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Press release: Appointment of Public Service Leadership Taskforce Chair and Members

Sir Gerry Grimstone has been appointed as the Chair of the Public Service Leadership Taskforce, which will advise the government on the role of leadership development in improving productivity and outcomes across public services.

Sir Gerry has appointed his Taskforce and work is underway to consider how a Centre for Public Service Leadership can best work to create networks and share best practice across the public services.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2017, great leadership is crucial for improving productivity and outcomes across public services. The Taskforce will play an important role in supporting this, advising government on the role, remit and responsibilities of the Centre for Public Service Leadership.

The Taskforce brings together experts from across the public, private and third sectors and will meet regularly. It will submit its findings in a report to Ministers.

Sir Gerry Grimstone, Chair of the Taskforce, said: “Excellent leadership is crucial to delivering the quality public services people rely upon. I am delighted at these appointments, and look forward to working with this group of leading experts to support public service leaders to deliver the highest quality services at the best value for money”.

This work is being supported by a joint Cabinet Office and HM Treasury team, who would welcome input from people who are interested in helping to develop this work. If you would like to get in touch, please email: pslresearch@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

List of Taskforce members:

  • Sir Gerry Grimstone, Chairman of Standard Life, and deputy chairman of Barclays
  • Dame Inga Beale CEO Lloyds of London
  • Deborah Cadman OBE Chief Exec. West Midlands Combined Authority
  • Peter Cheese CEO of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
  • Tony Danker Productivity Leadership Group
  • George Freeman MP Conservative MP
  • Andrew Haldenby Co-founder of Reform (2001), Director since May 2005
  • David Halpern Behavioural Insights Team
  • Sandra Kerr Race Equality Director, Business in the Community
  • Julian McCrae Institute for Government
  • Steve McGuirk Chairman of Warrington and Halton Hospitals Foundation Trust
  • Charles Mead Director at YSC Consulting
  • Dame Julie Moore Chief Exec. University Hospitals Birmingham
  • Paul Nowak Deputy General Secretary TUC
  • Richard Nugee Deputy Chief of Defence Staff
  • Professor Dame Alison Peacock Chief Executive at the Chartered College of Teaching
  • Gillian Stamp BIOSS
  • Sara Thornton Head of National Police Chief Council
  • Sara Weller CBE Non-Executive Director at Lloyds Banking Group

Link: Press release: Appointment of Public Service Leadership Taskforce Chair and Members
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Aarti Thakor appointed as Charity Commission’s new Director of Legal Services

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has today announced that Aarti Thakor has been appointed as its new Director of Legal Services.

Aarti has been part of the Commission’s legal services directorate since 2008 and is currently Head of Legal Compliance, providing legal advice on the highest risk and most complex investigations into charities and other high risk matters. During her time in the role, Aarti has contributed to a number of legislative changes and recently led the Commission’s work in the development of the Charities Act 2016 and its passage through Parliament. Prior to joining the Commission, Aarti served as in house Counsel for the United Nations in Rwanda and at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, and has also worked as a barrister in chambers dealing with a number of civil and criminal matters.

Helen Stephenson, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, said:

I am delighted to welcome Aarti to my senior team as Legal Services Director. Aarti was the outstanding candidate among a strong group of applicants and brings exceptional leadership qualities, as well as extensive technical expertise and experience. I have no doubt that under her leadership, the legal services directorate will continue to flourish, ensuring the legal integrity of our work as regulator and providing excellent advice to the board and the wider Commission.

Aarti Thakor added:

I am thrilled to have been appointed as the Commission’s Director of Legal Services. I look forward to leading what is a talented and committed team of lawyers and support staff, who together play a central role in upholding good governance in charities and building public trust in the sector.

The Director of Legal Services is responsible for securing the legal integrity of the Commission’s regulatory work by handling high profile, sensitive and complex cases and policy issues and providing an efficient and effective legal advisory service to the Board and Board Committees. They are influential in the continued development of the future legal framework for charities and are closely involved in developing parliamentary bills, secondary legislation and Charity Commission guidance to develop the law and policy affecting charities and charity regulation. The Director of Legal Services is also responsible for all litigation involving the Commission.

Aarti replaces Kenneth Dibble who relinquished the role in March 2018 after being appointed as a board member.
Aarti takes up the role from today (21 May).

Ends

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.

Press office

Link: Press release: Aarti Thakor appointed as Charity Commission’s new Director of Legal Services
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Report 07/2018: Fatal accident at Trenos footpath crossing

R072018_180521_Trenos

PDF, 5.53MB, 31 pages

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Summary

At around 15:50 hrs on 1 June 2017, a pedestrian was struck and fatally injured by a train travelling from Cheltenham Spa to Maesteg, at Trenos footpath crossing near Llanharan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The pedestrian had walked onto the crossing, and did not move clear when the train driver repeatedly sounded the train horn and applied the emergency brake.

Approximately 20 minutes before the accident, another train had stopped at the crossing when its driver observed the pedestrian walking slowly over the crossing. The guard on this train had a short conversation with the pedestrian and, because he was concerned about her state of mind, asked his train driver to contact the signaller by radio. The driver’s radio call was answered by a signaller located in Cardiff who relayed the message to a signaller at Port Talbot who was responsible for the Trenos area. As a result, the signaller was asked to stop trains at signals before the crossing and instruct drivers to proceed at caution when approaching the crossing. Based on out-of-date and misleading information shown on his display screen, the Port Talbot signaller put signals to red on either side of a closed crossing about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) from Trenos crossing. Shortly afterwards, he returned these signals to green, so the driver of the train involved in the accident was not cautioned and the train approached the crossing at normal speed.

The accident occurred because the pedestrian walked onto the crossing and into the path of an approaching train. However, it is possible that cautioning the train in accordance with railway rules would have avoided the accident. It is possible that the Port Talbot signaller’s decision making was influenced by fatigue.

Recommendations

The RAIB has made one recommendation relating to the accuracy of signallers’ displays. It has also identified three learning points. The first relates to the responsibility of staff to both report fatigue to their managers and to arrange their off-duty time so that they have sufficient sleep before the start of a shift. The second refers to the provision of, and familiarity with, up to date reference diagrams needed by signallers, and the third to the importance of signallers recording details about the cautioning of trains.

Notes to editors

  1. The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety. RAIB does not establish blame, liability or carry out prosecutions.
  2. RAIB operates, as far as possible, in an open and transparent manner. While our investigations are completely independent of the railway industry, we do maintain close liaison with railway companies and if we discover matters that may affect the safety of the railway, we make sure that information about them is circulated to the right people as soon as possible, and certainly long before publication of our final report.
  3. For media enquiries, please call 01932 440015.

Newsdate: 21 May 2018


Link: Press release: Report 07/2018: Fatal accident at Trenos footpath crossing
Source: Gov Press Releases