End to unnecessary benefit reassessments for disabled pensioners in the North West

OVER 43,000 disabled pensioners in the North West will no longer have to go through unnecessary reassessments for disability benefits, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said. Around 270,000 people receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) who have reached State Pension age will no longer have their awards regularly reviewed, instead moving to a light touch review every 10 years. The changes are part of a wider package of measures announced by Amber Rudd, signalling a shift in the Government's support for disabled people.  Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said:- "I want to change the landscape for disabled people in Britain. Progress has been made, but we need to do more to close the gap between our intentions and disabled people's experiences. The changes I am setting out today, including stopping unnecessary reassessments for disabled pensioners, are a step forward in improving quality of life for the UK's 14 million disabled people. But we can't achieve change alone, and I will be guided by disabled people as we work together to provide the opportunities and support they deserve and expect."

The Work and Pensions Secretary revealed that she will review the Government's goal to see 1 million more disabled people in work by 2027 with a view to making it more ambitious. Other improvements include:- combining the separate assessment processes for PIP, Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit into 1 integrated service from 2021.  The integrated service will simplify the assessment process for millions of people claiming health related benefits, reducing the need to submit information multiple times and for some people reducing the number of face to face assessments.  A small scale test to explore the viability of a single assessment for Work Capability Assessments (WCA) and PIP assessments will also be undertaken. The Government will also work with stakeholders to understand how to help people submit the right evidence with their claim at the outset so that fewer people have to take their case to Tribunal.

Apprenticeships at Lancashire Care

LANCASHIRE Care NHS Foundation Trust is committed to providing alternatives opportunities to College and University to help people develop in to long-term successful careers.  Apprenticeships offer people with an alternative route into skilled employment and are a great way to earn whilst you learn and gain vital work experience. They are available to people of all ages making them a great option for anyone looking to change their career path, improve their skills in order to secure a new role or re-enter employment after taking time out. Undertaking an Apprenticeship at the Trust provides people with the chance to do what they believe in, whilst making a difference to the lives of the people of Lancashire and beyond!  The Trust has recently met the public sector target for Apprentices, with 2.3% of the workforce signed up to an apprenticeship programme. The success of the Apprenticeship Scheme is a result of the support that is on offer to apprentices including; confidence building, buddy system, support groups and team building days. All of the Trust's apprentices can enjoy working and learning while feeling well supported in their role, making the Trust a great place to complete an apprenticeship. For more information please visit:- LancashireCare.NHS.UK/Apprenticeships or to apply for 1 of our vacancies please visit:- LancashireCare.NHS.UK/Working-For-Us.

Damian Gallagher, Director of Workforce and OD at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said:- "The Trust values and supports all our Apprentices. This is about nurturing our apprentices to secure the workforce of the future. We facilitate lots of team building days for our apprentices to ensure that their health and wellbeing is being met and promoting the social side of apprenticeships. As part of Military March and National Apprenticeships week Lancashire Care in Partnership with the Armed Forces arranged a Team building leadership day at Preston Army Barracks to help new apprentice recruits build their leadership and problem solving skills while developing valuable friendships. The day was a real success with apprentices learning about the similarities between roles in the armed forces and transferable skills between both organisations. As part of the day the group were given a guided tour of the Military museum plus set a series of scenarios to be solved using a variety of skills including resilience, problem solving, leadership and communication, the whole group achieved a certificate of completion. We also celebrated our apprentices at an event where apprentices received awards for compassion, excellence and recognition of apprentice ambassadors."

Jacob Vaughan Accounts apprentice at Lancashire Care Foundation Trust said :- "1 of the reasons I chose an apprenticeship was to meet new people. Having gone through High School and Sixth form at the same place, I knew this apprenticeship would allow me to meet people of different ages and from different places. This has helped me to develop as a person and also to make new friends."

Liverpool City Region leaders outline action plan in fight against violence against women and girls

LIVERPOOL City Region leaders has marked International Women's Day by detailing their progress towards a comprehensive action plan for tackling Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG). Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram and Deputy Police Commissioner, Cllr Emily Spurrell, are working to develop a long term strategy aimed at ending VAWG across the City Region. Since announcing plans to develop the strategy at a summit convened by the Metro Mayor in 2017, they have been working with community safety partners, community and voluntary groups and key stakeholders to better understand the experiences of victims and develop a coherent action plan for each form of violence and abuse. Over the 2018, a host of activities, services and innovative initiatives have already been announced which focus on safeguarding communities, including:-

► The launch of a Merseyside wide Sexual Violence review launched by the Deputy Police Commissioner to uncover the true picture of sexual violence in the Region. The inquiry, which has been jointly commissioned by NHS England and will be carried out by Liverpool John Moores University's Public Health Institute will examine the extent and nature of sexual violence in the Region and map the services available to support victims. As part of the project survivors are also being asked to share their views of their experiences of support in order to help others. Anyone affected can take part anonymously online.

► The Strategic Domestic Violence Action Group (SDVAG) has been working with domestic abuse organisation Safelives to develop a robust action plan including to map training across the Region, routes for victims to find support and promote best practice. This group are also monitoring the implementation of the single Merseyside Specialist Domestic Violence Court.

► Announced plans to launch a Domestic Abuse Workplace Scheme with the aim of breaking the cycle of abuse with the help of employers. The scheme will see organisations commit to providing a safe working environment and policies in order to protect staff and increase productivity. The initiative will see the creation of a network of:- 'Workplace Champions' who will be trained to spot the signs of domestic abuse and trained to help colleagues and signpost them to appropriate services.

► The Red Umbrella project, which is being run in conjunction with national charity Changing Lives, with the aim of better protect and support street and online sex works, has seen the number of crimes reported to the Police almost treble. The project has also seen the 1st dedicated Police Sex Worker Liaison Officer appointed.

► The production of a strategy by the Harmful Practices Group which focuses on tackling crimes including:- forced marriage, female genital mutilation and so called:- 'honour based' abuse. Merseyside based charity Savera UK have also been commissioned by Merseyside's Police Commissioner to offer a dedicated support service for all victims in the Region, as part of her Victim Care Merseyside service.

► Develop an action plan focusing on raising awareness of modern slavery. Funding has been secured by the Commissioner's Office to host 2 workshops, focusing on employers and community safety partners. To mark Anti Slavery Day, the Deputy Police Commissioner also joined with all Local Authorities to sign the Co-op Charter Mark committing Councils to review their partnerships and put in checks for modern slavery in their own supply chain.

► Introduced a women only Review Court which recognises the significant adversities many women face before coming into contact with the criminal justice system; including:- domestic abuse and sexual violence. This Court will sit monthly and review the cases of female offenders sentenced to community orders or suspended sentences to review their progress and identify any wider issues to prevent them from escalating.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "As a society we need to do all that we can to end the scourge of violence against women, which is why we have pledged to eradicate it. We have made great progress over the last year with initiatives that are really benefitting women and girls in our City Region, but we cannot be complacent. If we are to end the violence we must continue to work with all of our partners to stop it once and for all."

Deputy PCC, Cllr Emily Spurrell, said:- "No woman or girl chooses to be a victim of crime or subjected to violence. As a Region, we must be committed to ensuring those who do suffer at the hands of others get the very best possible care and support and ultimately focus on putting a stop to VAWG for good. Over the last year, a huge amount of work has been done to develop this strategy and introduce a number of schemes which are already starting to make a difference in the lives of women across the City Region. We still have lots to do to ensure all forms of VAWG are addressed, and, as we mark International Women's Day, I am proud to reaffirm my pledge to ending VAWG and continuing in this vital work towards creating a Region wide strategy aimed at making this a reality."

Offshore wind is 1st renewable technology to agree Sector Deal with Government

THE offshore wind industry is welcoming today's landmark announcement of a Sector Deal with the UK's Government. The agreement will help to create tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs across the UK and attract billions of pounds in investment to this country.  This is the 1st Sector Deal for a renewable energy technology. It puts offshore wind at the centre of the nation's clean, affordable and reliable energy system, almost quadrupling our capacity from 7.9 gigawatts now to at least 30GW by 2030, generating ⅓ of our electricity.

The UK is already the world leader in offshore wind, with more capacity than any other country, the biggest offshore wind farms and the most powerful turbines. The supply chain extends to every part of the country, and UK companies are already exporting our offshore wind products and services to more than 20 countries. With the Sector Deal now in place, those exports are set to increase fivefold in value to ₤2.6 billion a year by 2030.

The Sector Deal builds on our nation's success, notably by the industry investing up to ₤250m to develop the UK supply chain, increasing productivity and fostering innovation. This includes an investment of up to ₤100m in a new industry programme, the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, which will help UK companies seeking to grow their business in the rapidly growing global offshore wind market, as well as a new initiative to develop skills for the sector.

The Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said:- "This new Sector Deal will drive a surge in the clean, green offshore wind revolution that is powering homes and businesses across the UK, bringing investment into coastal communities and ensuring we maintain our position as global leaders in this growing sector. By 2030 a ⅓ of our electricity will come from offshore wind, generating thousands of high quality jobs across the UK, a strong UK supply chain and a fivefold increase in exports. This is our modern Industrial Strategy in action."

The Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council and Ørsted UK Country Manager for Offshore, Benj Sykes, said:- "Now that we've sealed this landmark deal with our partners in Government, as a key part of the UK's Industrial Strategy, offshore wind is set to take its place at the heart of our low carbon, affordable and reliable electricity system of the future. This relentlessly innovative sector is revitalising parts of the country with transformational, sustainable opportunities, especially coastal communities, from Wick in the north of Scotland to the Isle of Wight, and from Barrow in Furness to the Humber. Companies are burgeoning in clusters, creating new centres of excellence in this clean growth boom. The Sector Deal will ensure that even more of these companies win work not only in the UK, but around the world in a global offshore wind market set to be worth ₤30bn a year by 2030."

The Chief Executive of RenewableUK. Hugh McNeal, said:- "The Sector Deal is about creating opportunities for the people who will be part of our 27,000 strong offshore wind workforce. We're setting up a new body to develop the right skills for years to come, not only by offering apprenticeships, but also by helping experienced people from other parts of the energy sector, as well as the military, to make the change into offshore wind. We also want to ensure far more diversity in the industry, by reaching a target of at least 33% women employees by 2030, and by recruiting people from a wider variety of ethnic backgrounds.  This Deal will also ensure that the UK maintains its leading role as an offshore wind innovation hub, accelerating our world class R&D in fields like robotics and AI, and cutting edge technologies being put through their paces at our globally renowned test facilities."