Freelance Projects, Design and Programming Tutorials
A new play that tells the story of film-makers shooting a movie about Julian Assange’s life has just opened in Sydney.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Ministers say school trips can broaden children’s horizons The government is publishing new guidelines for parents and teachers in England which it hopes will mean more children go on school trips.
The Department for Education has told schools and local authorities to ditch “unnecessary paperwork”, and has cut its 150 pages of guidelines to eight.
Education Secretary Michael Gove said it would mean a “more common sense approach to health and safety”.
And the Health and Safety Executive said it hoped to dispel legal “myths”.
HSE chairman Judith Hackitt told the Daily Telegraph that health and safety was often being used as “scapegoat”.
“The creeping culture of risk-aversion and fear of litigation… puts at risk our children’s education and preparation for adult life,” she said.
“Children today are denied – often on spurious health and safety grounds – many of the formative experiences that shaped my generation.
“Playgrounds have become joyless, for fear of a few cuts and bruises. Science in the classroom is becoming sterile and uninspiring.”
Ministers said school trips could broaden children’s horizons but fear of prosecution was too often used as an excuse not to organise them.
They said that in the past five years only two cases had been brought against schools for breaches of health and safety law on a visit.
The new guidelines clarify that written parental consent is not needed for each activity and encourage schools to use a new one-off consent form signed once when a child starts at a school.
Mr Gove said: “Children should be able to go on exciting school trips that broaden their horizons.
“That is why we are cutting unnecessary red tape in schools and putting teachers back in charge.
“This new, slimmer advice means a more common sense approach to health and safety. It will make it easier for schools to make lessons more inspiring and fun.”
The Department for Education says the revised guidance:
Summarises the legal duties of head teachers, governing bodies and local authorities on health and safety, and covers activities that take place on and off school premisesMakes clear that a written risk assessment does not need to be carried out every time a school takes pupils on a regular, routine local visit, for example to a swimming pool or museumTackles “myths and teachers’ fears about being prosecuted” by making the law clearerClarifies that parental consent is not necessary for pupils to take part in the majority of off-site activities organised by a school, as most of these activities take place during school hours and are a normal part of a child’s education.
The National Union of Teachers has welcomed the move but said proper protection for staff and children should be maintained.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will continue their official tour of Canada with a visit to the province of Quebec.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Guests return to Hilton Hotel in London’s Park Lane after a fire which led to 1,500 people being evacuated from the building.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Guests return to Hilton Hotel in London’s Park Lane after a fire which led to 1,500 people being evacuated from the building.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Ministers are looking to revamp the social care system in England Ministers in England must not shy away from finding more money to fix the “broken” social care system, the head of an independent review says.
Next week Andrew Dilnot will recommend an overhaul of the support given to the elderly and adults with disabilities.
He said he wanted to create a system where no-one pays any more than they do now – and some pay a lot less.
But he conceded it would require more funding from the government to work – albeit a relatively small amount.
His comments come amid signs the government is concerned about committing extra money at a time when many budgets are being cut.
At the moment, the support provided by councils is means-tested so that anyone with assets over £23,250 has to pay for all the costs of their care.
It means that thousands of people a year are forced to sell their homes when they go into a care home.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the publication of the Commission on Funding Care and Support’s report on Monday, Mr Dilnot said the system was now “broken” after being left largely untouched for 70 years.
“This is the only major risk people face where there is no sharing of risks.
“I think there is no doubt to make this system better we are going to have to pay more. It does need more resource, but at the moment the amount we spend on this is rather small”
Andrew Dilnot Commission on Funding of Care and Support
“Our health care needs, the consequences of having a car crash, the consequences of having your house burn down – all of those are covered either by the state or private sector.
“Here the state doesn’t cover you and the private sector won’t cover you so people are exposed to a very large risk with nothing they can do about it.”
He said the situation was leaving people “frightened”.
Mr Dilnot is widely expected to recommend a cap – perhaps as much as £50,000 – on the amount the individual pays so that those who face extremely high costs do not end up losing everything.
He refused to confirm that, but said such a system would not leave anybody worse off.
“Nobody would pay more than they do at the moment. If you are one of those with very high care costs then the high part of that would be taken away by the state. If you are someone who has low care costs then you would pay them just as you would at the moment.”
He warned the government it had to be prepared to pay more.
Earlier this week care services minister Paul Burstow suggested the reaction to the recommendations could be “lukewarm” – the Treasury is thought to have some misgivings about more funding.
Spending on social care tops £14bn a year at the moment – around an eighth of what the NHS gets. A cap of £50,000 would leave the state having to find an estimated £2bn a year.
But Mr Dilnot does not believe this should be a problem.
“I think there is no doubt to make this system better we are going to have to pay more. It does need more resource, but at the moment the amount we spend on this is rather small.”
A spokeswoman for the Treasury said no decisions had been taken.
She added: “Once we have received the report, we will consider its findings and welcome continued constructive engagement from all stakeholders.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The BBC’s Alexandra Mackenzie reports on what police say was “significant disorder” in east Belfast following a “mini Twelfth” parade on Friday night.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The BBC’s Alexandra Mackenzie reports on what police say was “significant disorder” in east Belfast following a “mini Twelfth” parade on Friday night.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
A new play that tells the story of film-makers shooting a movie about Julian Assange’s life has just opened in Sydney.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Another public meeting is planned in Llanelli on Wednesday Plans to house ex-offenders in a former nursing home in Llanelli which sparked a protest will not go ahead.
Around 300 people protested, some taking their sofas into the street, after the St Elli nursing home on Queen Victoria Road was identified as a site.
Swansea-based charity Caer Las said it had lost out in its bid for the building.
Protesters welcomed the news but said they were concerned the hostel would open at another residential location.
They are staging another public meeting on Wednesday.
Queen Victoria Road resident Catrina Waldron said: “We are very relieved about it.
“We thought it was an inappropriate location and too big.
The old nursing home had been earmarked as a hostel “We had a lot of support from throughout Llanelli so we don’t think it would be fare for us to back off until we have transparency from Carmarthenshire council.”
She said they wanted assurances that residents living near any new proposed site would be informed and consulted as they were concerned no planning permission was needed.
She said council officers had been invited to attend Wednesday’s meeting at the Selwyn Samuel Centre at 1830 BST.
Last Sunday people protested outside the nursing home – some carrying their sofas into the road.
Andrew Templeton, head of human resources at Caer Las, said: “Our bid to purchase the former St Elli nursing home was unsuccessful due to another bidder being in a better position to complete in a shorter time frame.
“The site would have provided temporary accommodation and support to ex-offenders to help them reintegrate back into mainstream society and turn their lives around.”
Carmarthenshire council’s head housing, Robin Staines, confirmed officers could not attend Wednesday’s meeting.
“We are keen to meet with residents to discuss their concerns and have offered to meet with representatives of the residents’ group in the near future,” he added.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
A new play that tells the story of film-makers shooting a movie about Julian Assange’s life has just opened in Sydney.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will continue their official tour of Canada with a visit to the province of Quebec.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will continue their official tour of Canada with a visit to the province of Quebec.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
A roadside bomb has killed at least 11 members of a family of Afghan refugees returning home from Pakistan through Zabul province.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Ministers are looking to revamp the social care system in England Ministers in England must not shy away from finding more money to fix the “broken” social care system, the head of an independent review says.
Next week Andrew Dilnot will recommend an overhaul of the support given to the elderly and adults with disabilities.
He said he wanted to create a system where no-one pays any more than they do now – and some pay a lot less.
But he conceded it would require more funding from the government to work – albeit a relatively small amount.
His comments come amid signs the government is concerned about committing extra money at a time when many budgets are being cut.
At the moment, the support provided by councils is means-tested so that anyone with assets over £23,250 has to pay for all the costs of their care.
It means that thousands of people a year are forced to sell their homes when they go into a care home.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the publication of the Commission on Funding Care and Support’s report on Monday, Mr Dilnot said the system was now “broken” after being left largely untouched for 70 years.
“This is the only major risk people face where there is no sharing of risks.
“I think there is no doubt to make this system better we are going to have to pay more. It does need more resource, but at the moment the amount we spend on this is rather small”
Andrew Dilnot Commission on Funding of Care and Support
“Our health care needs, the consequences of having a car crash, the consequences of having your house burn down – all of those are covered either by the state or private sector.
“Here the state doesn’t cover you and the private sector won’t cover you so people are exposed to a very large risk with nothing they can do about it.”
He said the situation was leaving people “frightened”.
Mr Dilnot is widely expected to recommend a cap – perhaps as much as £50,000 – on the amount the individual pays so that those who face extremely high costs do not end up losing everything.
He refused to confirm that, but said such a system would not leave anybody worse off.
“Nobody would pay more than they do at the moment. If you are one of those with very high care costs then the high part of that would be taken away by the state. If you are someone who has low care costs then you would pay them just as you would at the moment.”
He warned the government it had to be prepared to pay more.
Earlier this week care services minister Paul Burstow suggested the reaction to the recommendations could be “lukewarm” – the Treasury is thought to have some misgivings about more funding.
Spending on social care tops £14bn a year at the moment – around an eighth of what the NHS gets. A cap of £50,000 would leave the state having to find an estimated £2bn a year.
But Mr Dilnot does not believe this should be a problem.
“I think there is no doubt to make this system better we are going to have to pay more. It does need more resource, but at the moment the amount we spend on this is rather small.”
A spokeswoman for the Treasury said no decisions had been taken.
She added: “Once we have received the report, we will consider its findings and welcome continued constructive engagement from all stakeholders.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.