Social work news

• Other approval principles: 14 to 16

  20-09-2024 14:46 via gov.uk
  
  Criteria that qualifications in the 14 to 16 offer need to meet alongside the common funding approval criteria.
  
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• Children taken away from parents due to misreporting of drug tests, say experts

  09-11-2024 15:00
  Process for interpreting hair-strand tests can be misleading and carries a risk of racial bias, according to campaigners in England and WalesChildren are at risk of being wrongly removed from their parents’ care by the family courts because drug tests are being misinterpreted, experts have warned.Life-changing decisions about whether a child should be placed in the care of a local authority can sometimes hinge on the outcome of hair-strand tests, designed to show whether a parent has consu
  
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• Press release: Former Health Secretary to help government fix health and care

  09-11-2024 08:42 via gov.uk
  
  Alan Milburn joins the Department of Health and Social Care's board to support the government's ambitious plans for reform.
  
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• Social workers most likely to hold government responsible for council pay deal

  08-11-2024 15:54 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Social workers are most likely to hold the government responsible for the 2024-25 pay settlement, a Community Care poll has found.
  This year’s local government pay deal was finalised in October, after UNISON failed to secure a sufficient mandate to take industrial action.
  Backdated to April, the pay rise will give council staff outside London either £1,290 or 2.5%, whichever is h
  
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• Guidance: Functional Skills subject content: maths

  08-11-2024 15:42 via gov.uk
  
  Functional Skills subject content at Entry Levels 1 to 3 and Levels 1 and 2.
  
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• Quarter of social workers had completed registration requirements with one month to go

  08-11-2024 15:04 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.A quarter of social workers had met the requirements to renew their registration in England with one month left of the renewal period, the regulator has revealed.
  This means completion levels have caught up with the rates seen in 2023 following a slower start to the process this year, which saw 8% meet the requirements by the end of September.
  Social Work England welcomed the level of progre
  
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• Guidance: Schools financial value standard

  08-11-2024 14:22 via gov.uk
  
  Explains the financial health and resource management standards schools need to confirm they have met in the schools financial value standard (SFVS).
  
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• Check you're eligible for free childcare if you're working

  08-11-2024 13:51 via gov.uk
  
  Find out if you're eligible for free childcare for 2 to 4 year olds if you live in England - 2 year olds can get 15 hours per week, 3 to 4 year olds 30 hours.
  
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• Open consultation: Transfer of funding powers for new technical qualifications

  08-11-2024 13:08 via gov.uk
  
  We would like your views on the anticipated impact of transferring new powers from central government to local authorities.
  
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• Get an immigration health surcharge refund if you're a student from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

  08-11-2024 12:57 via gov.uk
  
  Get a refund of the immigration health surcharge (IHS) if you're a student - eligibility, what you’ll get and how to apply.
  
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• Guidance: Academies chart of accounts and automating the accounts return

  08-11-2024 11:50 via gov.uk
  
  Financial data structure and guide for automating academy trust financial returns.
  
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• UK government could miss chance to protect children, says ex-inquiry chair

  08-11-2024 07:00
  
  Alexis Jay says she is still pressing ministers to introduce mandatory reporting of allegations in England and WalesA “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to protect children is at risk of being squandered by the UK government, a leading expert has warned.Prof Alexis Jay, the former chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) said she was still pressing Labour ministers for a commitment to introduce her recommendations made at the conclusion of the seven-year inquiry in 2
  
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• Sign in to your apprenticeship service account

  07-11-2024 17:04 via gov.uk
  
  Advertise apprenticeships and manage applications using the apprenticeship service.
  
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• Guidance: Adult personal social services: specific revenue funding and grant allocations 2024 to 2025

  07-11-2024 17:00 via gov.uk
  
  Details and allocations of Department of Health and Social Care local authority-specific revenue funding for the financial year 2024 to 2025.
  
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• Policy paper: Mental Health Bill 2025: fact sheet

  07-11-2024 15:33 via gov.uk
  
  This document provides more information on the Mental Health Bill, which was introduced in the House of Lords on 6 November 2024.
  
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• Policy paper: Mental Health Bill 2025: easy read

  07-11-2024 15:33 via gov.uk
  
  Plans to change the law that tells people what to do if they need to stay in hospital after a mental health crisis.
  
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• Research: Surveying incomes and assets of adults with social care needs

  07-11-2024 12:58 via gov.uk
  
  This feasibility study explores approaches to collecting data about the care needs, income and assets of people with care and support needs in England.
  
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• Research: Evaluation of the Grant to Streamline Local Authority Adult Social Care Assessments

  07-11-2024 12:58 via gov.uk
  
  Evaluation findings for the £27 million grant allocated to local authorities in 2022 to 2023 to digitise and streamline adult social care assessment processes.
  
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• ‘Social care buy-in for fair pay plan at risk after Budget tax hike’

  07-11-2024 12:24 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  By Simon Bottery, King’s FundOn the day before the Budget, I held a round table with social care leaders on the government’s ambition for a ‘fair pay agreement’ to raise care worker pay.
  This would involve creating a negotiating body, bringing together care providers and unions, to agree higher wages and better terms and conditions for care staff.
  “Will the plans happen?”, I asked. The sector leaders were largely positive that they would.
  The next day, the Bud
  
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• Official Statistics: Adult social care in England, monthly statistics: November 2024

  07-11-2024 10:30 via gov.uk
  
  Official statistics on a range of topics including occupancy and infection control measures in adult social care settings.
  
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• How the government plans to reform the Mental Health Act 1983

  07-11-2024 10:00 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  By Tim Spencer-Lane
  On 6 November 2024, the Mental Health Bill was introduced in Parliament. The bill contains measures to amend the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) in order to strengthen the voice of the patient and ensure that that detention is only used when, and for as long as, necessary.
  The bill is largely the same as the draft Mental Health Bill published by the previous government, itself largely based on the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act in 2018.
  Howeve
  
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• Speech: Bridget Phillipson's Speech to the Confederation of School Trusts

  07-11-2024 01:00 via gov.uk
  
  Bridget Phillipson's speech at the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) Conference
  
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• Councils already planning £1.4bn in adult care savings next year before added pressures from Budget

  06-11-2024 22:55 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Councils were already planning to make £1.4bn in adult social care savings next year before learning of the added pressures on the sector brought about by the government’s Budget.
  That was one of the messages from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ (ADASS) autumn survey, released today, which also revealed that councils were having to make over £1b
  
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• News story: Extension to temporary ban on puberty blockers

  06-11-2024 17:54 via gov.uk
  
  The continuation of the ban applies to the sale or supply of these drugs to under 18s not already taking them.
  
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• Digital leadership and governance standards

  06-11-2024 17:31 via gov.uk
  
  Find out what standards your school or college should meet on digital leadership and governance.
  
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• Guidance: Alternative student finance

  06-11-2024 17:22 via gov.uk
  
  Explains how alternative student finance will work in England when it is introduced.
  
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• Press release: “Good work is good for health” Work & Pensions and Health Secretaries declare on visit to health and work support service

  06-11-2024 17:07 via gov.uk
  
  Liz Kendall and Wes Streeting visit North Central London WorkWell service to see how early health interventions are helping to keep people in work or get them back to work.
  
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• Research: Employer skills survey 2022: UK findings

  06-11-2024 15:50 via gov.uk
  
  Main report and data tables on the UK employers’ reported skill needs and training activities.
  
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• Research: Employer skills survey 2019: UK (excluding Scotland) findings

  06-11-2024 15:49 via gov.uk
  
  Main report and data tables on the UK (excluding Scotland) employers’ reported skill needs and training activities.
  
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• Bill to overhaul ‘outdated’ Mental Health Act introduced

  06-11-2024 15:21 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Long-awaited legislation to overhaul the “outdated” Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) is being introduced to Parliament today.
  The government said the Mental Health Bill would tackle racial discrimination in care, end the inappropriate detention of people with a learning disability and autistic people and give patients a greater say in decisions over their care.
  The bill’s publi
  
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