Month: August 2018

Over the last seven months, Highways England has been carrying out a major junction improvement at Barton Hill near York to improve safety and visibility for road users. As part of this £2.8m scheme which completed on Friday, sections of the hedgerow, a number of trees and stone from an old water culvert had to be removed.

But rather than throwing these items away Highways England and its contractor A-one+ have given them a new lease of life by working closely with Jonathan and Julian Curtoys, the owners of Sloemotion.

Highways England project manager Russell Mclean said:

We saved as much of the hedgerow as possible but sections of the hedge had to be removed. The sloe berries used to produce the gin grow on hedgerows, so it seemed like the perfect solution to donate the hedge to this local sloe gin producing firm.

We were able to reduce the amount hedgerow we needed to remove by altering some of the scheme’s drainage and this work will also help to prevent flooding in the area. Some logs from the trees were also donated to Castle Howard stately home to be used as chippings in the ground.

Cabinetmaker and artist Mark Bennett, of the Woodlark in Malton, was also brought on board. He will be taking part of an Oak tree which was removed from the site and transforming it into a bar for Sloemotion. The remainder of the tree will be used to create bat and bird boxes, which will be placed near to the A64.

Mark will also be using some of the removed hedgerows to create innovative displays for the gin company’s products and hand cut stone from the culvert will be used to adorn the company’s new buildings near Barton-le-Willows.

Russell added:

Our work to improve safety at the junction will benefit over 9,000 drivers a day. We have converted the crossroads to a staggered junction by realigning Mains Lane, extended the culvert to allow the carriageway to be widened, constructed 200m of new road and realigned 600m of the A64. We have also relocated a bus stop, an emergency telephone and a pedestrian crossing.

While we were doing this we upgraded and extended an otter fence to prevent them coming onto the A64. And we have reinstalled an old milepost and will be replacing a historic road sign that has been refurbished.

Jonathan Curtoys, Managing Director of Sloemotion, said the junction improvements will benefit his employees who use the junction.

The changes will certainly have a positive benefit for drivers but then to also donating the hedgerow, the stones and timber to local businesses it feels like something is being given back to the community. I commend Highways England and A-one+ for this – it has been a pleasure working with them over the last seven months.

Mark Bennett of The Woodlark added:

It’s great that we can use what would otherwise have gone to waste and give something back to the environment such as the bird and bat boxes.

Later this year replacement hedgerows will be planted.

General enquiries

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The independent expert screening committee has recommended that bowel cancer screening in England should in future start 10 years earlier at age 50.

Currently, men and women, aged 60 to 74, are invited for bowel screening and are sent a home test kit every 2 years to provide stool samples.

Following a comprehensive review of the evidence, the committee recommends that screening should be offered from aged 50 to 74 using the faecal immunochemical home test kit (FIT).

The evidence shows that screening people at a younger age would enable more bowel cancers to be picked up at an earlier stage, where treatment is likely to be more effective and survival chances improved.

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, and Public Health Minister, Steve Brine, have today agreed the recommendations. NHS England and Public Health England will now consider how to transition towards lowering the screening age as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

FIT is a new test due to be rolled out into the national bowel screening programme in the autumn and will initially be offered every 2 years to men and women at the current age range of 60 to 74. FIT is easier to use than the current test and is more accurate in detecting potential cancers. The latest recommendations will not delay the roll out of FIT, which is a priority.

The current bowel screening programme has a complementary procedure, bowel scope, also known as flexible sigmoidoscopy, which is a one-off test offered to men and women at 55. The committee recommends maintaining bowel scope screening in England, where it is currently rolled out until FIT is offered to the same age group.

Professor Anne Mackie, Director of Screening at Public Health England, said:

The risk of bowel cancer rises steeply from around age 50 to 54 and rates are significantly higher among males than females. Starting screening ten years earlier at 50 will help spot more abnormalities at an early stage that could develop into bowel cancer if not detected.

The committee recognises that this change will take time but wants the FIT test to be offered to all aged 60 and over as soon as possible, and options considered for a roll out plan where screening can be offered at 55 and eventually to all aged 50 – ensuring we have the best bowel screening programme possible.

Public Health Minister, Steve Brine said:

We are determined to make our cancer survival rates the best in the world. With the roll out of FIT as a new bowel screening test from the autumn – a much more convenient and reliable test – we have a real opportunity to reshape our bowel screening programme and potentially detect the stages of bowel cancer much earlier.

We are now considering opportunities and taking expert advice on how a sustainable, optimal bowel cancer screening programme starting at age 50 can work in the future.

Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, said:

These important recommendations will be carefully considered in the NHS Long Term Plan, which will set out ambitious improvements in cancer prevention and care for the decade ahead.

The committee also looked at screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a group of lung conditions, including emphysema, that cause breathing difficulties. It recommended that screening should not be offered for a number of reasons, including a lack of evidence that the impact of screening for COPD would have on smoking cessation.

As part of a regular review process, these recommendations will be looked at again in 3 years – or earlier if significant new evidence becomes available.

The latest screening recommendations were made at the UK NSC’s meeting on 29 June 2018, the minutes of which are published today (10 August 2018).

Background

This press release is issued on behalf of the UK NSC, an independent organisation, by Public Health England.

1. The UK National Screening Committee is independent of, but supported by, Public Health England.
2. Detailed summaries of the recommendations for all of the conditions mentioned can be found online.
3. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. We do this through world-leading science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and providing specialist public health services. We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, and a distinct organisation with operational autonomy. We provide government, local government, the NHS, Parliament, industry and the public with evidence-based professional, scientific expertise and support. Follow us on Twitter: @PHE_uk and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into Livingstone House Mother of the Harvest Ministries (1102286) over concerns about misconduct or mismanagement with regards to the administration of the charity. The inquiry was opened on 2 July 2018.

The charity’s object is to rehabilitate people with alcohol and drug addictions. The charity which is based in Birmingham provides detoxification, primary and secondary care and uses a Christian 12 step programme to encourage sober living.

The Commission placed the charity into a class inquiry on 15 February 2017 because it failed to submit its accounting information on time for the financial years ending 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2015. The charity complied with the class inquiry and filed the overdue accounting information required.

As a part of our previous engagement, the Commission issued regulatory advice to the trustees on their duty to submit accounting information on time. However, despite this the trustees have again defaulted on submitting accounts for the financial year ending 31 December 2016.

In addition to a persistent pattern of defaults the Commission also has regulatory concerns about the charity’s governance. The Commission’s Register records that there have only been two trustees since January 2016 and one trustee from 27 April 2016 to 16 May 2017. The charity’s governing document states that the number of trustees should not fall below three, therefore raising concerns that trustees may have been acting while inquorate. Furthermore, potential conflicts of interest have been identified which raise concerns about whether connected party transactions have been properly authorised.

In order to address its concerns, the Commission has opened a statutory inquiry.

The inquiry will examine the extent to which:

• the trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of their administration, governance and management of the charity and in particular: their compliance with legal obligations for the preparation and filing of their charity’s accounts and other information or returns, as well as the extent to which the trustees ensure that the charity is operating in accordance with the provisions of its governing document.
• any failings or weaknesses identified in the administration of the charity during the conduct of the inquiry were a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees.
• the trustees have responsibly managed the charity’s resources and financial affairs, in particular with respect to how they have managed conflicts of interest/loyalty in particular in relation to connected party transactions
• the trustees have complied with previously issued regulatory guidance.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work see the about us page on GOV.UK.
2. Search for charities on our check charity tool.
3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.

Young people in Tanzania will be empowered to take control of their future prosperity through a new package of UK support, the International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt announced today.

On her visit to the country Ms Mordaunt unveiled plans for the UK to work in partnership with Tanzania to help harness the potential of young people, who hold the key to unlocking the country’s economic growth.

Ms Mordaunt has set out a package of UK support which will help improve the quality of education in every primary and lower secondary school across the country. This includes making sure that girls move on to secondary schools and that disabled children can access education.

By giving the next generation the vital education and skills they need for the future, the UK is working with Tanzania to help their economy grow – giving millions of young people the chance to build the future they want to see for their country.

Ms Mordaunt also visited a family planning clinic to see how UK aid will be scaling up its provision of modern, voluntary and safe family planning methods. This will enable 800,000 women every year across Tanzania to have greater control over when and how many children they have.

The expansion of family planning access will not only prevent 6,200 maternal deaths, but allow women to make the most of their education and opportunities so that they can contribute to the growth of their societies and communities.

The International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

As Tanzania grows, it’s essential that young people and women are empowered to take control of their lives, education and health, fulfil their potential and play a role in the future prosperity of their country.

The resulting economic growth is opening up opportunities for UK business in the country, as we move towards a future of shared prosperity.

Also during her visit, Ms Mordaunt travelled to Dar es Salaam port to see how the UK is sharing expertise to help Tanzania crack down on organised crime and corruption which hold back development. This includes strengthening border posts to prevent trafficking of products from the Illegal Wildlife Trade.

Notes to Editors

• The UK is providing a family planning package (£55 million) which will scale up family planning services across rural and urban Tanzania, enabling women to safely plan their pregnancies. This will:
  • Reach around 800,000 women with modern, voluntary and safe family planning support every year and avert 6200 maternal deaths. This is an increase from the previous programme which reached 300,000 women a year
  • Reach the most marginalised and vulnerable women in Tanzania including those in refugee camps, youth and people with disabilities
  • Care for victims of sexual violence
  • Strengthen Tanzania’s family planning services so that it ultimately can provide these for its own people, for example by training staff
  • Work to increase the commitment of other donors, and to get the Government of Tanzania to step up its support
• The next phase of DFID Tanzania’s education programme (£41.6 million) will:
  • Work to reform Tanzania’s education system so it can ultimately be self-sustaining
  • Increase the quality of education in all primary and lower secondary schools in Tanzania, including reaching marginalised children such as those with disabilities
  • Support more girls to transition into secondary school, and improve teacher training.
• The UK will provide £8 million to share UK expertise to improve Tanzania’s criminal justice and legal systems to help tackle corruption which holds back development.

• studies have indicated the effectiveness of ‘Community Sentence Treatment Requirements’ in cutting reoffending
• scheme to be assessed ahead of potential wider rollout in England

Vulnerable offenders with mental health, alcohol and substance abuse issues are addressing the underlying cause of their offending, as part of a pioneering scheme announced by Justice Secretary David Gauke today (10 August 2018).

In 5 pilot areas, justice and health services have signed up to a new protocol that will help to divert relevant offenders away from frequently ineffective short-term custodial sentences and towards treatment that aims to tackle the root cause of their criminality.

Psychologists will be present in courts to assess offenders whose crime makes them eligible for a Community Order. Local panels comprising justice and health officials also ensure that Magistrates and Judges have the additional information they need to determine whether the offender should be required to receive treatment for their mental health, alcohol or drug issues.

The protocol dictates a new minimum standard of service and additional training has been provided to staff in the pilot areas to improve collaboration between the agencies involved.

This has increased confidence among sentencers – resulting in more ‘Community Sentence Treatment Requirements’ (CTSRs) being issued as part of sentencing in those areas. When used, CSTRs require engagement with local health services under the terms of the sentence. Failure to attend could represent a breach of that sentence.

The initiative brings together the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England to improve access to treatment programmes for offenders serving community sentences.

Research shows that around 29% of offenders who start Community Orders self-report having mental health problems and of those who are formally assessed, 32% were identified as having a drug misuse need and 38% an alcohol misuse problem.

A 2017 joint report by MOJ and Public Health England looked at the association between community-based drug and alcohol treatments and reoffending behaviour. The report showed that:

• among those that committed an offence in the two years before undergoing drug or alcohol treatment, there was a 33% reduction in the number of offences they committed in the subsequent 2 years
• the reduction for those engaging in alcohol treatment was especially striking, at 59%

A recently published study from MOJ found that when offenders were handed mental health treatment requirements as part of their sentence, they were significantly less likely to reoffend compared with similar cases where this was not the case. Despite this, the use of treatment requirements as part of community sentences remains very low.

Since the pilot sites went live at various points in late 2017 and early 2018 – in Birmingham, Plymouth, Sefton, Milton Keynes and Northampton – initial figures suggest that over 400 CSTRs have been given.

That means fewer short-term custodial sentences which are known to frequently be ineffective at turning vulnerable offenders away from crime. Adults released from custodial sentences of less than 12 months have a proven reoffending rate of 64.9%.

Secretary of State David Gauke said:

I am delighted to announce these sites in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England. We are all clear that we need to do more to support vulnerable offenders in the community.

I want to improve confidence in community sentences, and early evidence from these sites has shown that treatment requirements can have a significant impact in improving rehabilitation and addressing the underlying causes of offending.

We need to do more to raise awareness and increase confidence in treatment requirements and I look forward to exploring how these sites progress.

Minister for Mental Health and Inequalities, Jackie Doyle-Price, said:

All too often offenders are not able to access the support and treatment they need – this type of action could prove to be the turning point that helps to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

We need to make sure services work together, not in silos, and this initiative is a vital step towards better information sharing and collaboration between health and justice agencies.

Once the results of the trial sites have been assessed, it is intended that the scheme will be rolled out more widely across England.

By putting treatment programmes at the core of community sentences, the project will enable increased use of these services, ultimately helping to reduce reoffending and improve rehabilitation.

The programme sets out a new minimum standard of service, while there has also been additional training and improved collaboration between agencies. This includes a steering group at each site to ensure the smooth running of the diversion process.

District Judge Richard Clancy, lead Judge at the Complex Case Court in Merseyside, said:

To have a trial scheme where the court has on-site psychologists capable of testing suitability of a defendant for a mental health treatment requirement, so that such a community order can be made by the Judge on the same day without need for adjournment, is a remarkable and innovative move which I fully support. This is an excellent joint venture, and I have seen first-hand how this allows us to ‘nip in the bud’ one of the major causes of crime.

Kate Davies, Director of Health & Justice, Armed Forces and Sexual Assault Services Commissioning at NHS England, said:

It is vitally important that vulnerable offenders get appropriate and timely support which we know reduces the likelihood of reoffending. By improving access to services and treatments, trailblazers are already showing what can be done, addressing rehabilitation with individual and personalised approaches head on.

By evaluating the sites, the government will be able to understand the effectiveness of the programme along with the clinical services required to increase the use of treatment requirements. In turn, this will help to improve commissioning of future services by highlighting positive outcomes.

The programme aims to reduce the number of vulnerable people who receive short-term custodial sentences by boosting judicial confidence in alternatives to custody, while ultimately ensuring public safety.