BASE News Archive: 2007

This page contains news items released in 2007.

See items from 2006 and earlier

20 December 2007: New course in mental health and employment

London Metropolitan University are running a course specifically on supported employment for people with mental health problems taught by Miles Rinaldi. This is part of a wider post grad programme which may also be of interest. The flier is available from jenni.bacon@scmh.org.uk or probably better, directly from Dr Jenny Newton, the course organiser at j.newton@londonmet.ac.uk .The module starts in January.

19 December 2007: Public Consultation on 'Helping people achieve their full potential: improving specialist Disability Employment services'

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to engaging on an ongoing basis with people from all parts of the community as we work towards the goal of helping more disabled people get into paid work and get on at work. Following the publication of Helping People Achieve Their Full Potential, BASE and the Scottish Union of Supported Employment (SUSE) are organising a series of events to discuss the consultation. These events will be taking place on:

• 21 January 2008 in Edinburgh
• 24 January 2008 in London
• 30 January 2008 in Manchester
• 12 February 2008 in Cardiff

These events are aimed at disabled people and their carers, employers and organisations that represent the interests of disabled people. There is no charge for attendance. We ask that people only apply to attend one event. These events are being organised as part of the consultation. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the consultation and contribute views. BASE/SUSE will use the information obtained at these events to prepare their formal response to the consultation. BASE will also be organising a series of regional consultation days for providers.

Individuals and/or organisations, whether or not they attend an event, are encouraged to make their own formal response to the consultation. Information about how to respond is available from www.dwp.gov.uk/resourcecentre/des-consultation.asp. We will announce detauils of how to book a place at the events shortly.

17 December 2007: New £130 million grassroots grant scheme

The Government has announced the launch of a new £130 million grant scheme to support the work of small local voluntary organisations that are working towards improving their local communities. The new "Grassroots" grant scheme which will open for application in April 2008 and will be open until 2011 will, at the national level, be managed by the Community Development Foundation. The fund is divided into two parts. A total of £80 million will be available as a "Grassroots" small grants fund for community organisations; and a further £50 million will be provided as an endowments programme to enable local foundations to generate additional donations from the private sector in order to provide long-term funding for frontline community organisations. The Community Development Foundation will open an application process in January 2008 to identify and appoint local funders who will deliver the programme locally. More...

13 December 2007: Hain seeks to move benefit claimants from passive dependents to active job seekers

A radical shift from passive to active benefits in the welfare system, to achieve full employment and help eradicate child poverty, was announced today by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Peter Hain. In a major shake-up of the welfare state, Mr Hain confirmed that a raft of 50 changes to the current system of benefits and job-seeking support will be implemented over the next four years - with the bulk of the measures taking effect from next year and 2009. The core of the reforms will see hundreds of thousands of people on benefit moving from being passive recipients of cash handouts to job seekers actively seeking and preparing for work, at the heart of a ‘something for something’ welfare system.

The key points announced by Mr Hain in Ready for work: full employment in our generation are:

• The presumption will be that lone parents on income support who are able to work will be required to actively seek work once their youngest child is 12 or over from October 2008, 10 or over from October 2009 and 7 or over from October 2010.
• From October 2009, major reforms of the New Deal will see jobseekers who struggle to find work after 12 months of trying referred to specialist intensive help from private, public and voluntary sector providers. These providers will get longer and larger contracts and will be paid on the basis of results.
• A commitment to look further at the idea of a single system of benefits for all people below pension age to provide greater simplicity and incentives to work.

13 December 2007: Mental ill health costs UK employers £25billion, says new report

Businesses across Britain are losing £1,000 a year for every person they employ because of mental ill health among their staff, says a report published today by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. Mental Health at Work: Developing the business case finds that the total cost to UK employers of mental ill health among their staff is over £25 billion. That is equivalent to £1,000 per employee in the workforce. The costs comprise £8.4 billion in sickness absence, £2.4 billion to replace staff leaving their jobs and some £15.1 billion in reduced productivity among people still at work but unwell. More...

12 December 2007: Extra £520 million made available for personal care budgets

Central and local government has signed a ground-breaking agreement to reform social care and support independent living. Health Secretary Alan Johnson has announced an extra £520 million of ring fenced funding to transform Social Care over the next three years through the introduction of Personal Care budgets. In a groundbreaking concordat "Putting People First" Central Government, Local Government, the professional leadership of adult Social Care and the NHS have jointly committed to a radical transformation of Care Services over the next three years. This will mean that the vast majority of people who receive funded care will be able to use their own personal budgets to decide which support services they want and an increasing number will be supported to use direct payments. More...

11 December 2007: Dates confirmed for LSC regional conferences

We've had confirmation of the dates and venues for the forthcoming regional LSC conferences on Learning for Living and Work. Details will be circulated shortly and we encourage all members to attend. The dates are:

• North West (Marriott Hotel, Garstang Road, Broughton, Preston PR3 5JB Preston) - 24 January
• London (Victory Services Club, 63-79 Seymour Club, London W2 2HF) - 29 January
• Yorkshire & Humberside (Queens Hotel, City Square, Leeds LS1 1PJ) - 5 February
• East Midlands (Holiday Inn, 129 St. Nicholas Circle, Leicester LE1 5LX) - 8 February
• North East (Ramside Hall Hotel, Carrville, County Durham DH1 1TD) - 6 March
• West Midlands (Centennial Centre, 100 Icknield Port Rd, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 0AA ) - 10 March
• South West (Rookery Manor, Edingworth Road, Weston Super-Mare, Somerset BS24 0JB) - 12 March
• East of England (Eastern Marriott Huntingdon, Kingfisher Way, Hinchinbrooke Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridge PE29 6FL) - 21 April
• South East (Venue to be confirmed) - 24 April

10 December 2007: Personal care budgets and extra £520 million to transform care for disabled people

Health Secretary Alan Johnson today announced an extra £520 million of ring fenced funding to transform Social Care over the next three years through the introduction of Personal Care budgets. In a concordat "Putting People First" Central Government, Local Government, the professional leadership of adult Social Care and the NHS have jointly committed to a radical transformation of Care Services over the next three years. The extra £520 million will be allocated to councils as a Social Care Reform grant over the next three years. The grant includes some NHS resources in recognition of the impact social care can have on improving people's health and well-being. More...

7 December 2007: Government publishes Employment Bill

The Government today published the Employment Bill, aimed at toughening penalties for rogue employers and affording greater protection for agency workers. It would boost powers for employment agency inspectors and simplify dispute resolution procedures. The Bill has two key elements aimed at improving the effectiveness of employment law to benefit employers, trade unions, employees and the public sector. More...

6 December 2007: Government charts progress towards disability equality

The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) has published its second annual report to the Prime Minister. The report says that important progress is already being made towards the government's goal of equality for disabled people by 2025. More...

6 December 2007: £1.5bn for councils and communities to boost employment

Local Government Minister John Healey has announced that 66 local and 21 transitional authorities will receive a share of a new £1.5bn fund as part of the Government's drive to turn around long term unemployment in our most disadvantaged communities. Details of the allocations are here. This forms part of the almost £9bn funding boost for local government. This Working Neighbourhoods Fund is a new dedicated fund for local councils and communities to develop more concentrated, concerted, community-led approaches to getting people in the most deprived areas of England back to work. It replaces the existing Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and incorporates the Department of Work and Pensions Deprived Areas Fund (DAF) to create a single local fund. More...

5 December 2007: Consultation on Valuing People Now: from progress to transformation

The Department of Health has published a refresh of Valuing People and is seeking views on the policy for learning disability services over the next three years. The closing date is 11 March 2008. The white paper 'Valuing People' (2001) set out the Government's vision for people with a learning disability, across a range of services based on four key principles of rights, independence, choice, and inclusion. The white paper's vision covered a range of issues including health, housing and employment. More...

5 December 2007 – New support for employers and GPS to tackle stress-related sicknotes

The Government will treble the number of employment advisers in GP surgeries and pilot a new £8m advice and support service for smaller businesses as part of a new approach to help people with stress and other mental health conditions find and keep work, Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain and Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced today. The measures underpin the development of the first national strategy for mental health and work, led by the National Director for Health and Work, Dame Carol Black. More...

4 December 2007: Valuing People refreshed

Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis has launched a consultation to seek views on the priorities for learning disability for the next three years. 'Valuing People Now - From Progress to Transformation' is a cross-government consultation which sets the agenda across a range of issues, including health and well-being, housing, employment, education and community inclusion. It builds on the vision set out in Valuing People in 2001. There is a particular focus on paid work. More...

3 December 2007: Olympic opportunities for social enterprise sector

Social Enterprise London and the Social Enterprise Coalition have teamed up to optimise the involvement of social enterprises across England in the development, delivery and legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. More...

3 December 2007: Disability Employment review published

The Department for Work and Pensions is launching the long awaited consultation paper on improving national disability employment services. Entitled Helping people achieve their full potential: Improving Specialist Disability Employment Services, the 92 page report is now available on the DWP website and poses a number of questions for the consultation. It is likely that new provision will be underpinned by the following 7 key messages from the commissioning strategy:

• We want a stronger, more consistent base of top-tier providers who can work closely with regional and sub-regional partners to deliver sustainable jobs for unemployed people.
• We will play an active and transparent role to ensure that smaller, local partners, who have the capabilities we need and who perform well, can flourish and develop.
• We will move to a single, integrated, shared and transparent approach to the measurement and management of provider performance that enables a “like to like” analysis of performance.
• We will build a competitive market with larger and longer contracts, rewarding providers for sustained outcomes and significantly reducing costs.
• We will move to a single, integrated, shared and transparent approach to the measurement and management of provider performance.
• We will build our own skill base so that we are a value-adding business partner – doing the best job to secure sustained outcomes for our customers.
• Customer experience will play an important part in the commissioning of provision, how it is delivered, and how it is improved.

There will be a 3 month consultation period to 10 March 2008. BASE will be collaborating with DWP to organise several regional events for providers and users in the New Year. BASE will also be coordinating a response to the consultation report. More...

3 December 2007: Government's anti-poverty strategy needs major rethink, according to JRF

The Government’s strategy against poverty and social exclusion, pursued since the late 1990s, has lost momentum and is in urgent need of a major rethink. This is the conclusion of the authors of the tenth annual Monitoring poverty and social exclusion report from the New Policy Institute, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation since 1998. Covering 50 indicators of poverty and social exclusion, the report records a worsening in the last year in nine of them, mainly in the key areas of income and work. These have been offset by improvements in seven, chiefly to do with primary education, premature death and homelessness. More...

3 December 2007: New guidance for occupational therapy staff on effective vocational advice

Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis has welcomed the publication of Work Matters: Vocational Navigation for Occupational Therapy Staff. This good practice booklet is designed to help occupational therapy staff recognise the importance of work as an integral part of an individual's recovery, provides information on how to assist patients to take charge of their own return to work and on establishing effective partnerships with other service providers. More...

30 November 2007: New training for nurses to help patients back to work

A new training programme to help nurses get their patients ready for work following an injury, disability or period of ill-health, has been launched by Minister for Health and Work Lord McKenzie and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The training will cover the relationship between work and health, focusing on rehabilitation and workplace adjustments. It has been written by the RCN, with input from the Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health. More...

30 November 2007: Hain agrees Remploy modernisation plan

Peter Hain has given the green light to Remploy's final modernisation plan. Remploy proposes to quadruple the number of people supported in open employment and will go ahead with the closure of 17 factories, 15 fewer than originally planned. The plan relies on improved cost savings and increased projections for public procurement. More...

29 November 2007: Interim report on DWP commissioning strategy

The DWP has published an interim report on its Commissioning Strategy. The strategy lays out changes to the way in which DWP delivers employment support to its customers. The paper summarises the key messages from DWP’s work so far (including the Freud Report) and also lays out the questions that they will be trying to answer over the next three months before publishing the final strategy in February/March. BASE will be responding but the DWP continues to welcome views on this report from individuals and organisations by e-mail to commissioning.strategy@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

28 November 2007: Minister's statement on mental health and employment

Secretary of State, Peter Hain, has made a parliamentary statement on mental health and employment. In it, he says that DWP will be developing a National Strategy for Mental Health in partnership with the Secretary of State for Health. The strategy is intended to ensure a coordinated response across government to the challenges faced by people of working age with mental health conditions and improve their employment chances. More...

28 November 2007: Chancellor launches health and safety review

The Chancellor Alistair Darling has launched a major review of business health and safety laws. The review will ask employers, workers and experts for their views on how the health and safety system can be revamped, focussing on small and low risk businesses. Many small employers have limited resources, find it difficult to work out what broad health and safety duties mean for their workplace and are unsure of when to take advice and from whom. Welcoming the announcement, Better Regulation Minister Pat McFadden said, "I am fully aware of some of the considerable challenges that small firms face in protecting their workers from injuries and ill-health." More...

27 November 2007: Councils should use competition more effectively to cut costs and boost services

Local councils should develop a more open-minded and creative approach to the market if they are to realise the £4.9 billion efficiency savings required following this year's Comprehensive Spending Review, according to the Audit Commission's report, Healthy Competition, published today. Competition and contestability are used most effectively where councils have a pragmatic mindset; understand markets, costs and performance well; and have the skills and capacity to procure effectively. However, the report finds that most councils lack the necessary information, skills and mindset to use the market effectively to drive down costs and improve services.

Michael O'Higgins, Chairman of the Audit Commission, said: "Twenty years ago, many councils thought that competition meant outsourcing services to the private sector. Some believed it was the right thing to do; others resisted it. It was essentially an ideological debate. But the world has moved on. Councils should no longer let dogmatic views stand in the way of service improvement or offering value for money. Competition is now a two-way street where services may sometimes be improved by councils being able to offer a competitive threat to commercial providers. It is a powerful tool in focusing the minds of existing providers of services, whether they are public or private sector suppliers. While competition is no panacea, more councils need to follow the example of those identified in this report and build their skills and capacity to achieve similar success." More...

27 November 2007: New support for employers and GPs to tackle stress-related sicknotes

The Government will treble the number of employment advisers in GP surgeries and pilot a new £8m advice and support service for smaller businesses as part of a new approach to help people with stress and other mental health conditions find and keep work, Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain and Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced today. The measures underpin the development of the first national strategy for mental health and work, led by the National Director for Health and Work, Dame Carol Black. More...

27 November 2007: Greater role for private and voluntary sector to tackle worklessness

Private and voluntary sector organisations will be paid to get the long-term jobless into long-term jobs, Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain announced today. Signalling a radical change in the way help and support is provided to get the most disadvantaged into work, Mr Hain outlined proposals in the emerging findings of the DWP’s commissioning strategy which include a much greater focus on results-based payments to specialist providers. The emphasis in the welfare-to-work market, worth around £1bn a year, will not just be on getting a person into work, but making sure they stay in work. This will require longer and larger welfare-to-work contracts, with a smaller number of lead contractors to achive this. More...

27 November 2007: Urgent - case studies sought

BASE is seeking a few case studies to go out with the press release for the RoDES review launch in December. The case studies are needed by tomorrow morning (28 November). All must have been participants on Workstep or Work Preparation programmes. I’m particularly keen on case studies regarding people with sensory impairment or head injuries and people from minority ethnic communities. For further details, contact Huw Davies on 07946 537286.

27 November 2007: Investment in employee skills training

The Government has outlined how a massive extension of the Train to Gain scheme will offer bespoke skills brokerage and high quality responsive training to enable all employers to identify and then meet their skills needs. The doubling of funding in the Train to Gain Service is part of a massive investment programme announced this month by Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham, which will see more than £11 billion a year invested in education, employment and training. More...

26 November 2007: New DWP / DIUS joint working document

The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills have produced a document, "Opportunity, Employment and Progression: Making Skills Work", to show how they will work together to ensure that more people are able to gain the training and support they need to move from benefits to work, and then the ongoing training they need to progress in work. More...

26 November 2007: East Midlands LSC conference date announced

Following our news announcement on 16 November about the regional LSC conferences, we can confirm that the East Midlands conference will be in Leicester on February 8th.

26 November 2007: Colleges must meet challenge to change

Colleges must change to meet the world of work or lose funding, John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills warned today. Addressing College Principals at the Association of Colleges annual conference ‘Shaping Futures’ in Birmingham, he urged training providers to engage with employers and individuals “as never before” to ensure they provide the skills and training their communities need.

21 November 2007: Views sought on framework for third sector representation on LSPs

The Department for Communities and Local Government is seeking views on a set of guiding principles intended to assist the local third sector to organise itself and maximise the impact of its voice on Local Strategic Partnerships. The document has been drafted by a third sector stakeholder group, facilitated by Communities and Local Government and is sector owned and led. More...

20 November 2007: Procurement event in Wales for supported businesses

Value Wales is considering negotiating a reserved framework contract in accordance with Article 19 of the revised EU Procurement Directives. The broad areas being considered for this framework are: Healthcare Products; Recycling Services; Signage; and Furniture. The EU Prior Indicative Notice (PIN) will be published shortly, meanwhile as part of the process, Value Wales is inviting any interested supported businesses to a free all-day buyer/supplier event at City Hall, Cardiff at 10.00am on 27th November 2007. The event is open to all supported businesses - English & Scottish businesses are NOT precluded. It is a great opportunity to first reinforce our commitment to the Article 19 provision and second meet the relevant public sector buyers in the afternoon. The provision of training, particularly for tendering support and e-tendering, will be highlighted at the Cardiff event.

BASE has been asked to help by publicising the open invitation to the event to all its supported business members. Full details are given in the attached invitation and if you wish to attend please respond directly to Value Wales using the attached supplier profile form as soon as possible.

19 November 2007: Presentation of mental health and employment research findings

The Department of Work and Pensions are inviting practitioners to attend a presentation on the findings from a research project around mental health and employment. The presentation takes place on 13 December (11 - 1pm) at the Cipfa conference centre in London. DWP commissioned the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of York to carry out research to explore the attitudes, beliefs and experiences of people with mental health conditions in relation to health and employment. The Mental Health and Employment project comprises three strands of qualitative studies that involved in depth interviews with i) people who just moved from work onto Incapacity Benefits due to a mental health condition; ii) people who decide to return to work after a period on Incapacity Benefits due to a mental health condition and finally iii) employers and how they deal with employees with mental health conditions. You can reserve a place by emailing Athena.Bakalexi@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

19 November 2007: New Work Capability Assessment plans announced

The Work Capability Assessment will be introduced in October 2008 alongside the new Employment and Support Allowance and will be applicable for all those people claiming the new allowance. It will replace the current Personal Capability Assessment, which is weighted more towards a person’s physical disability and bases itself around assessing people’s incapability for work. The Work Capability Assessment will look at people’s physical and mental ability, such as learning disabilities and other similar conditions. It will assess what an individual can do - rather than can’t do.

A "technical working group" has completed a Phase 2 Evaluation Report which is published on the DWP website. The measures are being introduced as part of the Government’s commitment to making sure that with the right support, everyone has the opportunity to go to work, even if they have a health condition or disability. There has been widespread concern about the impact of this assessment on new claimants but BASE has met with the DWP officials involved to discuss it and we are reasonably assured that adequate safety net provision will be in place to protect people when it is introduced. More...

19 November 2007: ACAS seeks trainers for health in workplace training

A major concern for Acas is Health and Wellbeing at work and the increasing levels of sickness and absence in relation to mental health and stress. As a result, Acas is working with the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health to develop and deliver a half-day training event to help manage mental health in the workplace. Acas would like to invite expressions of interest from appropriately qualified and experienced people to join a pool of up to eight trainers who will pilot the programme. More...

16 November 2007: Ambitious plan to help boost nation's job prospects

A major investment programme for the skills and learning of the country was unveiled by the Government today. Over the next three years more than £11 billion a year will be invested in education, employment and training initiatives for young people and adults to help boost the country's job prospects. At the centre of the programme is a major expansion of apprenticeships with over £1billion in Government funding to increase overall places from 250,000 today to more than 400,000 by 2010/11, provided high quality employer places are available. Achieving these figures in this timescale would deliver the challenges set by Lord Leitch in his review of skills almost 10 years early. More...

16 November 2007: New review of vocational rehabilitation practice

What Works at Work? has been published by the cross-government Health Work and Wellbeing Executive. This independent report reviews evidence regarding the effectiveness of workplace practices and interventions in reducing negative work outcomes such as sickness absence and staff turnover. This is a further contribution to the evidence base and highlights interventions which can have a positive impact on the health of people at work. The Vocational Rehabilitation Task Group (set up by Lord McKenzie in June) and the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) have jointly commissioned an independent evidence review of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of measures designed to ensure the rehabilitation and return to work of adults of working age suffering from common health problems and from injuries, whether occasioned by work or not. This will allow the development of: more robust policy; relevant and effective interventions; and best practice guidance. More...

16 November 2007: Confirmation of LSC regional conference dates

We have received confirmation of the dates for the majority of the regional conferences being organised by the LSC to look at best practice in the implementation of Learning for Living and Work. The confirmed dates so far are:

• North West (Preston) - Jan 24th
• London (London) - Jan 29th
• Yorkshire & Humberside (Leeds) - Feb 5th
• North East (Durham) - March 6th
• West Midlands (Biringham) - March 10th
• South West (Weston super Mare) - March 12th
• East of England (Huntingdon) - April 21st
• South East (Croydon) - April 24th

We are still waiting for confirmation for the dates of the conferences in East Midlands and London. BASE will have a presence at each of the conferences and members are encouraged to attend. We'll bring you details of how to book a place when they are announced.

16 November 2007: Resource pack for social enterprise providers and commissioners

The Department of Health has produced a resource pack giving information, support and guidance on setting up a social enterprises in the health and social care sector. This pack offers both those wanting to start and those already operating a social enterprise a useful gateway to important information needed to set up or expand service in the health and social care arena. This pack is also useful to commissioners who want to contract with social enterprises. More...

15 November 2007: Audit Office presses case for job sustainability

The National Audit Office has reported that Government-led initiatives to help unemployed people find work are having a real impact. Programmes such as the New Deal have helped reduce the number of people on benefit, and the average length of claims. However, too many people still do not stay in work once they have found it and more now needs to be done to address the problems faced by jobseekers who cycle between work and benefit.

In 2005-06 over 3.6 million people who had previously been unemployed or economically inactive entered work. However, some experience difficulty staying in work, and of the 2.4 million new Jobseeker’s allowance claims made each year, around two-thirds are repeat claims. Over a quarter of people who leave benefits and enter work return to Jobseeker’s Allowance within 13 weeks, and 40 per cent are back on benefits within six months. Looking at past trends, nearly half of all people on Jobseeker’s Allowance are likely to have at least two spells on benefits over a five year period. The National Audit Office estimates that if the time that repeat claimants spend on benefits could be halved by increasing the amount of time they spend in work, it would save the taxpayer £520 million a year. More...

14 November 2007: Mental health problems cost business billions

40 per cent of people claiming incapacity benefit suffer from depression or anxiety disorders. Reducing this level is essential if the government is to meet its "pledge to get 80 per cent of all people of working age into work", finds a study by Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and consultants KPMG. Employers were asked to rate the support provided by GPs "in helping people with mental problems return to work". Some 40 per cent said that support was either "very poor" or "fairly poor". Another 25 per cent said it was neither good nor poor and 18 per cent did not express an opinion. More...

14 November 2007: Government response to equalities report

The Government has responded to the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee's report on equality, which was published on 2 August 2007. The report sets out the overall context of Government action on equality and then addresses the committee’s specific recommendations. Read the response...

14 November 2007: Government takes further steps forward to safeguard children and vulnerable adults

The Government is to consult on the process for barring unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults, as part of the next stage to introduce the toughest ever vetting and barring scheme under the newly established public body, the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). In the 13-week consultation, which starts today, respondents are asked to consider points including who the scheme will protect, who will need to join the scheme, referring information to the scheme, how applications will be made and how the scheme will be phased in. Details of the consultation are at the Department for Children Schools and Families website. More...

13 November 2007: Government consults on new set of local performance indicators

As part of the Comprehensive Spending Review announcement the Government recently published a single set of 198 national indicators that will underpin the new performance framework. The Government is now consulting on the detailed definitions of the set to ensure that the methodology for measuring individual national indicators at a local level is sound. The consultation is open until 21 December and seeks views on the methodology, frequency of reporting and data source of each individual indicator. Please note that the Government is not seeking views on whether individual indicators should be included in the new set of national indicators, nor is it seeking views on the substance or the balance of outcomes represented by the indicators.

Proposed indicators include:

• Proportion of known adults with a learning disability in employment
• Proportion of adults in contact with secondary mental health services in employment
• Care leavers in employment, education or training
• Working age people on out of work benefits
• Working age people on out of work benefits in worst performing neighbourhoods
• Overall employment rate
• People falling out of work and into incapacity benefits
• Learners achieving a Level 1 qualification in literacy
• Learners achieving an Entry Level 3 qualification in numeracy

More...

12 November 2007: Europe calls for action for those furthest from labour market

The European Commission has called for a renewed commitment to social justice by proposing a new, holistic approach to tackling poverty and promoting inclusion of people furthest from the labour market. While the EU strategy for growth and jobs is showing good results, Europe needs to do more to realise its full potential and achieve greater social justice and economic cohesion. The new strategy for 'active inclusion', which is taking shape through a wide-ranging public consultation, is a key element of the European Social Agenda. The closing date for consultation responses is 28 February 2008. More...

12 November 2007: Remploy announces "final" closure plans

In its "final" proposal to ministers, Remploy has said that it wants to merge 11 factories and shut 17. Remploy had originally announced plans to close 43 factories with the loss of 2,500 jobs, but has now said it can keep more sites open because of savings and an assumption of more public procurement orders. The issue of closures came close to sparking a major row at the Labour Party conference in September but Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain avoided an embarrassing defeat by announcing a moratorium on closures, promising no factories would be shut down without ministerial approval. More...

12 November 2007: New Govt guide for professionals on transition

the Government has published a guide for professionals about the transition process for disabled young people. It provides an overarching view of all the services that need to work together to make sure that disabled young people get the support they require as they move from child, to young person, to adult. BASE has had some involvement in this through the County Council Network. Hard copies of the guide, written by the Council for Disabled Children, and jointly published by the DCSF and the DH, can be requested from Prolog on 0845 60 222 60, quoting 00776-2007DOM-EN. Read the guide...

12 November 2007: Haven Products go from strength to strength

Haven Products, one of the early leaders in the development of social firms, was recently a winner in the prestigious Social Enterprise Coalition Enterprising Solutions 2007 and received the Award at a ceremony held at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Haven’s enterprising solution related to its Complementary Workforce (“Working Out”) model which involves experienced Haven disabled staff working with business partners on their sites as part of their own teams. The Enterprising Solutions Awards 07 are designed to find the UK’s most dynamic and innovative organisations which trade on the market to solve social and environmental problems. Our congratulations go to Haven Products. More...

9 November 2007: Trevor scoops top recruitment award for Status Employment

Trevor Allen, the overall winner of the first-ever REC Individual Membership Recruitment Award that celebrate the crème of professional recruiters in the UK, will be winging his way to New York after scooping first prize and the title of Recruiter of the Year. Trevor, employed by Staus Employment in London, was crowned Permanent Consultant of the Year in the awards with the judges then deciding to bestow on him the top prize. Our congratulations go to both Trevor and Status Employment. More...

7 November 2007: Blears gives green light to sub-regional jobs boost

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has unveiled thirteen sub-regions that are drawing up proposals to boost jobs, transport, investment and housing through greater co-operation. The areas will potentially receive new powers to collaborate in promoting prosperity and development with the tackling of worklessness being a priority. Each area is producing their own plans to tackle the key issues in their area rather than follow a prescribed approach by central Government. More...

7 November 2007: Government seeks to extend right to request flexible working

The Prime Minister has announced further measures to help working parents achieve a better work life balance. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked Sainsbury's Human Resources Director Imelda Walsh to lead an independent review to determine how the current right to request flexible working can be extended to parents of older children. More...

1 November 2007: Vocational standards now freely available

The Vocational Rehabilitation Association has decided that the vocational standards should be accessible to all colleagues with an interest in the ongoing development of vocational rehabilitation. The VRA Board of Trustees have decided to make an electronic version of the standards available to download from their website, free of charge. For those who wish to receive a hard copy, they too will be available from today via the website at an inclusive cost of £10 per copy. More...

31 October 2007: Event looks at recruitment to the public sector

The Employers Forum on Disability is organising an event to look at innovation in recruiting and employing people with learning disabilities in the public sector. Valued in Public takes place in London on 5 December 2007. The event is for EFD members only and places are limited. Participating employers are asked to bring a recruiting line manager, a human resources manager and a job broker/intermediary. More...

31 October 2007: New guide to employee rights and responsibilities

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has produced a guide that outlines employees’ and workers’ individual rights and responsibilities and the corresponding obligations for employers. It has been updated to reflect changes made to employment regulations in October 2007. More...

30 October 2007: BASE responds to In Work, Better Off consultation

BASE has submitted a response to the DWP consultation on "In Work, Better Off". Members can view it on our policy consultation page. More...

30 October 2007: Social Exclusion Task Force workshops

The Social Exclusion Task Force is organising a series of events on two of the Public Service Agreements (PSAs) that aim to improve the lives of vulnerable adults in our society: The Independence and Well-Being in Later Life PSA and the Socially Excluded Adults PSA. The sessions will focus on: explaining the intentions of the PSAs and purpose of the new indicators; setting out the case for prioritising the ageing agenda and social excluded adults; explaining how these key priorities can be built into Local Area Agreements; and highlighting some key principles for effective delivery. The event is intended for senior local authority officers, regional partners and elected members with an interest in older people issues, social exclusion, and the four client groups covered by the Socially Excluded Adults PSA. It will be of particular interest to those involved in the negotiation of Local Area Agreements. More...

29 September 2007: BASE submission to LSC

Following our consultation with members on implementation of the Learning for Living and Work initiative, BASE had submitted a report outlining our concerns. This is available to view on the policy consultation page. BASE has also requested specific details of the use of Investment to Change funding. More...

18 October 2007: Pilot areas wanted for "Getting a Life" initiative

The Office for Disability Issues and CSIP intend to establish 3 to 6 test sites to pilot their Getting a Life initiative. The projects will focus on young people with learning disabilities going through the transition process and will examine how the existing legal and policy frameworks can be used more effectively to get the outcomes that young people want. Unfortunately, there are no new resources attached and participating areas will have to be willing to invest in the project and guarantee a firm commitment to the project from senior managers.

Projects will start in April 2008 and an application process has been announced. Any areas interested in being involved as one of the Getting A Life pilots should in the first instance email Dave McKenlay and Paul McCourt by close on 16 November. Expressions of interest should:

• Indicate commitment at a senior level for each partner;
• Demonstrate local commitment to creating joint agency delivery plans;
• Contain evidence of an existing project(s) which involve local networks around service delivery;
• Summarise how these projects will contribute towards achieving the Getting A Life vision.

See Rob Greig's powerpoint presentation (2.7Mb)
See Mitchell's presentation (1.2Mb)

18 October 2007: National evaluation of JCP Job Outcome Target

This report sets out the findings of an evaluation of the job outcome target performance measurement system, which was rolled-out across all Jobcentre Plus districts. More...

18 October 2007: Travel training a big success

Specialist training designed to help people with learning difficulties use public transport improves quality of life and offers significant financial savings, a report launched by Transport Minister Rosie Winterton shows. The Department for Transport carried out a review of travel training schemes across England to evaluate their success and publicise good practice. The report identifies a number of benefits of travel training schemes, including improved confidence, quality of life, health and life skills as well as increased independence, integration and travel opportunities. The report also found that investment in travel training could save public bodies money in the longer term by reducing expenditure in other areas such as unemployment benefit or providing statutory transport. A scheme operating in Lincolnshire is judged to save £416 for every £1 spent. More...

18 October 2007: Mike Callahan workshop for East of England

The Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) have arranged for Michael Callahan to run a workshop near Cambridge on November 16. The day will explore the case for creating job opportunities for people with more complex needs, look at the key elements of customised employment, and look at the implications for using individual budgets and self directed support in employment. The day is primarily for employment commissioners, and supported employment providers in the Eastern Region. More...

17 October 2007: New support programme for schools staff

Schools Minister Andrew Adonis has launched a new programme to maximise the potential of children with special educational needs and support schools and early years settings in managing their needs. The Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) is a new £2million project of confidence-raising training for teachers, support staff and early years practitioners. Developed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in partnership with children’s communication charity I CAN and Dyslexia Action, it will improve the skills of teachers by advising them on how to develop teaching strategies for children with special educational needs (SEN) and providing guidance on dealing with common classroom challenges. More...

11 October 2007: Working Ventures UK is launched

The policy side of the National Employment Panel has merged with the Sector Skills Development Agency to form Working Ventures UK (WVUK). The NEP ran a network of employer coalitions around the country and these will now be supported by Working Ventures UK. WVUK sits part way between the public sector and the world of business and acts as an interpreter and facilitator between the two. More...

11 October 2007: New public service agreement for socially excluded adults

A new Public Service Agreement (PSA) has been announced by the Chancellor as part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. PSA 16 is aimed at reducing social exclusion amongst the most vulnerable adults. The PSA is one of only 30 PSAs agreed across the whole of Government and is the first agreement that has focused specifically on the needs of the most vulnerable adults. It focuses on increasing the proportion of at-risk individuals in settled accommodation and employment, education or training and covers four vulnerable client groups: care leavers; offenders under probation supervision; adults in contact with secondary mental health services; and adults with moderate to severe learning disabilities. Read PSA 16 - Socially Excluded Adults...

Meanwhile the Government has published PSA Delivery Agreement 8 which is about maximising employment opportunity for all. Read the PSA Delivery Agreement...

11 October 2007: Government aims to improve health of working age people

Practical steps to improve people’s health and help them remain in or return to work are the aim of the Government’s 'Call for Evidence' issued today, as part of the first ever review of the health of the working age population. At the launch, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Peter Hain and Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson heard evidence from leading business and medical professionals on what action needs to be taken. Dame Carol Black, the Government’s first ever National Director for Health and Work, will lead the review. People and organisations are encouraged to contribute to the consultation at www.workingforhealth.gov.uk or to take part in a series of events around the country which Dame Carol will host. She will provide her recommendations to Ministers early next year. The questions Dame Carol is seeking answers to are:

• How can we keep working age people healthy and how can the workplace be used to promote health?
• How can people best be helped to remain in or quickly return to work when they develop health conditions including chronic disease or disabilities?
• How does the age of the person affect the support that is needed?
• How can we encourage action to improve employee health?
• What underlies the apparent growth in mental health problems in the working age population and how can this be addressed?
• What constitutes effective occupational health provision and how can it be made available to all?
• What would be the impact on poverty and social inclusion of a healthier working age population?
• What are the costs of working age ill-health to business and what are the benefits to companies of investing in the health of their staff?

More...

11 October 2007: Call to end mental health stigma at work

Work and Pensions Minister Lord McKenzie and Health Minister Ivan Lewis today called on businesses to tackle the stigma attached to mental health conditions in the workplace, and launched a practical managers’ guide containing advice on how to support their staff. Mental illness is increasing in the UK. It is the fastest growing cause of sick leave and the economic cost is vast; some 13 million working days are lost every year due to stress, depression, and anxiety, costing businesses £3billion. A handbook for employers was launched today to reduce the stigma and discrimination directed towards people with mental health problems. More...

10 October 2007: Employers sign up to LEPs

118 employers from a range of sectors - such as banking and finance, hospitality, retail and local councils - have now committed to the DWP's Local Employment Partnership. The LEP involves major employers in both the public and private sectors giving a commitment to offer guaranteed job interviews for people who have been on benefit and who are ready and prepared to work. Among the latest employers to sign up to the LEP are Travelodge and vocational learning provider Carter & Carter. More...

5 October 2007: Furst meeting of Equality 2025

Equality 2025, the United Kingdom Advisory Network on Disability Equality, will hold its first public meeting in Birmingham on 12 November 2007 to get the views of disabled people on issues they would like the government to address. It is looking to attract a diverse audience from around the UK to participate in this interactive meeting. More information is available at www.officefordisabilty.gov.uk/equality2025.
More...

2 October 2007: Survey into mental health vocational services

The Institute of Education is conducting research into community-based training and vocational mental health services in the UK. The Evidence for Policy and Practice Information Centre (EPPI-Centre), Institute of Education, (London) has been commissioned by the Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE) to undertake a practice survey of mental health services that support people in accessing work, education and other forms of meaningful occupation. They are using an online survey which can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com. The postal survey can be returned electronically to k.dickson@ioe.ac.uk by 3 October 2007. More...

1 October 2007: Companies Act 2006 comes into force

The first major provisions of the Companies Act 2006 are implemented today. It introduces sweeping changes to simplify and improve company law, making it easier to understand and more flexible – especially for small businesses. The Act, which followed extensive consultation with the business community, is expected to save business up to £250 million a year and bring greater shareholder engagement and transparency. It introduces a statutory statement of Directors’ Duties; an enhanced business review; increased Rights for Indirect Investors; a new approach to Company Decision Making; and new, clearer procedures for bringing Derivative Claims. More...

1 October 2007: Changes to national minimum wage and leave entitlement

From today, the minimum wage will increase from £5.35 to £5.52 an hour for workers aged 22 and over. There will also be increases from £4.45 to £4.60 for 18-21 year olds, and from £3.30 to £3.40 for 16-17 year olds. The minimum annual leave entitlement will increase from 20 days to 24 days for full-time workers. A further increase to 28 days will take place on 1 April 2009. More...

1 October 2007: Equality and Human Rights Commission launched

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has started operating. It takes over the functions of the Disability Rights Commission as a unified equalities commission. It was to be known as the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) but has had a name change already. Their new website was also launched today and contains some very simple to use definitions and explanations. More...

27 September 2007: JCP timetable for ESF tendering

Jobcentre Plus has issued a timetable for its tendering of ESF funds for 2008. PQQs are published on 3 October and a series of regional provider briefings has been announced for 8-11 October. The dates are in Annex 2 of the website and places can be confirmed using the form in Annex 3. Jobcentre Plus have confirmed that they will be using the prime contracting model and are advising smaller agencies to form consoprtia with a nominated lead partner or to engage with potential prime contractors. Visit the JCP website...

27 September 2007: Citizens Advice and Jobcentre Plus forge a new partnership

Citizens Advice and Jobcentre Plus have announced a new partnership agreement to improve links between them and deliver better advice and support to people in England and Wales. The partnership agreement is a result of joint working and discussion between the two organisations. The two organisations intend to finalise a plan by the end of 2007 detailing the activity that will help facilitate good communication, regular meetings and updates and information sharing. The partnership agreement was announced at the CAB service’s annual conference in York on 25th September 2007.

26 September 2007: Autism and Transitions

The National Autistic Society has produced a report, Moving On Up, that focuses on negotiating the transition to adulthood for young people with autism. Read the report...

26 September 2007: "Rights at Work" video on DRC website

The Disability Rights Commission have a new set of web pages which use video clips to provide accessible information to people with learning difficulties. The new web pages have been made by members of the Learning Disability Advisory group, who explain ‘Your Rights at Work’. Viewers can see the video clips – listen to the sound – see the words in small or large text, and even see a BSL translation of the sound on the video. More...

26 September 2007: Hain seeks to end Remploy row

Peter Hain has announced plans to award public sector contracts to Remploy factories in a bid to end the row with trade unions at Labour’s conference. He pledged to urge ministers to use powers to allocate procurement contracts to Remploy and to similar supported posts. He also stated that no Remploy factories will shut without the agreement of ministers, while talks with unions continue. The GMB, which has led the campaign against the planned closure or merger of 42 Remploy factories, hailed his commitments as a major change in policy and will put on hold plans to call strikes. More...

24 September 2007: Government set to sidestep Remploy closures?

Thousands of Remploy jobs could be saved after reports of an unexpected last-minute deal between unions and ministers. Peter Hain, the work and pensions secretary, may pledge a review of the closure of the 42 Remploy factories when he addresses the Labour conference. The new deal was apparently hammered out at 1am yesterday after the GMB threatened to land Gordon Brown with his first humiliating defeat at the conference when their motion condemning the government is debated later today. However we understand that the Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC), confirmed that 12 motions opposing the Remploy factory closures had been ruled out of order for debate. GMB official Phil Davies was due to attend the BASE conference but didn't show up. More...

24 September 2007: Public perceptions about ethnic minority women at work are wrong

New research reveals that people’s perceptions of ethnic minority women in the workplace are lagging behind the reality. Nearly four in 10 people (37%) think that unemployed Bangladeshi and Pakistani women face cultural and religious barriers that prevent them from working (after family and caring responsibilities, 43%), according to an Ipsos MORI survey commissioned jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). The survey also showed that around a half (53%) of people thought that white British women in work were more likely than ethnic minority women in work to have a degree. More...

24 September 2007: New health and safety website

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) have jointly developed a website promoting good practice in disability equality at work and health and safety risk assessment. It provides an introduction to disability discrimination and health and safety law; advice for people doing health and safety risk assessments; advice for disabled people; and links to further sources of information, including grants. More...

19 September 2007: New report on experiences of transition

Dimensions (UK) Ltd, a large voluntary sector provider of support for people with disabilities, has produced a research report "Lost in Transition" that documents the experiences of people with disabilities and their parents in negotiating the transition process. More...

19 September 2007: DRC: "Equality proposals may weaken fight against discrimination"

Legislation aimed at tackling institutional discrimination in public services will be fatally weakened if Government proposals to streamline equality laws go ahead. Sir Bert Massie’s warning comes on the day the DRC publishes a report showing that the legislation – the Disability Equality Duty (DED) - has had a positive impact on the public sector, with senior managers reporting it has increased efficiency and improved services.

A key part of the new duty - and which could be scrapped - is the legal requirement on the public sector to draw up a disability equality scheme. The scheme shows how the authority will tackle inequality and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people and, importantly, involve them in the development of the scheme. But the requirement to produce a scheme, and so involve disabled people, has been dropped from the Government’s proposals for a single equality act. Instead, the duty to set out plans in a scheme will be replaced by set of non-enforceable principles. In addition, instead of public authorities having to consider disability equality in all the relevant things that it does, there will be a requirement purely to set certain priority equality objectives. More...

12 September 2007: Workstep extension announced at BASE conference

Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire, announced the Government's intention to extend the current Workstep contracts until October 2009. DWP officials are currently looking for incremental changes that could help improve delivery within the current framework and will be in touch with providers shortly to make the necessary arrangements. The Minister praised BASE's involvement in the review of current programmes and our intention to work with DWP on future consultation arrangements. Read the speech ¦ Read the letter...

12 September 2007: Peter Hain announces pathways contracts

Peter Hain has announced that six companies from the private and voluntary sector have been awarded contracts to deliver the next stage of the Government's Pathways to Work programme across 15 Jobcentre Plus districts from this December. A second phase of contracts will be announced later this year ensuring that anyone on Incapacity Benefits will have access to a local Pathways service by April next year. The first phase contractors are:

• Action for Employment (A4E) - Devon & Cornwall; North & Mid-Wales; South East Wales; West Yorkshire)
• Seetec Ltd - Black Country)
• Shaw Trust - Greater Manchester; East & West Norfolk
• TNG Ltd - Lincolnshire & Rutland
• Triage Central Ltd - Forth Valley; Fife & Tayside
• WorkDirections Ltd - Central London; City & East London; Lambeth,Southwark & Wandsworth; Birmingham & Solihull; Edinburgh,Lothian & Borders; Nottingham More...

11 September 2007: Minister - Work is beneficial to health

The Minister for Health and Work Lord McKenzie spoke at the British Medical Association conference on 5 September 2007. He talked about new evidence that shows work is beneficial for the physical and mental health of patients. Read the transcript...

10 September 2007: Learning Disability Task Group report published

The Learning Disability Task Group have issued their annual report. It says that some things have got better for some people with learning disabilities but that there is still more work to be done. The main topics in the report are health, employment and hate crime. It says little really about employment - a reflection of their lack of engagement with us on this issue. More...

6 September 2007: Pathways to Work contracts and the voluntary sector

A number of ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations) members have expressed concern over the recent bidding round with DWP for Pathways to Work contracts. In light of this, ACEVO has decided to launch an independent inquiry into recent developments. It has emerged that only a small number of contracts were awarded to the voluntary sector. ACEVO has raised this matter with Government Ministers and would welcome evidence of engagement with this process or dissatisfactory outcomes. Please contact erin.mcfeely@acevo.org.uk with your comments.

6 September 2007: Disability Equality Duty - new DRC reports

September sees the publication of a range of work by the DRC on the Disability Equality Duty (DED) and public bodies' performance on improving disability equality. Keep an eye on the DED website www.dotheduty.org for a report by the Office for Public Management and the DRC on the benefits for public bodies of involving disabled people in their Disability Equality Schemes. We will also publish individual reports on the performance and effective practice of strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and higher education institutions.

6 September 2007: Farewell from the Disability Rights Commission

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) closes at the end of this month, to make way for the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), established under the Equality Act 2006, which opens on 1 October. The new Commission replaces not only the DRC but also the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE). It will work to promote fairness for everyone and tackle discrimination in relation to gender, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age and race. The Commission will also promote human rights.

6 September 2007: Revised Factory Support Grant Provider Guidance

A revised version of the Factory Support Grant Provider Guidance reflecting recent organisational changes is now available. This latest version can be found on the Workstep extranet site within "Guidance" then "Other Workstep Guidance" and then following the link to "Factory Support Grant Provider Guidance". Read the guidance...

6 September 2007: £10m to improve health at work

Health minister Ivan Lewis today announced £10 million of capital funding to finance new NHS Plus demonstration sites to improve the occupational healthcare services offered to small and medium sized businesses. This second phase of £10m capital funding for 2008/09 follows £10m allocated in April 2007 which has successfully been used to finance five innovative demonstration sites around the country. More...

5 September 2007: GPs reconsider advice to patients on sick leave

A new survey of 1500 GPs has found that two-thirds (64%) are unaware of the evidence that work is beneficial for physical and mental health. However, nearly 90% said that if they knew of this evidence it would affect the advice they give to their patients. The survey, carried out by Doctors.Net.UK on behalf of the DWP, was revealed by Lord McKenzie today at a British Medical Association Conference which brought together 100 leading doctors to discuss the growing medical evidence that work is good for people’s health. More...

4 September 2007: £2 billion ESF investment for jobs and skills

A £2 billion investment in jobs and skills in England over the next seven years from the European Union has today been welcomed by Work and Pensions Minister Mike O'Brien. The European Commission has agreed proposals for a new European Social Fund programme for England for 2007 to 2013. All regions of England will benefit from the new programme, which will fund a range of activities such as job search advice and support, confidence building, basic skills and vocational qualifications. More...

3 September 2007: New European Social Fund Website

The European Commission has launched a new website on the European Social Fund (ESF), one of the EU's Structural Funds aimed at promoting economic and social cohesion. The website includes a map of where the money has been invested throughout Europe, as well as examples of how the ESF has helped people in the job market. More...

30 August 2007: Funding to Find Partners for Future Leonardo Projects

The Leonardo Unit for the UK has announced that funding is now available to allow UK organisations to meet potential partners or to attend a Contact Seminar to find partners for a Leonardo project. The Leonardo da Vinci programme is part of the European Commission's new Lifelong Learning Programme and is designed to build a skilled workforce through European partnerships. Leonardo funds overseas work placements and the development of training materials with the objective of improving the provision of Vocational Education and Training (VET) across Europe. It is anticipated that the next deadline for most Leonardo applications will be in early 2008. More...

20 August 2007: £73m investment fund for Social Enterprise programmes

Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis has announced the opening of a £73m Social enterprise Investment Fund for health and social care. Applications for the money can now start, to set up and build social enterprises that meet specific needs and provide services that will benefit local communities. The Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF) is intended to stimulate and encourage the development of a vibrant social enterprise sector in the delivery of health and social care services. It aims to provide start-up funding and longer term investment to emerging and existing social enterprises in the health and social care sector with a view to their sustainability. The Fund will offer loans, grants and equity capital, or a mixture of these. More...

16 August 2007: New training resource

Mark Kilsby and Alan morgan now have a new website relating specifically to Training in Systemic Instruction. Last year they ran 16 courses throughout the UK and one in Prague. More...

14 August 2007: Case studies sought for Employ Ability initiative

The Department of Work and Pensions is looking for employer/employee case studies for their Employ Ability campaign. The target regions for the first stage of the campaign are Leeds, Bradford, Manchester and Liverpool (and surrounding areas). The materials for the campaign are still being developed so if you think you can help with any potential case studies do please get in touch with their team via Priscilla McGuire.
More...

14 August 2007: Disabled facilities grant - Govt response to consultation

The Government has published a report providing a summary of responses to a consultation on proposals to make the disabled facilities grant programme more accessible, comprehensive and fair. It looks at the responses for each proposal and provides the Government’s interim response ahead of the results of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. More...

13 August 2007: Minister calls on NHS and local government to help empower patients

New minister for patient empowerment, Ann Keen, has called on the NHS and local government to give more people a greater say over local health and social care services. Government is launching two new resources to help both the NHS and local authorities prepare for replacement of the current system of patient forums with Local Involvement Networks (LINks) next year. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill currently going through Parliament includes proposals to streamline and modernise the current system by replacing just under 400 patient forums with 150 LINks, which are expected to become operational from April 2008. To help local authorities prepare for this change, two 'Getting ready for LINks' resources have been developed by the Department of Health. More...

13 August 2007: Consultation on £10million Social Enterprise Risk Capital Fund

The Cabinet Office today opened a consultation on the working of a new £10million risk capital investment fund for social enterprises. Many social enterprises find it difficult to access risk capital, leaving a gap in their finances particularly when they are at the critical stage of development between starting up and growing their business. The risk capital investment fund will fill this gap and help develop better access to private and independent investment in the future. The Government has published proposals for operating the fund and wants views of stakeholders before making the final decisions. More...

8 August 2007: Unions call for shift in public procurement to Remploy

The Remploy Consortium of Trades Unions has written to over 50,000 local councillors, school governors, members of police authorities bringing to their attention the plight of 43 Remploy Factories facing closure due to lack of orders, drawing their attention to the changes in European legislation which allows public authorities to award orders to supported workshops without going through the competitive tendering process. The unions have called on the decision makers to move orders to Remploy factories which amount to 5p in every £100 already being spent on public procurement to save disabled workers jobs. A study by the trade unions shows that public procurement orders placed directly with Remploy have an annual value of £32 million and amount to 22% of all their orders in their 83 factories. More...

7 August 2007: New assessment report on JCP delivery

DWP has published a small-scale and exploratory piece of research reviewing how the Jobseeker’s Allowance and new deal regime is delivered in three districts. The report aims to gain an understanding of how and why delivery may differ from the ‘prescribed’ model and identify possible performance improvements. Read the report...

6 August 2007: New guide to provision of day services

The Social Care Institute for Excellence has published an online guide to community-based day activities and supports for people with learning disabilities. The guide contains examples of best practice and a chapter on supporting people into paid work. The guide is about what services can do to ensure that people with learning disabilities 'have a good day'. It includes research evidence, policy, examples of good practice and practical hints and tips. More...

6 August 2007: DCSF publishes response to consultation on post-16 education

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has pubnlished a summary report following consultation on staying in education or training post-16. The Greater Expectations report is expected to lead to legislation effectively raising the education leaving age to 18. Read the summary...

3 August 2007: Hain's "crusade for full employment"

In an article in the Financial Times, Secretary of State, Peter Hain, has reiterated the aim to achieve full employment and support one million people into work from incapacity benefits. There is evidence of a different approach to achieving this. Mr Hain’s recent green paper promised a pilot of a “spend to save approach”, but one that he says will be “limited”. Whilst he is still keen to see incentive-based contracts used to reward private providers he makes it clear that the scale of private-sector involvement envisaged by Freud “is not my preferred option. I think the risk of creating a monopoly provider on a regional basis is too great”. And while he is not ruling out prime contracts on a smaller basis, “I have not gone for that option”. Read the FT interview...

2 August 2007: New ministerial responsibilities at DCSF announced

Minister, Ed Balls, has announced the ministerial responsibilities within the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Andrew Adonis has responsibility for both special educational needs and equality/diversity issues. More...

2 August 2007: RADAR announces Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year awards

RADAR are seeking nominations for their annual awards for disabled entrepreneur of the year. The award is made to a disabled entrepreneur business whose business vision and ability has enabled them to realise their full potential. Last year's award was won by Terri Harris from Hastings. More...

2 August 2007: Consultation on Discrimination Law Review Green Paper

The Discrimination Law Review Green Paper, issued on 12th June, is out for consultation until 4th September 2007. It is the result of the Discrimination Law Review, which has been underway since February 2005. It was set up alongside the Equalities Review, chaired by Trevor Phillips, which was aimed at investigating the causes of persistent inequality and which reported its findings in February 2007. You can view a summary of the proposals and the executive summary consultation form. More...

1 August 2007: New employability skills programme to help people back into work

A new programme to help people improve their skills, find a job and progress at work has been launched by Minister for Employment Caroline Flint and Minister for Skills David Lammy. The Employability Skills programme is an initiative jointly developed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), Jobcentre Plus and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The programme has been developed especially to meet the needs of Jobcentre Plus customers and includes a provision leading to an Employability Award that is based on the skills, behaviours and attitudes that employers want to see in someone they recruit. More...

31 July 2007: Eleven more areas set to benefit from talking therapy projects

New Mental Health Minister Ivan Lewis has given the go-ahead for eleven new projects which will allow people with anxiety and depression better access to psychological therapies. The eleven successful areas will be providing innovative schemes specifically designed for their local communities. This includes a scheme in Derby which will help to tackle the mental health needs of people from black and other ethnic minority communities in the most deprived areas of the city. This service will focus on people who are unemployed or in danger of losing their employment. The areas announced are: Brighton, Buckinghamshire, Derby, Dorset, Ealing, Yorkshire East Riding, Hertfordshire, North Tees and Hartlepool, Salford, Stoke and Bury. More...

24 July 2007: BASE AGM on 11 September

BASE has announced its annual general meeting will this year take place during the 2007 conference at Birmingham. The AGM is open to all paid up BASE membeers and will take place at 4.30 pm on 11 September at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Notice has been sent to all members and motions are being invited for discussion. If you haven't received notice then please contact us to check on your membership status. More...

24 July 2007: Report raises doubts about sustainability of NHS social enterprises

Research from the Department of Social Policy, University of Durham, highlights considerable anxieties about the integration of social enterprises into the 'NHS family' and their sustainability. Interviewees feared that small social enterprises could lose out in an increasingly competitive primary care market-place, as the evidence points to commissioners opting for larger private sector outfits, on the grounds that these were more likely to be financially stable.

Social enterprises run along business lines, but any profits they make are reinvested bake into the community or into developing the services offered. The government is keen to boost their development, especially in primary care, in a bid to increase the diversity of service provision and promote greater local accountability and public involvement in service design, particularly in areas of social deprivation. Earlier this month, the Department of Health announced £9 million of funds for social enterprises delivering health and social care services for 2007/8, out of a total of £73 million over the next four years. More...

23 July 2007: Implementing the Leitch Review

The Government have published a document outlining how they are to implement the recommendations of the Leitch Review. The review sought to find ways to ensure the delivery of world class skills by the education system. More...

23 July 2007: DRC guidance on volunteering

The Disability Rights Commission has issued guidance to organisations providing, or who are planning to provide, volunteering opportunities for disabled people. This guidance aims to support barrier free volunteering opportunities for disabled people in many different types of volunteering environments. More...

18 July 2007: Green Paper offers ‘jobs pledge’ as key to full employment

A new “jobs pledge” aiming to find job opportunities for a quarter of million people currently on benefit is at the heart of a Green Paper on the next steps to full employment being published by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Work and Pensions Secretary, Peter Hain. Building on the Local Employment Partnerships announced in the Budget earlier this year, major employers in both the public and private sectors have given a commitment to offer guaranteed job interviews for people who have been on benefit and who are ready and prepared to work. A wide range of national employers have already declared their commitment to Local Employment Partnerships. The Green Paper also sets out plans for a more personalised, flexible and responsive New Deal matched by new responsibilities for jobseekers to do all they can to help themselves. More...

The green paper, "In Work, Better Off: Next Steps to Full Employment", sets out proposals to deliver a significant change in direction to the support offered for those who are most disadvantaged in the labour market. Read the Green Paper...

18 July 2007: New Minister for Third Sector announced

Phil Hope, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, is the replacement for Ed Miliband as minister for the third sector in the Cabinet Office. More...

17 July 2007: Regions empowered to spread economic opportunity to all

The Government is launching a review of sub national economic development and regeneration, setting out plans to ensure that every area of the country has the opportunity to benefit from rising prosperity. The review outlines plans to refocus both powers and responsibilities, giving local authorities a greater role in ensuring economic opportunity for all. Local authorities will have strengthened powers and incentives to support prosperity, reinvigorate the economic performance of towns and cities, and make changes to work more effectively with business to better support businesses and business growth. More...

17 July 2007: No more multiple benefit assessments for disabled people?

Jeremy Hunt, former Shadow Minister for Disabled People, has introduced the Disability Benefits (Single Assessment) Bill under a ten-minute rule motion. Introducing the Bill, Hunt stated that the criteria to obtain disability benefits is "complex and convoluted" and that the current system makes it "difficult for them [disabled people] to get back into the world of work." He stated that his Bill would require the Department for Work and Pensions to get its computer systems to talk to each other, so that, in his own words, "if a disabled person consents to it, they need only supply information about their disability once and that can be used across all the different benefit streams." More...

16 July 2007: DH announces Section 64 funding round

The Department of Health has announced the next bidding round under its Section 64 grant scheme. Grants are available to support voluntary organisations in England working in the areas of health and whose activities support the Department of Health's policy priorities. The DWP will be seeking to support initiatives that support the following key themes: personalisation of services and maintaining independence and dignity for older people and disabled people; promoting health and well-being; improving access, information and choice; innovation in service delivery; There is a two stage application process and the closing date for stage 1 applications is the 15th August 2007. More...

12 July 2007: £450,000 training fund for homeless people

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Iain Wright has announced a new £450,000 fund to develop education and training schemes in hostels to help rough sleepers make a permanent move away from the street. The new funding will provide trainers and tutors in hostels to help rough sleepers gain vital skills and qualifications, and is part of a £90 million hostels improvement programme which is transforming hostels into modern places of change. More...

12 July 2007: New Charity Commission website launched

Charity trustees will now find it quicker and easier to update their charity’s information online, send accounts and file their annual returns by logging on to the new Charity Commission website. The completely redesigned website at www.charitycommission.gov.uk also gives the latest information on the Charities Act 2006 and makes it easier and quicker for charities to meet their obligations. More...

10 July 2007: New award for disabled entrepreneurs

Leonard Cheshire and easyGroup Chairman Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou have launched an annual award for an exceptional disabled entrepreneur. The 2007 winner of the Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award will be presented with a cheque for £50,000, generously donated by Stelios himself, at the British Chamber of Commerce's prestigious Chamber Awards ceremony at London’ s Victoria and Albert Museum 29 November. Disabled people interested in applying can find out more information by visiting www.disabledentrepreneur.org. The deadline for applications is 14 September.

10 July 2007: New campaign to change attitudes to skills and learning

A new campaign - Our future. It’s in our hands - urging people to take control of their future by investing in skills, is being launched by Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), John Denham and Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Chairman, Chris Banks. The campaign, driven by the LSC and DIUS over a three to five year period, aims to bring about the cultural change needed to improve the attitudes and aspirations of employers and individuals to learning and skills across England.

9 July 2007: Public attitudes towards mental illness remain broadly sympathetic

Public attitudes towards people with mental health problems remain broadly sympathetic despite some signs that prejudice and fear have slightly increased, a survey by the Department of Health has found. The vast majority of people remain supportive of the integration of those with mental illness into the community. Around 3 in 4 responded positively that no-one has the right to exclude people with mental illness from their neighbourhood, that the best therapy is being part of the community and that mental health services should be largely community-based. More...

5 July 2007: Big increase in Disabled Students Allowances

From 2008/09 the maximum amounts of Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) for non-medical helpers and for postgraduates will be increased by 60%. These increases will mean that the maximum amount of the DSA for non-medical helpers will increase from £12,420 in 2007/08 to £20,000 in 2008/09 for full-time students and from £9,315 in 2007/08 to £15,000 in 2008/09 for part-time students. The maximum amount of the DSA for postgraduate students will increase from £5,915 in 2007/08 to £10,000 in 2008/09. More...

4 July 2007: Bill Rammell in live debate on education and disability

Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills will be answering questions in a live discussion on Thursday 5 July from 10.30am. You can put your questions to the Minister about his views on the Disability Agenda's recommendations on learning and skills and also on the government's progress on disability issues in further and higher education, including their forthcoming response to the Little Review on the provision of learning opportunities for disabled people. More...

3 July 2007: ODI organising seminars for employers

The Office for Disability Issues is sponsoring a series of seminars for employers under the banner Realising Potential. The events aim to make employers more confident about addressing disability in their workplace. The events will be two hour seminars facilitated by the Employers' Forum on Disability examining the business case behind disability confidence and how local organisations can practically achieve it. The events are aimed at any size of business, in any sector and are most suited to people working in recruitment, HR or operational management. Events will be held in the following areas:

• Dundee - 12 and 13 September 2007
• Stoke - 25 and 26 September 2007
• Lancashire - 17 and 18 October 2007
• Plymouth & Torbay - 7 and 8 November 2007
• Cardiff - 21 November 2007 and 15 February 2008
• Norwich - 22 and 23 January 2008
• Brighton & Hove - 20 and 21 February 2008

For more information or to book a place at one of the events please contact Genelva Meikle on 0207 238 0704 or email genelva.meikle@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

2 July 2007: Ministerial changes confirmed

The Government has confirmed the ministerial changes resulting from Gordon Brown becoming Prime Minister. The main changes affecting our sector are that Jim Hutton is replaced as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Peter Hain and Jim Murphy is replaced by Caroline Flint. Anne McGuire continues as Minister for Disabled People. The Conservatives have also announced a reshuffle of ministerial posts. Former shadow Minister for Disabled People, Jeremy Hunt, has been promoted to Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sports.

There have been important changes to Government departments with the Department for Education and Skills being split into two departments - the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) led by Ed Balls and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) led by John Denham. Further education is now part of the DIUS. The Department for Trade and Industry also sees big changes with responsibilities now laying with DIUS and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. See the list of Ministers...

25 June 2007: Community health profiles now viewable online

The Community Health Profiles website shows the health of people in local authorities across England. These cover all but two of the 388 local authorities, including county councils, district councils, unitary councils and London boroughs. City of London and Isles of Scilly are not covered due to data limitations. The first local authority Health Profiles covering the whole of England were released in 2006. They are produced by Public Health Observatories and will be updated every year. More...

21 June 2007: Government puts £3m behind the voice of social enterprise

The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) in the Cabinet Office has announced it will fund seven leading organisations in the social enterprise sector a total of £3m over three years to raise awareness with key groups and represent the sector in policy development. The funding will ensure that the voice of the sector, and news of its impressive social and environmental achievements, is heard not only inside government, but with other crucial audiences from classrooms to boardrooms.

The money will also specifically ensure that there is a fair voice for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BME) individuals and organisations involved in the sector. The new social enterprise partners, chosen through open competition, are Social Enterprise Coalition, School for Social Entrepreneurs, Social Firms UK, Co–ops UK, Prowess, Plunkett Foundation and a national social enterprise Olympics partnership (led by Social Enterprise London). More...

20 June 2007: Government spending £2b on consultants

The Public Accounts Committee estimates that in the past three years, spending on consultants in the public sector has risen by a third from £2.1bn in 2003-04 to £2.8bn in 2005-06, with central government accounting for £1.8bn, largely due to increases in the NHS. Central government has made "some progress" in implementing previous recommendations made by the National Audit Office, the report says. These include increased use of framework agreements to cut the costs of buying in consultancy as well as involving qualified procurement staff. However, the report states that "much more can be done" to improve value for money and identifies several areas where departments across government require "significant improvement".Read the report...

20 June 2007: Do tax credits discriminate against two parent families?

Frank Field, the former Labour minister, has produced findings that show how the Government's campaign against child poverty has "stalled" by making it more financially attractive for lone parents not to seek partners. He concludes that a single mother working 16 hours a week, after tax credits, gains a total income of £487 a week, while a two-parent family on the minimum wage has to work 116 hours for the same income. A Revenue and Customs report last month admitted that the tax credit system had been plagued by complexity, overpayments and fraud. It said that £6 billion had been overpaid to claimants - with many families struggling to meet demands for repayment. More...

19 June 2007: New partnership strategy on supporting education and training

Ministers have launched a cross government strategy to support people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to achieve fulfilling lives and further their education. The Progression Through Partnership report sets out a vision of how the three Departments most closely involved in this area - Education and Skills, Health, and Work and Pensions - will work together to deliver high quality support and incentives for young people and adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in further education and training. More...

19 June 2007: Consultation on New Deal for Carers

The Government has announced a major consultation exercise aimed firstly at carers but also at those who work with them. It is intended to be the largest ever consultation with carers. Consultation on the "New Deal for Carers" is open until mid September. More...

18 June 2007: New task force to tackle sickness absence

DWP Minister Lord McKenzie has announced a new vocational rehabilitation task group to help ill or injured people stay in or return to work, and called on employers to do more to support their employees. 175 million working days are lost to sickness absence each year, costing businesses and the economy around £13 billion. Very few employers currently offer occupational health or vocational rehabilitation to their employees. The task group - made up of government, customers, business and insurers - will identify what services are currently available, why businesses do not provide more support, and what needs to be done to increase understanding and ensure wider provision of support services. More...

18 June 2007: Shared priorities agreed for the Government Office Network

The Government Office Tasking Framework sets out central Departments’ collective priorities for the Government Office Network. The Tasking Framework describes the Government Office objectives for 2007-08, the outcomes sought by Departments to help deliver Public Service Agreements and how the Network will work with its partners to deliver those outcomes. This will entail:

• Ensuring high quality local services by negotiating Local Area Agreements.
• Supporting regional strategies and plans (including sub and cross-regional plans) and associated programmes
• Supporting places by fostering relationships with local and regional partners and working with them to achieve high quality outcomes
• Influencing Government policy development and the design of delivery programmes
• Overseeing arrangements for contingency planning, resilience and community cohesion.

15 June 2007: New fund to boost volunteering in health and social care

The Department of Health's Opportunities for Volunteering Scheme (OFV) has funding totalling more than £500,000. Volunteering England (VE), are administers of the fund, and priority will be given to projects that involve volunteers in the following areas: health promotion, health advocacy, supported volunteering, and befriending and support for people with specific health conditions or social care needs. The deadline for preliminary applications is July 30. More...

14 June 2007: National Minimum Wage and volunteering

This document explains the background to the review of the provisions in the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 for voluntary workers. It seeks views on the proposals to exclude participants in schemes that are part of the national framework for youth volunteering and any other changes to the Act that may be required. More...

14 June 2007: Pathways evaluation published

The DWP has published research examining the impact of the ‘Pathways to Work’ Incapacity Benefit Reform pilots. The report forms part of a comprehensive and ongoing programme of evaluation for ‘Pathways to Work’. The main findings are:

• Pathways significantly increased the probability of being employed about a year and a half after the initial incapacity benefits enquiry by 7.4 percentage points. The effect of Pathways was to raise the probability of employment in month 18 from roughly 28 to 35 per cent.
• The effect of Pathways on incapacity benefit receipt after the same period was small and not statistically significant, though there is clear evidence of a significant decrease in the first 10 months. Estimates suggest a reduction of about 1-1½ percentage points in the probability of claiming incapacity benefits after a year and a half, but also that Pathways reduced benefit receipt by a maximum of 6.3 percentage points five months after the start of the claim.
• To try and reconcile these findings the effect of Pathways on combined employment and incapacity benefit status was examined. Pathways increased by 8.7 percentage points the probability of working and not receiving incapacity benefits a year and a half after the enquiry. This was mostly accounted for by a decrease of 6.9 percentage points in the probability of not working and not receiving incapacity benefits. These results suggest that a higher proportion of those no longer receiving incapacity benefits are in work as a result of Pathways.
• ‘Pathways to Work’ was not found to have a statistically significant effect on the probability of individuals stating that they had a health condition or disability that limited their ability to carry out their everyday activities. Pathways did, however, significantly reduce the probability of respondents reporting that they had a health condition or disability that limited their ability to carry out their everyday activities ‘a great deal’ by 10.8 percentage points.

14 June 2007: Scotland announces new skills strategy

Plans for a Scottish Skills Strategy, recommended as part of a consultation on lifelong learning, were announced in Parliament today. The new skills strategy will:

• highlight the skills valued and required both by employers and individuals
• Demonstrate how sectors from Further Education/Higher Education to schools, community learning and workforce development can contribute to the skills agenda
• Outline the responsibilities of those involved in skills development.

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Fiona Hyslop said, "People are the powerhouse of our economy. That's why it's vital that everyone has the knowledge and skills they need to play their full part in a smarter Scotland." More...

13 June 2007: Extra holidays for up to six million workers

Six million workers in Britain are to benefit from up to eight extra days annual holiday with the first four coming in October this year. The extra holidays will benefit up to 3.5million women and 2.5million men. The Government has published new regulations to boost the minimum holiday entitlement from 20 days a year to 24 days this October, and to 28 days from April 2009. More...

13 June 2007: Summary of Equalities framework consultation

The Government has published a consultation document including proposals for a Single Equality Bill, to simplify and improve existing legislation and make proposals to modernise discrimination law. The Discrimination Law Review (DLR) aims to prevent discrimination happening in the first place by making equality law clearer and consult on whether there are significant gaps in protection which require further legislation. The Single Equality Act will put the law on equality and discrimination in one place, supported by guidance. More...

The Departmment for Communities and Local Government has published a summary document that sets out briefly the main issues covered in the consultation document, A Framework for Fairness, so that readers can decide before reading the full consultation document where their interest lies and whether they want to respond. More...

11 June 2007: New initiative to increase employment opportunities for disabled people

Employers should make use of the wide pool of resources and skills that disabled employees have to offer according to John Hutton, Secretary of State for the Department for Work & Pensions. He has announced a new initiative, ‘Employ Ability’, which will highlight the benefits of employing disabled people and dispel some of the myths. Mr Hutton believes that employers may be missing out on talented and motivated staff if they refuse to look at disabled workers as a solution to their staffing needs.

Employ Ability will be piloted in the four cities of Leeds, Bradford, Manchester and Liverpool from September before being rolled out nationally next year and will challenge negative assumptions about the skills and talent disabled workers; build the confidence of employers in recruiting and retaining disabled workers; promote best practice examples and improve access to practical information. Employ Ability will advise employers not only on best practice in recruiting disabled employees but also in retaining current employees who become disabled while in the job. More...

11 June 2007: Social Market Foundation calls for jobs boost

Providing disabled people with the skills to compete in the job market could deliver significant economic growth, according to a new report. The Social Market Foundation (SMF) says that this could amount to a £35bn boost over 30 years. The foundation's chief economist, Stephen Evans, says the gains are potentially massive and the cost of inaction is "mounting by the day". Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton has welcomed the SMF report. Disability, Skills and Work is published by the SMF in association with the Disability Rights Commission. More...

8 June 2007: Press denied access to Remploy staff

Disabled workers at the Remploy factory in Lanarkshire have been gagged from speaking to the press about their reactions to the announcement of 43 proposed factory closures, of which the Lanarkshire factory is one. Employees were told of the gagging order in a DVD message, rather than in face to face discussions with management. Meanwhile local press seeking access to the factory to gain reactions from workers were refused permission to come on site by Remploy manager Stewart McGregor. Staff were later warned that if they went out to speak to the media gathered outside of the factory they would not be allowed back to work for the rest of the day and would be sent home without pay. Shiona Williams, head of corporate communications, later added that if they left the site to meet the press they would also face disciplinary action. More...

8 June 2007: Commission for disabled staff in lifelong learning

NIACE has established a Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning. The remit for the Commission is as follows:

• To raise the profile of both disability and of disabled staff in the lifelong learning sector.
• To review and analyse existing evidence on the training, recruitment, retention, deployment and career progression of disabled staff, in the post-compulsory education sector in England and Wales.
• To collect and review evidence on the experiences of disabled staff, and what might be done to improve this experience.
• To identify what could be done to improve the career management of disabled staff.
• To seek to identify and celebrate disability diversity in the lifelong learning sector.
• To seek to identify the impact of disabled staff in lifelong learning.
• To examine the position of disabled staff in the lifelong learning sector in the wider policy context.
• To make recommendations arising from data collection and evidence produced by the Commission to policy makers, funders, employers and training providers, and
• To provide expert support to the lifelong learning sector.

The commission is seeking views on a number of key questions regarding policy and practice and would appreciate hearing the experiences of BASE members. More...

4 June 2007: Absence due to mental illness increasing

Mental illness is now the second largest reason for UK workers taking time off, a report suggests. A study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found an increasing amount of sickness leave is due to depression or stress. Analysis of the records of 30,000 people found only muscle-related problems such as bad backs were cited as a greater cause of absenteeism. Staff with depression were said to take an average 30 days off annually. Those with stress were reported to be away for 21 days. The CPID found public sector workers were more likely to take time off work because of mental illness and overall the problem was more prevalent among older staff. More...

1 June 2007: DEAC annual report published

The Government's Disability Employment Advisory Committee have published their annual report for 2005-06. Read the report...

30 May 2007: 0800 number to speed up benefit claims introduced by Job Centre Plus

DWP minister, Jim Murphy, has announced the introduction of a new telephone service to improve the way that people claim benefits and get back to work advice. Following customer feedback, a new national 0800 number has been introduced, which is free to call from landlines and will, apparently, speed up the claims process. In most cases, customers will need to have only one conversation with an adviser to make their benefit claim, so benefits will be received more quickly. The new numbers are:
Telephone 0800 0 55 66 88
Textphone 0800 0 23 48 88
Welsh language 0800 0 12 18 88

More...

30 May 2007: Third evaluation report of NDDP published

This latest DWP research evaluates the New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP). It looks at the experience and views of NDDP stakeholders and the effectiveness of the Job Broker service in helping people into sustained employment. The key findings are:

• The take-up rate of the New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) for the year ending May 2006 was 3.1 per cent of the population flowing onto the qualifying benefits. Over the period July 2001 to November 2006 there were 260,330 registrations on NDDP.
• Participants in NDDP were closer to the labour market than non-participants.
• Job Brokers were a mix of private, public and voluntary sector organisations, and tended to view the various impacts of NDDP on their own organisations as positive. Most participants were positive about how Job Brokers delivered their services.
• The funding and contractual regimes for Job Brokers were critical to how Job Brokers operated and delivered NDDP. Changes to the funding and contractual arrangements meant that Job Brokers became more focused on registering potential participants closer to work.
• Relationships between Job Brokers and local Jobcentre Plus offices were an important aspect of NDDP. For Job Brokers, local Jobcentre Plus offices were a source of potential participants, provided services that participants might require and could be used as venues to meet with (potential) participants.
• Employers recruiting NDDP participants were not representative of employment establishments in general. In general, employers were not in regular contact with Job Brokers.
• Of the 260,330 NDDP registrations between July 2001 and November 2006, 110,950 (43 per cent) had found jobs by November 2006. The main factors affecting the likelihood of participants obtaining jobs were: participants’ characteristics, Job Brokers’ characteristics and activities, and geography and location of Job Brokers’ services. Of those participants entering work by August 2006, 57 per cent (or 59,080 participants) achieved sustainable employment (defined as employment lasting for 13 or more weeks). More...

A separately published DWP research report looks at the long term impacts of NDDP. More...

30 May 2007: Minister calls on employers to do more for disabled people

DWP Minister Lord McKenzie has called on employers to play their part in aiding social inclusion for disabled people. He said, “Employers are particularly important. We would like to see them play their part in a number of ways. First we want them to seek to prevent ill-health or injury from occurring in the workplace. This is about sensible risk management and often involves only simple changes to working practices – for example, eye protection for employees. But we’d like to see employers go further and use the workplace as a way of improving general staff health – for example, improvements such as workplace gyms or healthy food in canteens. Most importantly though, we want them to develop supportive cultures that allow staff with health problems and impairments to work, making the necessary adjustments to help them do so. Mostly these adjustments will be neither as difficult nor as expensive as people think. But clearly we have an important job ahead to engage, educate and support employers." More...

24 May 2007: Work Experience for Disabled People on the Underground

Transport for London have announced that, following a previous pilot scheme on the Piccadilly line, London Underground will be extending their Work Experience Programme for Disabled People across the network. The programme will aim to offer a total of 18 eight-week placements, running throughout the year. More...

23 May 2007: Investigation into ethnic minority women at work

The Equal Opportunities Commission's website is providing information about the Commission's two year investigation into the employment of ethnic minority women. It includes information on the research commissioned alongside the Moving on up? investigation and examples of good employers practice. More...

23 May 2007: Funding for projects to link BME communities and mental health services

Health minister Rosie Winterton has announced new funding totalling over £1m for 40 new community engagement projects across England as part of the drive to build stronger links between local mental health services and BME communities. 40 community engagement sites have already been set up across the country to work with BME communities and services to raise awareness of mental health issues, reduce fear and provide better support for patients and their carers. The projects also help improve understanding of BME communities' needs from services. The projects are part of Delivering Race Equality, the Government action plan for reducing inequalities and discrimination. More...

23 May 2007: Trade Unions to have greater role in providing Welfare services?

Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, Jim Murphy, has called for trade unions to play a central role in the provision of services and support to get people into work in a newly reformed Welfare State. Speaking at the TUC's Disability Conference, Mr Murphy said that in order to achieve the most effective and efficient service, both the private and public sectors will need to take a role in providing welfare to work programmes. He stated that trade unions have much to offer in terms of experience and expertise and could provide part of the range of services offered to people trying to get back to work. More...

22 May 2007: Remploy to close or merge 43 factories

Remploy has unveiled cost-cutting plans to close 43 factories across Britain. A total of 32 of Remploy's 83 factories will close and a further 11 will merge with other sites under the plans. Remploy says no disabled person will be made compulsorily redundant, but it wants to place 2,270 disabled people into mainstream employment. Unions called for the sites to stay open and criticised six disability charities who have backed the closures.

The following Remploy factories will close under the plans: Aberdare, Aberdeen, Abertillery, Aintree, Ashington, Bradford, Bridgend, Brixton (London), Halifax, Hartlepool, Hillington (Glasgow), Hull, Leatherhead, Leicester, Lydney (Forest of Dean), Manchester, Mansfield, Medway, Pinxton (Derbyshire), Plymouth, Poole, St Helens, Southend, Spennymoor, Stockton, Treforest, Wigan, Wisbech, Wishaw (Lanarkshire), Worksop, Wrexham and York.

The following factories will merge with another site: Barnsley, Birkenhead, Brynamman, Jarrow, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Pontefract, Redruth, Southampton, Stockport, Woolwich (London) and Ystradgynlais.

Remploy said 2,270 disabled people and 280 non-disabled workers would be affected by the closures in England and Scotland and Wales. However, the firm, which was set up in the 1940s and currently employs 5,000 disabled staff, said anyone who wished to continue working would be able to do so. More...

21 May 2007: DTI consultation on NMW compliance

The Department for Trade and Industry has launched a consultation on the national minimum wage and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. It seeks views on ways to promote compliance and improve fairness for workers and compliant businesses. More...

16 May 2007: New NHS projects to improve occupational health for local businesses

Health minister Rosie Winterton has announced that businesses in five areas across the country are to benefit from NHS advice and support to improve the physical, mental and social well-being of their staff. The five new demonstration projects located in Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire, London and Hampshire, will share £10m of capital funding to provide better quality occupational health services (OH) for local businesses. These schemes will pave the way for other trusts to develop their own occupational health services to be more effective for the benefit of the wider business community. The funding will be managed by NHS Plus, a network of NHS OH departments across England. More...

15 May 2007: New Deal for Dyslexia

Schools Minister Andrew Adonis and the charity Xtraordinary People have launched ‘No to Failure’, a new project that aims to ensure children with dyslexia get the support they need at school. The project, part of a wider new programme of support for children with dyslexia and their teachers, identifies ‘trailblazer’ schools and local authorities leading the way in meeting the needs of dyslexic pupils. Through these ‘trailblazers’ the project will champion specialist dyslexia training for teachers; develop examples of good practice which can be extended locally and nationally; and forge stronger partnerships with dyslexia charities and businesses to provide quality support and education for dyslexia pupils. The Government’s £900,000 will be matched by charitable contributions in cash or kind to launch ‘No to Failure’ as an independent, managed project. ‘No to Failure’ will develop an initial pilot project in the London Borough of Southwark, as a model for extension to other local authorities over the coming months. More...

14 May 2007: Clinical case for change in mental health services

The Department of Health has issued a new report written by Prof Louis Appleby. Breaking Down Barriers argues the clinical case for change within mental health services. Read the report...

10 May 2007: Improving access to psychological therapies

The Care Services Improvement Partnerrship (CSIP) have published a best practice guide to improving access to psychological therapies based on pilot work in Newham and Doncaster. More...

8 May 2007: DRC seeks views about employment and the public sector

The Disability Rights Commission is currently producing an advice document for public sector employers about the Disability Equality Duty and employment issues. They would like to hear from employers, disabled staff groups, trade unions or others who are equality impact assessing their employment policies about the improvements made as a result of the assessments. If you have any information about the assessment of your employment policies which you would like to share with the DRC, please contact michelle.valentine@drc-gb.org

8 May 2007: Clarification on future of supported permitted work

We've been seeking clarification on the future of supported permitted work in the light of the 2008 welfare reform. There is a link to the DWP response below. It seems that people on contributory Employment Support Allowance (ESA) will be able to undertake suported permitted work with no time limit whereas those on income-related ESA will have a 52 week limit placed on this. All individuals can continue to work without time limits under the earnings disregard rules. Read the response...

8 May 2007: Independent Living Review - regional events

The Independent Living Review is a cross-government project led by the Office for Disability Issues (ODI), which was launched last July to identify imaginative and practical solutions to support independent living for disabled people. The review takes a life course approach from young people in transition to adulthood and including older people. One of the Independent Living Review’s aims is to develop options for improved access to mainstream services, with a particular focus on transport, access to healthcare, housing and employment. The review is now developing its policy proposals and is holding a series of regional events to discuss these proposals with individuals and their organisations. Invitation letter...

2 May 2007: DRC/HSE statement on risk assessment

The Disability Rights Commission and the Health and Safety Executive have issued a joint statement on overarching principles of health and safety management and disability. In the statement they say that they believe that health and safety law and its implementation is in the interests of all employees, whether disabled or non-disabled, and of the employer. Disabled people should expect effective and enabling risk management in the workplace. More...

27 April 2007: Views wanted on Freud Report

The Government is looking for provider views on the content and recommendations of the Freud Report before issuing its response later this summer. It particularly wants to hear views on back to work support; the contracting model; and rights and responsibilities. Events will be held in May and written comments should be sent by email or by post to Freud Review Team, Level 2, The Adelphi, 1-11 Jahn Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT.

26 April 2007: Learning disability - best practice guide from Beacon authorities

The Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA) has produced a guide showing how local leaders can ensure people with learning disabilities take their rightful place in everyday life. The guide has best practice examples from the 'Valuing people' Beacons. It includes sections on leading local change, developing better opportunities and support and has contact details for further information. More...

10 April 2007: CESI publishes guide for working families

The Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion has published a Guide for Working Families - a comprehensive guide to employment rights, choosing childcare and the financial support available to working parents. More...

10 April 2007: Cabinet Office seeks partner to find social enterprise ambassadors

The Cabinet Office has published an invitation to tender for developing and delivering a new programme to create at least 20 new social enterprise ambassadors. Ambassadors will need to be social entrepreneurs with great stories to tell about how this way of doing business changes people's lives. They will commit some of their time to awareness raising activities, for example through events and the media. The new delivery partner will find the ambassadors through an open and transparent process, and provide a supporting infrastructure for them. More...

10 April 2007: ACAS produces guide to flexible working

Acas has published a new booklet – Flexible working and work-life balance – to help employers and employees understand how flexible working can benefit their workplace. There are around 1.6 million employees providing some kind of unpaid care. From 6 April there is a new right to request flexible working for those who have caring responsibilities. The new booklet, which can be viewed for free at www.acas.org.uk, guides employers and employees through a range of issues on flexible working.

2 April 2007: £32 million for cities to tackle worklessness

15 areas across Britain will be given £32 million in a scheme to give local areas more control over plans to tackle worklessness. The 15 areas, which have been chosen as pathfinders in the Cities Strategy, will get direct control of £32 million from the Government’s Deprived Areas Fund after devising their own plans and targets to help people get the support they need to find work. They will also have a key role in shaping the delivery of the Government’s flagship Pathways to Work programme to help people off incapacity benefit, have access to improved data-sharing, and a greater ability to influence the provision of training opportunities and employment programmes at a local level. More...

2 April 2007: BASE appoints Chris Wise as Executive Officer

BASE has appointed its first full time employee. Dr Christopher Wise starts work on 10 April and will be based in Gloucester. We are establishing an office at GIS Gloucester and will publish contact details for the office and for Chris shortly. Chris has a background in working within trade associations and was previously the Head of Policy and Training with the National Federation of Builders. We are delighted to welcome Chris to this new role and are confident that he will significantly improve communications and the services that BASE offers to its members. More about Chris...

2 April 2007: Transfer of responsibility for contracted employment programmes

DWP have written to providers to remind them about the transfer of responsibility for employment programmes delivered through external providers on 1st April 2007 from Jobcentre Plus to Work, Welfare and Equality Group (WWEG) and Commercial and Estates Directorate (CED). This means that overall responsibility for procurement and contract management moves from Matthew Nicholas, Director of External Relations and Communications Directorate in Jobcentre Plus to David Smith, DWP’s Commercial Director.

A new ‘Delivery Directorate’ within WWEG will play a critical role, working closely with Jobcentre Plus, CED and external partners in taking forward the welfare reform agenda. Stephen Martin, interim Director of the new Delivery Directorate, will be writing in the next two weeks with further information about the role of the new directorate. This change does not affect the contracting relationship and local contacts remain the same. Read the letter...

30 March 2007: UK signs UN Convention on disability rights

The UK will tomorrow be one of the first countries to sign the United Nations Convention on Disability Rights. Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, will sign the Convention on behalf of the UK at a ceremony held at the UN in New York. The Convention marks a significant step forward in ensuring disabled people across the world have the same human rights as every one else. It covers aspects such as disabled people’s rights to education, employment and participation in political and public life.

30 March 2007: PM addresses role of work in 21st century

Tony Blair delivered the seventh in his series of Our Nation's Future lectures in Manchester today. You can watch it again by following the link below. This time the focus was on the role of work in the 21st century. The PM insisted that it was time to put "work" back at the centre of the political debate. He said the government should support those who feel insecure or pressured by the challenges of the globalised economy - this includes giving people the skills and education to compete. Employees rights should also be strengthened further to build on the success of the minimum wage. He was pleased that maternity pay is to be extended from six to nine months from next week. More...

29 March 2007: New diplomas for 14-19 year olds

The DfES has announced that up to 40,000 places on the first ever Diplomas will be available for young people from September 2008. Courses in five areas, from engineering to creative and media, will be offered by pioneering partnerships of schools, colleges and training organisations. These groups are working with employers to give young people hands-on options alongside other qualifications like GCSEs, A-levels and apprenticeships. Students will be able to learn in different environments, including schools, colleges and the workplace.

Up to 40,000 places will be available for students aged 14 - 19 for the first new Diplomas in construction and the built environment; engineering; society, health and development; IT; and creative and media. These new qualifications will help students to progress towards skilled jobs and further and university education. Diplomas will therefore be available for the full ability range. 145 groups of schools, colleges and training providers ('consortia') have been given the green light by ministers to offer places on Diploma courses to students in 97 local authority areas in England. More...

29 March 2007: BASE meets with Vocational Rehabilitation Association

BASE today met with the Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA) to explore the potential for future joint working. The VRA have been instrumental in preparatory work around workforce qualifications for the rehabilitation sector and are also involved in work to start a Council for Rehabilitation, an industry wide institute for professional practice across the whole rehabilitation agenda. We had a very positive meeting and will be maintaining contact to look at opportunities for joint working.

21 March 2007: DTI consults on streamlined workplace dispute resolution

The DTI has launched a consultation on how to improve the way employment disputes are resolved, while preserving existing employees’ rights. The consultation follows a wide-ranging independent review by Michael Gibbons commissioned in December by Secretary of State Alistair Darling. The Government is committed to piloting any new approach to dispute resolution that follows the consultation. The consultation ends on 20 June. More...

21 March 2007: Budget headlines

The Chancellor has announced that a number of large retail employers have agreed to work in partnership with Jobcentre Plus at a local level, to help the long-term unemployed and economically inactive back to work. The signatory employers will encourage their managers to enter into a Local Employment Partnership with Jobcentre Plus. This Partnership agreement incorporates steps which employers will take to help Jobcentre Plus in supporting benefit claimants into work. These measures will include one or more of:

• offering two to four week work trials to a number of local benefit claimants;
• increasing the number of subsidised employment places available to New Deal participants;
• helping Jobcentre Plus and partners design pre-employment training programmes that meet employers’ needs, and agreeing in turn to guarantee interviews or jobs to local benefit claimants who complete this training;
• encouraging their employees to volunteer to provide mentoring for long-term benefit claimants, to help prepare them for work; and
• review their application processes to ensure that local benefit claimants are not inadvertently excluded by, for example, requirements for qualifications or overly complicated procedures.

Other measures in the budget include:

• further help to lone parents to stay in employment, by continuing to make In-Work Credit available to eligible lone parents in the current pilot areas until June 2008, benefiting over 250,000 lone parents, and offering a higher rate of £60 across the whole of London;
• introducing a four-week run-on in entitlement to Working Tax Credit from the day that a previously eligible claimant ceases to work 16 hours;
• testing reforms to the education and training offered to participants on New Deal for young people, and testing a seamless link from New Deal to in-work training delivered through Train to Gain;
• trialling short, work-focused approaches for English as a second or other language (ESOL) courses in the London Cities Strategy pathfinders for parents on benefits or tax credits;
• further improve the administration of Housing Benefit, and setting out an intention to reform Housing Benefit subsidy for temporary accommodation;
• introducing a package of measures to align further and simplify the benefits system; and
• following the Low Pay Commission recommendations, raising the adult rate of the National Minimum Wage to £5.52 per hour, the youth rate, for workers aged between 18 to 21, to £4.60 and the development rate, for 16 and 17- year olds to £3.40; all from October 2007.

20 March 2007: Announcement of future changes to permitted work

Lord McKenzie, DWP junior minister, announced yesterday that there are plans to align the existing permitted work higher earnings limit between the contributory and income-related elements of the benefit. This sounds like anyone claiming Employment Support Allowance in the future will be able to earn up to £86 per week for up to 52 weeks, without it affecting their benefit entitlement. We understand that this applies whether they are judged by the PCA to be capable of work or not. Read his announcement...

15 March 2007: DWP research into Pathways to Work: Extension to Existing Customers

DWP has published a qualitative research report on the ‘Pathways to Work’ Incapacity Benefit Reform pilots. Read the report... The main findings of the published research are:

• Incapacity Benefit Personal Advisers (IBPAs) generally welcomed the idea of offering existing customers support;
• Existing customers tend to have more complex and entrenched barriers to work than new customers. Their barriers to work created challenges for IBPAs in terms of the scope for effective referrals and outcomes;
• Customers supported the idea of Pathways in principle but questioned the timing of the intervention if coping with chronic conditions;
• There was a reduced work-focus within the Work Focused Interviews compared to new customers;
• Instead, IBPAs tended to focus on exploring barriers, building a relationship and reassuring customers that the programme would not force them back to work;
• The Condition Management Programme was seen to be the most appropriate referral option for existing customers, but group work was off-putting to some customers and sometimes they felt the programme was too short;
• New Deal for Disabled People Job Brokers and the Return to Work Credit were rarely used since so few customers were seen to be close to employment;
• Customers were at an early stage in Pathways so there were few outcomes to report;
• There were some positive 'soft' outcomes indicating progress, such as customers being positive about IBPAs and the Work Focused Interviews process and for those referred to the Condition management Programme, an understanding of their health condition.

14 March 2007: London Assembly's report on incapacity benefits

The London Assembly has produced a report on incapacity benefits. The report calls for measures to ensure that the Government’s reforms on incapacity benefits work for London. It recommends improvements to services provided, especially to claimants with mental illnesses or learning disabilities. Read the report...

7 March 2007: DWP publishes employer survey

This report presents findings from the quantitative survey that was commissioned to identify the practices and preferences of employers in filling low-skilled vacancies. It looks at the methods used in recruiting for low-skilled jobs and the key characteristics that employers look for when recruiting. Read the report...

5 March 2007: Freud Review published

A radical review of the welfare system carried out by David Freud has now been published. Read the report... The recommendations in David Freud’s report, Reducing Dependency, Increasing Opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work include:

• Greater use of private and voluntary sector resources and expertise so harder–to-help benefit claimants receive more employment support – particularly existing customers who have been trapped on benefit for long periods of time;
• A new focus on long term mentoring to tackle the problem of repeat benefit claimants – helping keep customers in work and encouraging them to progress to higher paid jobs rather than returning to benefit dependency;
• Greater rewards for organisations that are successful in helping claimants find and stay in work, with higher payments based on sustaining customers in employment for as long as three years. This could be financed by savings to the taxpayer from having the customer in work rather than claiming benefit;
• Greater personalisation of employment support, with higher financial incentives for organisations to target resources at the hardest-to-help who need more support before they are ready to return to work;
• Retaining Jobcentre Plus’s role in helping customers during the early stages of their period on benefit and creating a new role for the organisation to assess how much support individual claimants are likely to need before they are ready to return to work;
• Rebalancing rights and responsibilities in the welfare system – matching increased support with greater obligations on claimants to look for work. In particular placing greater responsibilities on lone parents with older children to look for work once their youngest child reaches 12, rather than the current age of 16; and
• Simplification of the benefits system.

2 March 2007: Inclusiveness in public procurement

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Meg Munn, spoke at a Confederation of British Industry event held on 1 March 2007. She talked about the importance of diversity and inclusiveness in public procurement and how the Equalities Review will help tackle persistent inequalities within society. Read the speech...

2 March 2007: Early discounts extended for EUSE conferemnce

The deadline for early booking discounts for thwe 2007 EUSE conference in Belfast has been extended from 28 February to 16 March.

1 March 2007: New research into persistent employment disadvantage

DWP has published a research report into the employment experience of different disadvantaged groups. There's no great surprises as it confirms that disabled people and Muslim women face the toughest barriers. Read the report...

28 February 2007: Equalities Review published

The Equalities Review, "Fairness and Freedom: The Final Report of the Equalities Review" has been published by the Cabinet Office. The review was set up to investigate the causes of persistent discrimination and inequality in British society. Communities Minister Ruth Kelly welcomed the review saying that it was a "key piece of work tackling the issues at the heart of persistent inequality within our society which provides a useful framework for future progression". In response, Sir Bert Massie, Chairman of the Disability Rights Commission said, "This report shows the terrible urgency needed to resolve the deep-seated social and economic inequality facing disabled people today. In addition to the Review’s recommendations, we believe the Government’s considerable spending power should be harnessed to influence its contractual arrangements with the private sector, so that equality is put at the heart of their business." More...

28 February 2007: LSC seeks expression of interest from providers

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for England invites expressions of interest from organisations for the supply of learning and skills provision to employers, employees and individuals not in work across England in the following areas: Basic Skills and Employability provision for Jobcentre Plus customers, Apprenticeships, Work Based Learning, Apprenticeships for Adults, A range of enhanced skills and employment activities, Specific areas of provision as identified in Regional Commissioning Plans.

All organisations wishing to work with the LSC must be registered as a provider with them. The closing date for completion of the PQQ expressions of interest is 16 March 2007. More...

28 February 2007: ODI plans consultation events

The Office for Disability Issues has announced four events around their consultation - Equality for disabled people: how will we know we are making progress? They are holding four regional events on the following dates: Cardiff (19th March); Edinburgh (27 March); London (30 March); Manchester (4 April). Registration for these events is now open through the website www.livegroup.co.uk/consultationevents/. This website also contains details of the venues, the agenda, and answers to a number of 'frequently asked questions'.

28 February 2007: Action Plan for Social Exclusion

The Prime Minister has set out progress on tackling social exclusion six months after the publication of the cross-Government Social Exclusion Action Plan. The action plan, published in September 2006, set out the actions being taken across government to improve the life chances of those who suffer, or may suffer in the future, from disadvantage. More...

26 February 2007: Welfare reform blog launched by DWP

DWP have launched a blog giving updates on the department's welfare reform plans and providing users with the opportunity to comment on posts made on the blog. Read the blog...

23 February 2007: Last chance for EUSE 2007 conference discount!

NIUSE has announced the conference programme and keynote speakers for the 2007 EUSE conference at Waterfront Hall, Belfast on June 13-15. Delegates must book before 28 February 2007 to qualify for the early delegate rate. Delegates can register online at www.euseconference2007.org where conference programmes and rates are available.

22 February 2007: Scottish Executive publishes Adult Rehabilitation Framework

The Scottish Executive has just published a comprehensive framework for the delivery Adult Rehabilitation. The purpose of the framework is to give strategic direction and support to all health and social care services and practitioners who deliver rehabilitation services to individuals and communities. The document focuses on core principles of rehabilitation specifically as they relate to older people, adults with long-term conditions and people returning from work absence and/or aiming to stay in employment. The Minister has announced a £2 million fund over 2 years for implementation. More...

14 February 2007: Consultation on measuring progress towards equality for disabled people

Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire, has announced the launch of a public consultation to ask disabled people what equality means to them, and to gain their views on how Government can best monitor progress towards equality for disabled people. The consultation is being led by the Office for Disability Issues. The consultation launch coincides with the publication by the Disability Rights Commission of their “Disability Agenda”. More...

9 February 2007: Pathways to Work tendering put back at last minute

Jobcentre Plus has this morning contacted organisations tendering for Pathways to Work provision to notify them that the tendering process has been put back. Tenders for the phase 1 private and voluntary led roll-out were due to be submitted by lunchtime today but this has now been put back until 11 April to take account of some additional information regarding the introduction of the Employment Support Allowance (ESA). Service delivery is now expected to start in November or December 2007 rather than in October. Read the letter...

9 February 2007: Disability Rights campaigners condemn education cuts

An internal report by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for the Department for Education and Skills revealed 3,000 out of the 20,000 course places had been cut last year on the grounds that more appropriate classes could be offered through day care centres. The reduction had been across the UK except for London and the South East. A key issue for the department was the standard of teaching in many cases was deemed to be too low. Quality of provision was considered poor by the education inspectorate Ofsted in a survey published last month. The findings drew an angry response from campaigners who argued the services had never received funding levels to reach an acceptable standard and that as a result severely disabled people were being deprived of opportunities. They also raised concern that focus was solely on disabled people who could be helped into work.

David Congdon, head of campaigns at Mencap, said "There are funding pressures and issues of quality. That's not an excuse to cut provision but improve it". Bill Rammell, the education minister at the heart of the row, rejected the claims that the government was trying to move severely disabled people into day care.

8 February 2007: Employers encouraged to make "skills pledge"

The Chancellor Gordon Brown and Education Secretary Alan Johnson have called on all employers to sign up to a ‘Skills Pledge’ to ensure that all their employees reach a skills level equivalent to five good GCSEs. The Skills Pledge, part of a plan to equip Britain’s workforce for the future, will share responsibility between the State, employer and employees and will be open to all employers irrespective of size, status or sector. It is designed to stimulate demand for training services and support a new culture where gaining skills is taken as a matter of course.

8 February 2007: New guidance issued on permitted work and the minimum wage

The Department for Trade and Industry has issued new guidance that supersedes earlier versions. The law itself has not changed though since the earlier versions. The guide aims to dispel some of the doubt and uncertainty surrounding the issue of therapeutic activity and whether the minimum wage is likely to apply. The Department is keen to monitor the effectiveness of our guidance, in particular whether it has helped to reduce uncertainty for those involved in this field. They would very much welcome feedback on the guidance by the end of April 2007. Comments can be sent to Mike.O'Donnell@dti.gsi.gov.uk. Hard copies of the guidance are available shortly from the DTI publications orderline on 0845 015 0010. Read the guidance...

7 February 2007: New fund to support quality part-time work development

The Department for Communities and Local Government has launched a bidding round for a new Quality Part-Time Work Fund. The fund has been set up by DCLG in response to the Women and Work Commission, to support projects that facilitate part-time working. For example, employers can apply to the fund to seek specialist advice on how to create and retain more quality roles available on a part-time and flexible basis in their organisation. A total budget of £500,000 is available for employers in the private, public and voluntary sector. The closing date for applications is the 13th March 2007. More...

6 February 2007: New guidance about information for disabled people

Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire, has announced the launch of a five point guide that will help public sector organisations to improve the way that they provide information to disabled people. The guide, written by the Office for Disability Issues (ODI), follows research which shows that a third of disabled people have difficulty accessing goods and services, all too often because the way information is being provided is not good enough. The new guide outlines five principles for producing better information for disabled people:

• Ensure that disabled people are involved from the start
• Provide information through a range of channels and formats
• Ensure your information meets users’ needs
• Clearly signpost other services
• Always make it clear who is responsible for the information provided.

30 January 2007: Ofsted report on outcomes for college students with disabilities and learning difficulties

The report is based on a survey of 22 colleges and eight local Learning and Skills Councils, and an analysis of the reports of 13 inspections. Its purpose was to evaluate provision for learners between 16 and 18 years of age with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in post-16 settings. Amongst the findings, the report states that progression from pre-entry level to entry level programmes had improved but learners’ progression to employment, vocational programmes and further training remained underdeveloped. Colleges placed insufficient emphasis on developing learners’ work-related skills. Read the report...

30 January 2007: Review of Industrial injuries disablement benefit

Jim Murphy, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, has announced a review of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) scheme. IIDB provides compensation and benefits for people who are injured or made ill through work. The benefit was introduced in 1948 when 61% of jobs were in heavy industry. This has now halved, with 70% of today’s workforce in office and service occupations. The review will address questions such as what is the purpose of a ‘no-fault’ occupational injuries and diseases scheme; who should be covered by a new occupational injury scheme; and whether employers should do more to help reduce the risks of work related accidents and illness occurring. More...

28 January 2007: LSC consults on delivering world class skills

The DfES and LSC have unveiled new proposals for a consultation on a new funding approach for learning and skills. The consultation runs until 30 March 2007. Delivering World Class Skills in a Demand-led System will allow the Government and LSC to put the requirements of young people, adults and employers first. The aim is to allow the Further Education system to become more flexible and self-regulated. Employers will be able to determine the content of qualifications and advise on curriculum design.

Funding will follow employers’ demand and they will be able to choose their preferred suppliers. Adult learners will be given purchasing power to use entitlements to learning through new learner accounts. A new career service will give them a free ‘skills health check’ and high quality information advice and guidance. To reduce bureaucracy for colleges and providers detailed plans will no longer need to be agreed with colleges and providers. Funding for adult and employer provision will depend on numbers of learners providers can attract. More...

25 January 2007: Funding announced for social enterprise

Health Minister, Ivan Lewis MP, has announced a £73 million funding boost for social enterprise. The money is to be spread over four years through a social enterprise fund and will go towards supporting and encouraging the development of social enterprises in health and social care. More...

25 January 2007: North West LSC publishes disability strategy

The North West LSC has published a draft strategy for implementing the national Learning for Living and Work initiative. There will be a consultation period in place until 25 February. The other LSC regions are at various stages in finalising their regional strategies. Visit the regional consultation webpage...

17 January 2007: Public Accounts Committee calls for better data

The Public Accounts Committee has said it is impossible to gauge whether the £320m spent by the Department for Work and Pensions on programmes to support people with disabilities find employment is well spent because data was "patchy and unreliable". They revealed that although a million people claiming incapacity say they would like to return to work, just 160,000 have taken up one of the six government programmes aimed at helping them.

MPs said the six initiatives often overlapped each other or were too rigid. Instead, they argued the department should switch to early intervention schemes that enable people to stay in their jobs after they become disabled. For those that are helped to find work, MPs said there was no support to enable them to stay in the workforce.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said there was widespread confusion over where specialist support from public services could be found with little guidance available to help people navigate their way around the system. "As so often with government initiatives, the management data about costs and outcomes is patchy and unreliable. That means the department is not properly managing its support programmes, a conclusion supported by the fact that the quality of services provided around the country and what the DWP pays providers vary widely." Read the report...

11 January 2007: Proposal to increase workers' holiday entitlement

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is launching a second public consultation on the implementation of the changes. Some employers currently include the eight bank holidays as part of workers' 20-day annual leave entitlement. Statutory annual leave entitlement would be increased in two stages, rising from 20 to 24 days on 1st October 2007, and from 24 to 28 days on 1st October 2008. More...

4 January 2007: Surrey Supported Employment conference

Surrey Supported Employment network is holding a conference 24 April 2007 on the theme of "Best Practice and Quality Services". Speakers include Jeremy Hunt (Shadow Minister for Disabled People), Christy Lynch, Keith Faulkner (Working Links) and Huw Davies (BASE). The event takes place at Royal Holloway - University of London, Egham, Surrey and the cost is £35 for members of Surrey Supported Employment or £45 for non-members. Conference brochure...

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