Newsletter
“A consortium of leading women’s organisations providing expertise on improving the health of all women and girls in England”OCTOBER 2015
WHEC
Presentation on the Care Act – WHEC and the Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) jointly presented at the MoPAC VAWG Coordinators’ Forum on the Implications of Care Act on VAWG services. Tanzia Ahmed from WHEC delivered a brief introduction of the Act and Ila Chandavarkar from (WRC) presented on the implications and challenges of the Social Care Act for the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) and more broadly.
WHEC speaks at UCL – UCL has hosted the launch event of their gender equity campaign titled 'Gender and Health: Does It Matter?' at University College Londonon the evening of 13thOctober. Medsin UCL is the first branch across the UK to launch a GenderEquity Campaign. Medsin is part of a national network of students from all disciplines who are working together to try and make a difference in the fight for globalhealth equity. UCL invited WHEC to speak on why the aim of building a shared understanding of the issues surrounding women and girls’ health and equality is important and how the organisation goes about that.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Providing High Quality Mental and Social Care Services – Care Minister Care Minister Alistair Burt set out priorities on providing high quality mental health care and support for social care in his recent speech at the National Children and Adults’ Services conference. To read the full speech, please click here.
Clampdown on NHS Staffing Agency Costs – A tough further clampdown on staffing agencies and highly-paid NHS managers employed through agencies has been announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on 13 October 2015. This will cap the amount companies can charge per shift for all staff, including doctors and non-clinical personnel. Additionally, NHS regulators will be setting expectations on overall levels of agency spend for each NHS organisation. To read the news in details, please click here.
Winter Campaign Starts with Largest Flu Vaccination Program – The “Stay Well This Winter” campaign begins with a national flu vaccination programme for children. For the first time, the youngest primary school children in 17,000 schools will be eligible to receive the free nasal spray vaccine, making this the largest school-based vaccination programme ever in England. All frontline NHS staff will once again be offered a free flu jab this season in order to protect themselves and patients from infection. To read more on NHS’ preparation for the campaign, please click here.
NHS ENGLAND
Achieving better outcomes and better value with RightCare – This week marks the first anniversary of the launch of the NHS Five Year Forward View and progress on its delivery will feature as part of NHS England’s Annual General Meeting. The Five Year Forward View set out some clear challenges for the health system. Demand for healthcare is rising and is set to rise further as the population grows and ages. Professor Mathew Cripps, the National Director of NHS RightCare, looks at increasing value of healthcare through examples. To read the rest of the blog, please click here.
‘Passport’ style brief of young people’s mental health launched – A ‘passport’ style brief of key facts that children and young people using mental health services can use to help them avoid repeating their history and preferences is launched on 15 October 2015 The ‘passport’ idea, which includes clinical information as well as key personal preferences, has been developed by young people, parents and carers and can now be used across care settings either on paper or on mobile phones. To read the “Future in Mind” report, click here. For more information on mental health, please visit the mental section of NHS England.
NHS’s Digital Primary Care – Digital systems are the foundation upon which we will build a modern, efficient and responsive health service. GP IT systems sit at the heart of primary care technology facilitating and recording millions of interactions with patients every week. GP practices have led the way in the move from paper to digital record-keeping and are now well on the way to offering online transactions, such as appointment bookings and repeat prescriptions, across all practices in England. By April 2015, all practices will offer online access for patients to elements of their GP-held records. Check out the recent changes occurring in relation to GP Systems of Choice and GP IT services here.
Patient Online – The Patient Online programme has developed an interactive Support and Resources Guide to help general practices implement their GMS/PMS contractual requirements of online booking of appointments, ordering repeat prescriptions and access to summary information held in patients’ records. The guide includes materials developed by the RCGP, e.g. guidance and practice tools, as well as materials for patients, frequently asked questions, regional and local support arrangements and much more. It offers clarification of pertinent issues such as proxy access and coercion.
PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND
New evidence review of measures to reduce sugar consumption – An evidence review of a broad range of measures to reduce the nation’s excessive sugar consumption has been published on 22 October 2015 by Public Health England. The review, Sugar Reduction: the evidence for action concludes that a range of factors, including marketing, promotions, advertising and the amount of sugar in manufactured food, is contributing to an increase in sugar consumption. A correspondingly broad range of measures is needed in response. The government will use the PHE evidence review to inform its development of a childhood obesity strategy, due in the coming months.
Health Matters: A new resource for professionals – PHE’s Health Matters is a new resource for public health professionals, which brings together important facts, figures and evidence of effective (and cost-effective) interventions to tackle major public health problems and highlights tools and resources that can facilitate local or national action.
CONSULTATIONS
Proposed Changes to Local Payment Rules Covering Mental Health Services in the NHS – Monitor and NHS England are considering requiring commissioners and providers of adult and older people’s mental health care to adopt one of the following payment approaches in 2016/17: a payment approach based on year of care or episode of treatment or a payment approach based on capitation. The feedback will help inform proposals for the local payment rules in the statutory consultation on the 2016/17 national tariff, which will be published in early 2016. This consultation closes on 19 November 2015. To respond to this consultation, please click here.
RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS
Policy Paper
End of life care – The government’s response to the Health Select Committee’s report on end of life care sets out what has been done recently to improve end of life care, including: the five priorities for the acre of the dying person; the Care Quality Commission’s inspection regime; publication of the choice review and ambitions for the palliative and end of life care. The Department of Health has published response was produced by the government in partnership with NHS England, Health Education England and the Care Quality Commission. To read the report, please click here (for PDF copy) or here (for web accessible version).
Guidance document
Statement Opposing Female Genital Mutilation – This statement opposing female genital mutilation (FGM) (often known as the health passport), can be taken abroad to explain the criminal status of FGM in the UK. It outlines what FGM is, the legislation and penalties involved and the help and support available. The document is available in Welsh, Turkish, Urdu, Farsi, French, Somali, Swahili, Arabic, Amharic and Tigrinya. To read the statement, please click here. To gain access to the translated documents in the above languages, please click here.
Learning resources for social work with adults who have autism – These guidance documents have been designed to be used by social workers at all levels, from front line practitioners to senior social workers, social work supervisors and managers, to support them to deliver the best outcomes for the people with whom they work. Click here for the “Manual for Good Social Work Practice” and here for the “CPD Curriculum Guide for Social Workers working with people on the autism spectrum”.
Learning resources for social work with adults who have dementia – This guidance document has been designed to be used by social workers at all levels, from front line practitioners to senior social workers, social work supervisors and managers, to support them to deliver the best outcomes for the people with whom they work. Click here to get access to the “Manual for good social work practice - Supporting adults who have dementia”.
Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation: Guidance for School Nurses – The child sexual exploitation pathway document aims to consolidate best practice by: identifying the school nurse role at different levels of service and outlining a core offer from the school nursing service; summarising the evidence base, including the types of child sexual exploitation, its prevalence and consequences; helping practitioners to recognise child sexual exploitation and to understand its effects on health and wellbeing. To read the guidance documents, please click here.
EVENTS AND TRAINING
EmpowerHouse – A Performance in Celebration ofthe Empowerment of Women and Children: Hosted by Meera Syal and directed by Milli Bhatiathe event showcases new material from womencalling for social change. Date: Monday 09th November 2015, Time: 7.00PM, Venue:Theatre Royal Stratford East. To book your tickets:Call the booking line on 020 8534 0310or book online by visiting the website atwww.stratfordeast.com
Working with gang-affected young women experiencing sexual and domestic violence (Accredited Training) – This is a FREE 5 day course delivered in partnership with AVA. Both WGN and AVA are Open College Network Centres. This accredited course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to work effectively with young people affected by domestic and sexual violence, including gang- related violence. Please visit www.wgn.org.uk/training to download Application and Manager Agreement forms. Completed Application and Manager Agreement forms should be emailed to by the closing date. The closing date for applications is: 20 November 2015.
Fast Track to Successful Fundraising, 29 October 2015 – This course will help you to identify different stages involved in fundraising, and introduce you to the various types of funders and fundraising styles. It will also help you to start exploring the type of funding that best suits your organisation. Registration deadline: Tuesday 27 October, 12 PM. To register, please click here.
Train the Trainer, 3 November 2015 – This one day course guides participants through the key skills needed to design and deliver effective training and handle common difficult situations that may arise. Registration deadline: Friday30October, 12 PM. To register, please click here.
Hackney Borough Surgery, 12 November 2015 – This exciting event will equip your organisation with knowledge on commissioning, give you the opportunity to network with other organisations in Central London and provide you with information on building partnerships. Registration deadline: Tuesday9 November, 12 PM. To register, please click here.
Making the Case: Equalities and Human Rights, 16 November 2015 - This course is primarily for Women’s Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations who are looking to expand their knowledge on Equalities and Human rights legislation, particularly with regard to equality for women. The course is also open to people from the voluntary and community sector working on projects and services for women. Registration deadline: Thursday 12 November, 12 PM. To register, please click here.
Commissioning: Understanding the Basics, 26 November 2015 – This training is for organisations that are new to commissioning and want to understand how to tender for public sector contracts. Registration deadline: Friday 13 November, 12 PM. To register, please click here.
Redbridge Borough Surgery, 1 December 2015 – This event is open to organisations working to support those affected by sexual and domestic violence in London, with a focus on:Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham and Havering. This exciting event will equip your organisation with knowledge on commissioning, give you the opportunity to network with other organisations in Central London and provide you with information on building partnerships. Registration deadline: Friday 27 November, 12 PM. To register, please click here.
Finance Planning for your Organisation, 10 December 2015 - This training gives you the skills to create the documents needed in the financial sections of a business plan, calculate your breakeven point and ensure full cost recovery. Registration deadline: Tuesday 8 December, 12 PM. To register, please click here.
NEWS
Blog piece – 10 Things You Need To Know Before The Government Cuts Sexual Health Services
A Fair Deal for Women – This partnership for women’s equality is still going! Fair Deal has created some handy resources on how to influence at a local level, and on campaigning – including tips on collaborative work. Check it out here and share with your network. Please read, sign and share Fair Deal and follow them on Twitter at @fairdeal2015 to add your voice.
Reports:
Pregnancy Discrimination Makes Women Sick – Maternity action campaign #MothersWork: Recent research by the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) found that one in ten women are discouraged from attending antenatal appointments by their employer. Join Maternity Action in their campaign in asking the Government to stop pregnancy discrimination. Read more on this campaign in their Launch news!
Sex and Power 2015 report
LSE confronting gender equality report
Launch of key findings from Between the Lines: Service Responses to Black and Minority ethnic (BME) Women and Girls Experiencing Sexual Violence, 2015 - The study involved a national mapping survey with existing sexual violence services, and a sample of specialist BME domestic violence services; in-depth interviews with 10 key professionals from different sectors with an expertise in sexual violence. View the full report here.
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