greenhouse. The analytical model is a set of numerical equations which together simulate the heat flow through the greenhouse. It is a complex model because plants interact with their environment, altering the internal temperature and humidity of a greenhouse and this can have a significant effect on the energy required to maintain the temperature.
Rebecca’s project will move on to use the simulations to help identify improvements to operation strategies and possible building modifications, which may result in the reduction of energy use. In particular, it is hoped to harness heat lost from specific locations for use elsewhere, improving efficiency. Finally, her project will look at whether alternative energy generation methods might be sympathetically employed, taking into account the unique heritage of the site.
-Kew Gardens is an amazing place to work”, says Rebecca. -It’s such a great environment, and I feel invigorated every time I cycle through the gardens to the office. I’m thoroughly enjoying the work and the fellowship. It’s fantastic to be able to work on something I’m really interested in. It’s given me a great confidence boost as I can really see a positive future ahead.”
The fellowship scheme was started by Professor Daphne Jackson, the first female professor of Physics in the UK. Over the course of her career, she met many clever and highly-qualified scientists who were reduced to taking low-level jobs because they had taken a career break. Deciding that this was a waste of talent and investment, in 1985 Jackson began a pilot scheme that enabled women to return to their careers.
The Daphne Jackson Trust was set up in 1992 and has now worked with more than 200 returners, both men and women. Of these, 96% have returned to employment in science, engineering and technology. While a lot has changed in the UK working culture in the last 20 years, such as flexible working, people continue to take career breaks for family reasons and today’s returners face many of the same issues as those who took their career breaks a generation ago.
The scheme is still necessary, and the trust remains focused on returning talented scientists, engineers and technologists to their previous careers.
One Daphne Jackson Fellow recently wrote, -If anyone is wondering about whether to apply for a fellowship, I would say that you should do it, it’s a rare opportunity and you will rediscover your real self in the process.”
For more information, see the Trust’s website: www.daphnejackson.org
In as little as the last 25 years, obesity in the UK has increased 400 per cent, pushing the issue to the forefront of the healthcare debate. It has become a very topical subject for the current administration, which is under increasing pressure to reverse a trend which could result in a third of British adults being obese by 2020.
Aside from the impact on government policy, NHS reforms and the public debate around the issue, the obesity epidemic provides a medical and logistical challenge. This is being highlighted by a six-part documentary – `Big Body Squad` – that is currently airing on Channel 5 television.
For the most severely obese, the inability to move freely, and the associated health risks involved, makes leaving the house and even bed impossible. Weight can impact on many aspects of life, from social skills to the things that we take for granted such as going to the toilet unaided, or picking up something off the floor. In the extreme, a morbidly obese patient is classified as ‘bariatric’ when somebody who is unable to take care of themselves, and relies on groups of specialist paramedics and nurses to assist them with everyday tasks. At times, bariatric patients need to be moved from place to place and travel substantial distances to receive treatment in hospital. In many cases these transfers can be time critical and the process itself potentially life threatening.
Moving a bariatric patient involves numerous dangers and difficulties. When of a certain size, movement or increased stress can trigger a stroke or heart attack and, should a patient be shifted in the wrong direction, the movement can tear skin, crush organs or break bones. Moving a bariatric patient requires the same level of planning and preparation as a complex military logistics operation, but one where the patient is removed from their house and delivered to hospital in a safe and dignified manner. This will usually include measuring the entire interior of the location through which the patient is to be moved, calculating weight and pressure, as well as predicting the effects of gravity on the patient and ensuring smooth transfer over a range of surfaces from narrow carpeted stairs and smooth floors to lawns and gravel drives.
In the UK, quality bariatric care is hard to source. This is often because medical service providers lack the training facilities to prepare staff for the unpredictable situations bariatric transfer throws up. To prepare for this, Westhouse Medical’s AST Ambulance Service has a dedicated training centre at its head quarters in Surbiton. Here, there is a full scale mock-up of the interior of a typical house and a 35 stone manikin for staff to practice on in a variety of scenarios. Substantial equipment is also needed for many situations, especially if a patient is of a very large size. Specially manufactured hydraulic lifts and hoists, as well as outsize stretchers, are used to assist staff and enable them to complete transfers safely. This is supported by medical training of specialist paramedics and ambulance personnel and the use of modified ambulances that are capable of safely moving someone of up to 100 stones in weight.
There is also a human side to bariatric care. As with all forms of patient care and transfer, decency and privacy as well as safety are of upmost importance. When a patient is much larger than average, it is important to go to great lengths to avoid additional stress or embarrassment for a patient, such as creating a public spectacle over the extended periods of time such operations require, as a relaxed patient is beneficial for the smooth completion of the task at hand.
As obesity levels rise, the need for bariatric services will increase. While reversing this trend is of great importance, it is also crucial that measures are put in place to ensure our health service is capable of effective and safe bariatric care and transfer in the coming decades.
We live in a world that bastions the individual and celebrates specialism. Since the C18th we have been steadily outsourcing not only industry, health and education, but now, according to Hochschild’s ‘Commodity Frontier’ even our personal relationships. Whilst compartmentalising our lives may increase efficiency, it’s detrimental to our education system and our children. An effect we’re seeing as the UK slides down the OECD ranks in Math, English and Science, faces increasing swathes of ‘Neets’ and witnesses over 20,000, 14 year olds migrating away from formal education.
As a private tutor and homeschooler, I believe education and indeed success are about relationships and not the exclusive domain of individual merit. As Malcolm Gladwell stipulates in ‘Outliers’, the same applies to everyone, from Rock Stars to Scientists. Exam results are not a measure of one’s IQ, but ones relationship capital, with psychotherapists explaining that, through parental nurturing, a child experiences being thought about which leads to the capacity to think. An effect that continues well into adulthood, with study after study finding students more likely to get A’s, have better social skills and stay in education for longer with active, nay simply interested parents.
It is unsurprising therefore, that in tandem with our academic slump, the UK is now at not at the bottom of the Child Well Being Table and according to Unicef has the least nurtured children in the developed world. This detachment is not only limited to children either, as 72% of parents have been recorded as feeling similarly isolated by the education systems esoteric practise, desiring further involvement, nay attachment to the system.
So to halt educational decline, close the class attainment gap and make learning relevant, we need a re-vision and acknowledgement of extended learning relationships. For the psychologist Vygostsky and critical pedagogue Freire, teaching is not the sole domain of the school, nor the trained teacher. Indeed education should move away from the traditional teacher-pupil didacticism, towards a dialogue. Vygotsky advocates the use of a more knowledgeable other, who, according to the Sociologist Lareau ‘concertedly cultivates’ the interests and machinations of an other. As a result, education becomes a democratic conversation, with people working ‘with’ each other as opposed to ‘on’ one another.
Yet currently, the education institution is proving impervious. Reacting to Gove’s suggestion of parents fielding union strikes, teachers and even the head of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, furiously condemned this idea, seeing it as a ludicrous notion that parents could act as teachers.
Although I do not want to boycott the teaching profession, there is a dire need for them and the school to appreciate and utilise other learning relationships.
Practically, parents and community should to be drafted inside the confines of the institution to become mentors, coaches, experts and even assessors, included in the fabric of the formal learning environment. Following the example of Cramlington school, parents evenings can be reworked to feature students presenting work to parents, giving greater impetus to the learner and saving parents from the austere and oft confusing teacher confrontation.
More innovative gestures like the web based ‘School of Everything’, espousing the belief in everybody’s capacity to teach and learn, with its Ebay approach to sharing skills, should also be considered. Rochdale Council for example have produced a directory of wider learning opportunities, ensuring an awareness of the wider community of teachers.
Simultaneously to drawing from the community, the school needs to look to itself and acknowledge the virtues of peer to peer mentoring. Lateral teaching, proves consistently beneficial to both the academics of the learner and the social and emotional skills of the mentor. Indeed as Charles Leadbeater for the Innovation Unit states, -If just one per cent of the current school population were to become pupil-teachers, that would be 70,000 children.”. Also benefits can be seen from reducing the distance between school teacher and pupil, as seen in the John Monash Science School, where teachers planning areas are built into the school’s open spaces, literally working alongside students.
Ultimately learning is about relationships, the more attached we are to these relationships, the more we can learn, so it’s high time the system co-operate, accommodate and learn from the totality of its parts and becomes a team player.
The latest Comensura Government Index today shows there was a 15.2% decrease in the use of temporary labour across the public sector in the first quarter of 2012, when compared to the same time in 2011.
The North East saw the biggest drop in temporary recruitment at -127.3% with the West Midlands following close behind (-115.9%). London saw a drop of -25.5% in the use of temporary labour among Local Authorities.
Conversely, the same period also saw an increase in pay rates as a result, in part, to the implementation of the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR). Across the board there was an average 8.9% increase in hourly pay rates.
The Comensura Government Index reflects temporary labour usage across 79 Local Authorities and other public bodies. The Index is compiled by Comensura, specialists in organisational efficiency through the managed supply of people in large organisations across the public, private and not for profit sectors.
The number of temporary workers in driving and transportation roles saw a reduction of -39% along with IT roles (-29.2%) and engineering and technical roles (-26.9). A positive was a 20.5% increase in the number of temporary workers placed in construction roles, which could show some green shoots of recovery for the economy.
Young people suffered the greatest effects of reduced spending by Local Authorities. In the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, the number of 25-34 year-olds employed on a temporary basis decreased by a significant -35.4%.
Whilst both men and women were affected by the reduction in temporary labour, women faired slightly better and now account for 45.3% of all temporary labour, up from 44.9% in the same period in 2011. This was in part due to a lower than expected reduction in the number of office/admin workers, a job category that accounts for almost 20% of all temporary workers and where women represent 70% of all temporary labour.
Jamie Horton, Managing Director, Comensura said today, -The decrease in temporary employment in the North East and West Midlands is reflected within the wider UK employment figures. Local Authorities have made a real and concerted effort to reduce the amount spent on temporary labour.”
He continued: -Looking forward, the decrease in usage of temporary labour is expected to continue. Local Authorities and other public bodies are increasingly gaining greater control of expenditure on temporary labour by implementing control methods to manage their expenditure in this area. Whilst there is better planning of workforce needs to ensure resources are spent in the right areas, the numbers of young people joining the workforce should be a concern for local authorities as they plan for the future.”
The Comensura Government Index shows the usage of temporary labour across 79 of Comensura’s clients in England and Wales during 2011 and 2012. The Comensura Government Index is distributed on a quarterly basis and uses a variety of metrics to measure the usage of temporary labour including Full Time Equivalent (FTE), the reasons for hire, job class, age and gender.
The government has recently published its latest in a series of recommendations and changes to local government fraud prevention. The debate and planning around implementation continues, but the direction is clear – a changing role for local government in fraud prevention and detection.
Ultimately this will mean local authorities will have to do more to prevent fraud, more work on acknowledging its impact, more work on prevention and more work on pursuing the fraudsters. All of which will also mean local authorities working much more closely with central government on fraud prevention benefits, but having the right tools at their disposal is also key to tackling the changes.
As part of its ongoing efforts to help local authorities collect more taxes, stop fraud and reduce costs leading Public Sector Solutions provider Callcredit will today (10th May 2012) at The LAIOG Annual Fraud Conference outline the challenges facing local authorities and how through its new suite of products ‘Three Sixty’ will help fight fraud locally in three effective steps, Acknowledge, Prevent and Pursue.
Callcredit’s Director of Public Sector, Andrew Davis said, -Callcredit welcomes the governments new agenda and we believe it will really help local authorities to reduce fraud losses. However we also recognise that many local authorities don’t have the right tools to help them deliver on this aggressive agenda. Local authorities now more than ever need the correct tools at their disposal in order to rise to this challenge. We genuinely believe that our new ‘Three Sixty suite’ of products can deliver the level of insight needed to help improve effectiveness and reduce costs.
The suite of products ‘Three Sixty Tenant View’, Three Sixty Online, Three Sixty Council Tax View and Three Sixty Fraud Hub are a series of products that will, together, comprise a complete suite and offer a complete solution to filling the hole in local government finances.
Andrew added, -Improving the effectiveness of fraud detection and prevention has always been seen as a key objective for local authorities particularly in terms of reducing costs. Stopping fraud clearly demonstrates that those local authorities who implement effective strategies are recognised as good stewards of public resources which in many cases delivers’ real financial savings.
Ramora UK is a leading global provider of Explosive Ordnance Disposal services and related training. In addition to governments, the military and law enforcement agencies, Ramora UK clients include a number of high profile commercial organisations, and the company is very aware that the security concerns of corporations in the modern world cover a number of areas.
Adopting a comprehensive and proactive approach to corporate security is an important issue for Ramora UK and one that it shares with management consultants, Burrill Green.
Unlike most management consulting companies working in the security field, Burrill Green views corporate security not just in terms of protection, but also as a driver of performance, an enabler of trust, and a deliverer of incremental value to the whole enterprise. Allied to this approach is an understanding that sensitivity and empathy is required when challenging a client’s existing structures, systems, and procedures.
Given that this approach to client servicing is one that is fully shared by Ramora UK, the company has identified a number of advantages that can be delivered to clients through its teaming with Burrill Green.
As David Welch MIExpE, MIABTI, FCIM, Managing Director of Ramora UK, said:
-One of the great benefits that commercial organisations can bring to corporate security is an understanding of corporate realities and imperatives. Our technical expertise, delivered through a team of ex-military personnel, is second to none. When that is allied to an understanding of the broader issues that companies face – an understanding that can only be enhanced by our association with Burrill Green – then the opportunity exists to provide clients not just with protection but also with real added value.”
David Burrill, Chairman of Burrill Green, adds,
-Challenges that threaten businesses today in a shrinking world are of an order of magnitude that could not be accurately registered even twenty years ago. Managing in an Uncertain World requires new skills and approaches to steering businesses productively and profitably forwards. The function of security management is to create and maintain a secure condition in which people are safe, the business will flourish, the organisation’s reputation will be enhanced, and opportunities for improvements, will be identified and acted upon. Our association with Ramora UK enhances our ability to recommend world-class solutions to clients seeking to add value to the contribution corporate security can make to their business and enterprise.”
The Albert Kennedy Trust, the charity for young homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people today announces the appointment of leading City of London politician Edward Lord OBE as the new Chair of the charity. Lord replaces previous Chair James Hodge who stepped down from the role in March after a year as Chair and a total of six years on the board.
As Chair of the charity’s Board of Trustees, Lord will lead in progressing and developing the Albert Kennedy Trust’s strategy as well as acting as the external face of the charity. Working in partnership with the Trust’s Chief Executive Tim Sigsworth, Lord will promote the growth of the charity to its next level, alongside the Board of Trustees.
Describing the appointment process, AKT Chief Executive, Tim Sigsworth, said: -Edward was selected from a range of very strong candidates following a competitive recruitment process, undertaken by a panel that included both Trustees and young people. We were extremely impressed with the calibre of candidates and are thrilled to have enlisted such a skilled and experienced Chair as Edward Lord to lead the Albert Kennedy Trust through an exciting and significant period of growth over the next few years.”
Speaking of the appointment, Edward Lord said: -It is a great privilege to have been chosen to lead AKT through its next stage of development. No matter how much we hope that Society has changed for the better in the last twenty years, we cannot escape from the fact that some young people end up without a home because their parents or guardian can’t accept their sexual orientation or gender identity. That’s where AKT steps in and does a magnificent job.
During my term in office, I hope to see AKT grow and thrive to become a truly national organisation, building on its existing strengths and the talent of its staff and volunteers. I am greatly looking forward to being part of that team.”
Now in its 23rd year, the AKT enables lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) young people to live in safe homes and to fulfil their potential. AKT supports young LGBT 16-25 year olds who are made homeless or living in a hostile environment. For more information or to get involved visit www.akt.org.uk
Compliance with indirect disability discrimination under the new Equality Act is being simplified through an innovative solution from Total Hygiene.
Under the Act, which replaces the Disability Discrimination Act, service providers are required to make reasonable changes- including to the built environment- where a disabled customer or potential customer would otherwise be at a substantial disadvantage; previously, such changes were only required if it would have been impossible or unreasonably difficult for the person to access or use the service.
-Everybody needs to go to the toilet, and we ‘go’ on average eight times a day,” says Total Hygiene marketing manager Robin Tuffley. -Therefore, providing appropriate toileting facilities is now even more important than ever to ensure compliance with the Act, especially as the law now only questions whether an adjustment is a reasonable one to make.”
Total Hygiene’s solution is a raft of options that address toileting needs regardless of available space. Adds Robin, – BS8300: 2009 says that if space limits the provision of separate male, female and accessible toilets, then one accessible toilet should be provided. The simplest way to ensure compliance with the new Act, and other relevant Standards, is to build or refurbish one toilet, which provides a larger cubicle to accommodate a wheelchair and a carer, and includes a grab rail, emergency cord and a ‘wash and dry’ toilet such as a Clos-o-Mat.
-That one washroom can replace all the others, potentially releasing valuable floorspace and thus offsetting the relatively small capital investment, whilst addressing the needs of everyone, regardless of ability or even religious considerations.”
A Clos-o-Mat toilet, made in Britain by Total Hygiene, looks like, and can be used as, a conventional WC. It also has integral douche and drying facilities, which eliminate the need to wipe clean with toilet tissue after toileting. As a result, it addresses issues faced by anyone with manual or balance limitations- and the Islamic Qadaahul Haajah requirements.
The only toilet of its type developed specifically for disabled people, the Clos-o-Mat is proven in practice, with over 40,000 installed in domestic, public and commercial environments, many of which have been in regular use for over 30 years, demonstrating its fitness for purpose, quality and reliability. It is also the only unit of its kind to carry WRAS approval enabling legal connection to the mains water supply, and to be backed up by a nationwide in-house service & maintenance team.
Fibrelite’s lightweight, incredibly strong fibreglass composite covers with zero re-sale value in the scrap market are the perfect metal theft deterrent.
The increase in metal costs has stimulated the theft of metal manhole, trench and gully covers. Metal theft is now having a serious impact on the global economy through inflated insurance premiums, high repair and replacement costs as well as causing extremely serious health and safety hazards.
Fibrelite is strategically placed to utilise its quality, high volume manufacturing facilities in the UK, US and Malaysia to offer a very cost competitive alternative to metal that can benefit all affected industries. Fibrelite has manufactured and sold globally over 250,000 covers.
Fibrelite first pioneered the composite covering system in 1980 and set the standard by which performance is now measured. Fibrelite initially developed the composite cover for petrol station forecourts to withstand the wheel loading of heavy goods vehicles and from there quickly went on to be adopted worldwide. Fibrelite is considered as the industry standard by the major oil companies and continues to lead the way in composite innovation.
Having established a global reputation for high quality products and superior after sales service the company has held accreditation to both the ISO quality standard and British Standards Kite Mark since 1998. Fibrelite is the first composite cover manufacturer to have KIWA approval.
Fibrelite’s covers comply with the requirement of BS EN 124:1994, classes C250 & D400 and provide an excellent anti slip/skid surface which is guaranteed for the life of the cover, with a value of Polished Skid resistance Value (PSRV>50 when in wet conditions) which meets the requirements of HA 109/09, part 5.
The covers are manufactured in a close mould environment combining long strand multi-directional fibreglass with a specifically formulated resin matrix to produce an extremely durable but lightweight, approx. 1/3rd the weight of a steel or cast iron cover. The covers are inert so will not corrode, are not electrically conductive and have low thermal conductivity. Highly effective in covering manholes, gullies and trenches that contain cable, wire or fluid and perfect for where access is required as they are such a lightweight alternative to metal and concrete. They are unaffected by underground gasses and most chemicals, particularly those involved with sewage.
Global Expansion
Fibrelite announced earlier this month it has expanded global operations with the opening of a new Malaysian production and service facility in order to meet accelerating demand. In addition to this new facility, Fibrelite also has a 30,000sq ft. factory in the UK and a 35,000sq ft. plant in the US.
Cost Benefits
Although composite is initially more expensive than metal, the monolithic structure of a Fibrelite cover means they will not delaminate or corrode. With a minimum guaranteed lifespan of 15 maintenance free years, these covers are a ‘fit and forget’ product that can be fully lockable. So when considering the total cost of ownership, composite covers represent excellent value for money versus metal.
Typical Applications
To provide a guide, typical applications include: access for electrical junction boxes, access points for piping, airport meter pits, catch basin covers, sanitary access covers, fuel tanks, grease trap covers, leak detection covers, meter pits, monitoring wells, non-conductive electrical drawpits, oil water seperators, pipe trench covers, piping sumps, removable planking, sewer access, submersible pumps, tank gauge covers, underground chambers, underground communication boxes, valve boxes.
Recent Customer Quotes
“We were looking for an installation to replace our ageing duct covers. Fibrelite came up with this solution and it is manufactured and sourced locally.”
“I was impressed with how easy the install was and couldn’t believe how light the covers were whilst still being able to hold 40 tonne loadings.”
“We are very happy with this solution. We do not need a forklift truck anymore to remove the concrete slab and can get to the geothermal installation in a minute.”
“We are working with Fibrelite to retrofit our older vaults. The Fibrelite covers met an important need to find a light, durable, temperature, corrosion and abrasion resistant cover that seals out the surface water.”
More information regarding Fibrelite can be found at www.fibrelite.com
MatsSoft will urge hard-pressed delegates to let technology take the strain at the Changing the Culture of Government, Reforming Public Services conference and exhibition next month.
Tony Lockwood from MatsSoft will discuss the growing role of web-based platforms in helping public sector organisations operate more efficiently, when he addresses his audience in London on 3rd April.
The focus of Mr Lockwood’s speech will be Francis Maude’s pledge, following the formation of the coalition government in 2010, to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in ensuring central government delivers better for less, tackling the deficit whilst protecting frontline services.
The pressure to do better for less is being felt in every corner of the public sector, leaving executives with the seemingly impossible objective of delivering improved services while simultaneously cutting costs.
A key strategy that Mr Lockwood will introduce is the adoption of web-based technology to help manage internal workflow. Process tracking technology like MATS® (Multi Application Tracking System) helps workers log and monitor the progress of everyday cases ranging from applications to complaints. This facilitates improved communication between staff and departments, helping to eliminate delays, mistakes and efficiencies.
MatsSoft has helped numerous local authorities speed up and simplify the handling of routine customer-facing processes by smoothing out the end-to-end flow of information, with customers receiving automated progress updates when predetermined key stages have been reached.
Drawing from successful projects undertaken with authorities including Bedford Borough Council and Peterborough City Council, Mr Lockwood will explain how the delivery of such updates, via SMS or email, can help reduce incoming ‘chaser calls’ that have to be fielded at an estimated cost of £4 to £5 per call, which can quickly run into many thousands of pounds.
Mr Lockwood will tell delegates: – Significant benefits have been gained by introducing management systems that encourage stronger cohesion between disparate departments and functions by ensuring a smoother flow of information both internally and externally.
From a workforce management viewpoint, staff are freed from the stress of fielding bulk chaser calls and can be redeployed on more productive activities. Customers are better informed, as they are reassured of progress and far less likely to feel the need to make a chaser call. For managers, the result is that processing efficiency rises by up to 30 per cent.
There are growing indications that public sector organisations are getting up to speed with the digital revolution and making increasingly active use of social media networks to engage and collaborate with the public.
The recent appointment of Mike Bracken, previously at Guardian News and Media, as the Government’s director of Digital is a sign that the Government’s approach to social engagement, and, in particular, how it interacts with the public at large, is starting to change. Bracken’s vision for Government online should ensure that social media will play a key role in the future in improving the Government’s record in digital engagement.
Yet, so far it is in the Police where social media usage for public engagement has taken off most markedly. Many forces are already actively exploring using social media for everything from sharing safety-related information to appealing for information on specific crimes; improving community relations and interacting more effectively with the public.
Joining the Conversation
Of course, to be successful, efforts to reach out to local communities rely on public readiness to engage with these groups. Today there is evidence that this is starting to be the case, especially as far as the Police is concerned.
A recent survey of more than 2,000 British adults, carried out for SAS by online polling firm, YouGov, finds that people are most willing to share information when they expect it to lead to higher levels of security. The study found that nearly half (48%) of the British public would be prepared to share personal data with the police in return for enhanced personal security against criminal or terrorist attacks.
This willingness to share highlights that despite negative publicity about poor police relations with the public being a factor in the 2011 Summer riots, there remains a readiness among the public to engage with the police if it means better protection for themselves and their families.
The research also revealed an increasing willingness to report crimes via social media rather than by telephone or face-to-face, especially among the young. 15% of 18-24-year-olds said they would use a social media site to contact the police if they witnessed a crime (as opposed to only 1% of the 55-plus age range).
It is clear that younger people, in particular, appreciate the benefits of swapping privacy for enhanced security. To optimise the advantages that this approach potentially provides, the police increasingly need to keep on top of these trends and use social media to actively engage with the public.
There is an opportunity here for the police to tap into a rich source of public information – a source that is likely to be strengthened further if they are successful in building levels of trust with the public and stronger community links.
And the willingness to share extends beyond the purely online domain, as demonstrated by the Metropolitan Police’s new counter-terror campaign – “It’s probably nothing, but”, which urges people to report suspicious behaviour by calling a dedicated hotline. The campaign underlines the continuing threat to the British public from terrorism and criminal activity but it also highlights the benefits of close engagement between the police and public in countering this threat.
The public’s readiness to share personal information with the police and, increasingly in the future, other public sector groups, can stimulate a change in the conversation. The explosion in social media has seen a revolution in the way the world communicates. The time is now right for law enforcement agencies, and ultimately other public sector groups, to ensure that they catch up and actively work together with the public to deliver enhanced levels of personal and public security.
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Paragon Software Systems has donated a Ford Transit van to Streetscape, a social enterprise providing opportunities for young unemployed people in London. Streetscape runs apprenticeships that help young people find employment as landscape gardeners and Paragon, the routing and scheduling software company, has been a loyal Streetscape supporter since its launch in 2009.
We are now fully mobile thanks to Paragon’s generous donation. To have the backing of a company with such a great reputation means a lot to us and to the people we work with. It helps them see that there are commercial organisations out there that have a social conscience, believe in what we are doing and are happy to give their support. The new vehicle gives us independence and will allow us to broaden Streetscape’s outreach, says Guy Watts, Streetscape’s Chairman and Co-Founder.
Streetscape has also secured a permanent base at Myatt’s Field Park, which is a listed Victorian park in the south London Borough of Lambeth. Streetscape apprentices help with maintaining the park, as well as gaining invaluable on the job training and education working for Streetscape’s commercial and residential clients across South London.
Streetscape was set up during the recession but this has not limited its important work and already has two apprentices progressing through year-long apprenticeships. -It is very encouraging to see what we have achieved in such a short time. The people who come to us often lack confidence in their own capabilities and in dealing with the public. After six months with us our current apprentices have learnt new work skills, they recognise that they can contribute and their ability to communicate has come on in leaps and bounds, both in dealing with colleagues and our clients, adds James Gubb, Streetscape’s Project Manager and Co-Founder.
“We remain committed to helping Streetscape achieve what it set out to do. These are challenging economic times and the Streetscape team is working hard to help unemployed young people find their true potential. The new van will undoubtedly help the organisation with the practicalities of getting out and about to do the work and we are really pleased to have been able to purchase it for them, says William Salter, Managing Director of Paragon Software Systems.
For more information see www.streetscape.org.uk.
An urgent remodelling of the UK’s energy infrastructure is vital if the country wants to decarbonise without -the lights going out and not be reliant on imported energy supplies, says a new report by the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE) at the University of Oxford.
Towards a low carbon pathway for the UK, emphasises the need to remodel our infrastructure between now and 2025 to redress the balance between energy security and decarbonisation. Following up on last year’s report, -A low carbon nuclear future, SSEE’s latest research highlights how, with the right strategy, a £100bn world-leading nuclear industry, providing over 75,000 jobs and guaranteeing a consistent, safe energy supply, while still meeting long term carbon emission targets, can be achieved.
Towards a low carbon pathway for the UK explores two key aspects of the UK’s energy landscape: the future delivery of low carbon energy and the initial moves towards a new build programme, and the more immediate first steps of safely and cost efficiently dealing with the UK’s plutonium inventory.
Professor Sir David King, Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford comments: – If we are to ensure we have a safe, secure and affordable supply of energy as we move through the century we need a coherent strategy that allows the UK to develop a full suite of low carbon energy sources. It is clear from our study that nuclear must play an important part in the energy mix but to do so requires a long term pathway and critical insights.
The recent announcements on the Franco-British Accord and the desire to create a long-term strategy for nuclear up to and beyond 2050 are welcome, but we need to address the fundamental issue that energy provision is generally a 100 year programme and requires not just a long-term view, but skills and the science base to support it.
Whilst nuclear new build is essential, with a quarter of the UK’s current generating capacity coming to the end of its life over the next ten years, the report highlights that we must also deal with the legacy issues that have been with us for many years. Failure to do so could have a detrimental effect on the whole nuclear industry in the UK. Furthermore, if we are to retain public support for nuclear as a key part of our future energy mix, then we have to demonstrate that lessons have been learnt and that there is in place a coherent policy framework which will capitalise on the opportunities and benefits on offer.
An enormous challenge in meeting future electricity demand is anticipated with the predicted electrification of transport and heating increasing demand by 100% by 2050. To ensure we can keep the lights on and meet our low carbon energy targets, it will be essential to use greater levels of nuclear power. This will require either much higher uranium reserves than currently identified, or a change of fuel cycle to minimise uranium use.
Using the UK plutonium inventory to manufacture MOX (mixed oxide) fuel is the Government’s ‘minded to’ position. Coupled with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s stance on reprocessing spent fuel from advanced gas-cooled reactors the de facto UK policy on nuclear would, therefore, be the recycling of plutonium and uranium as fuel.
The structure of the UK nuclear industry, however, is currently aligned more towards the ‘no nuclear’ stance of 2003 than the ‘new build’ stance of 2012 and the report points out the clear need for some form of independent body to advise on long-term nuclear strategy and options.
Men with prostate cancer are at risk of being left behind those with other common cancers thanks to a spate of recent moves by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), The Prostate Cancer Charity has warned.
Speaking at a special drop-in event at the Houses of Parliament, The Prostate Cancer Charity’s Chief Executive Owen Sharp, claimed that -short sighted NICE decision makers were compromising the needs of men with prostate cancer as the Charity unveils its own vision for the care of men with the disease across the country.
Referring to a two year delay to the development of a quality standard for prostate cancer by NICE, in his opening speech at the ‘Quality Care. Everywhere’ campaign event, Sharp said:
Men with prostate cancer are no strangers to having to fight to gain access to the treatment and care they need. Delays in the development of national standards of care mean that many men continue not to be fully supported when they need it most. In the past, similar delays have led to men reporting a worse experience of care than people with other common cancers. We do not want to repeat these mistakes.
NICE is incredibly short sighted when it comes to men with prostate cancer. Along with other decisions, such as refusing to recommend vital treatments for men dying of the disease, they are in danger of jeopardising what little progress has been made for men.
A recent survey by the Charity, as well as evidence from the latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, shows that a significant number of men with prostate cancer are still not getting the support and information they need and wide regional variation in the standard of care men in England can expect still persists1,2. Unfortunately, NICE’s decision to delay the development of quality standards for prostate cancer until 2013 means this variation is at risk of increasing.
In the absence of formal standards, the Charity has now taken matters in to its own hands. After a wide-ranging consultation with people affected by prostate cancer, it has compiled a draft set of standards that set out what good quality care looks like. Alongside with campaigners in Westminster today, they are calling for MPs and policy makers to support these standards and help push through their speedy development.
Sharp continued:
-Choosing which treatment to have can be a minefield for men with prostate cancer and many are simply not getting the level of support and information they need to navigate this. We cannot afford to wait for NICE to stop dragging its heels. We are proud to have developed our own set of standards, with men at their heart, and urge MPs to pledge their support for them. A Quality Standard for breast cancer ‘the most common cancer in women’ was published almost two years ago, yet men with prostate cancer are forced to wait. We must move swiftly to change this inequity.
The Charity is calling on MPs to show their support for the campaign by publicising the draft standards to their constituents so that as many people affected by the disease as possible can feed in their views.
John Baron MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer, has thrown his backing to the initiative. He said: “I very much support the work The Prostate Cancer Charity is doing to identify standards of quality prostate cancer care. It is unacceptable that the quality of prostate cancer services varies across the country. The charity’s work will help to redress some of these inequalities and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this work.”
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