Dance Syndrome launches campaign to help communities across the North of England

NORTH West, Multi Award, winning charity Dance Syndrome has launched a fund raising campaign to ensure it can continue helping communities across the North of England. The Show Us Your Moves campaign will encourage anyone and everyone to support the charity by filming themselves performing a short dance move and posting it on their social media channels;  with the accompanying hashtags:- '#Showusyourmoves' and '#Righttodance.' The Dance Syndrome team will:- 'kick off' the campaign by sharing a series of short videos, created by some of those currently benefiting from Dance Syndrome's workforce. Each dancer will show off their signature dance move before challenging the viewer to do the same and/or donate to the charity instead. Dance Syndrome has been supporting communities in the North of England for the past decade by inspiring and encouraging hundreds of people to focus on ability rather than disability. It's even caught the attention of both the National Lottery, and celebrity pop star Alexandra Burke who showcased the charity on national television in 2019. The charity hopes to raise ₤10k through the Show Us Your Moves campaign which, coupled with previous funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Arts Council England, will allow Dance Syndrome to continue helping those in need.  Dance Syndrome Managing Director Dawn Vickers said:- "Dancing has been shown to have a positive impact on mental as well as physical wellbeing. Through our workforce we have helped thousands of people not only to keep active but to make friends and achieve a greater sense of belonging. At Dance Syndrome we co-create projects and opportunities to help connect people, workforce closely with those who have learning disabilities to help them achieve their own potential, and challenge accepted beliefs around what people with learning disabilities are able to do. The support we've gained so far has been fantastic, we want to continue to grow the charity to help more people benefit from all that dance can offer, and I'm confident that The Show Us Your Moves campaign will enable us to do so."

Date announced for Max and Keira's Law to come into effect

THE Government has announced that, subject to parliamentary approval:- 'Max and Keira's Law,' the 'Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act,'  will come into effect on the 20 May 2020. From the time the law changes, all adults in England will be considered as having agreed to donate their own organs when they die unless they record a decision not to donate, what's known as:- 'opt out,' or are in 1 of the excluded groups. Those excluded will be people under 18, those who lack the mental capaCity to understand the new arrangements and take the necessary action; and people who have lived in England for less than 12 months or who are not living here voluntarily. Even after the law changes, families will still be involved before any organ or tissue donation goes ahead and NHS Blood and Transplant Specialist Nurses will continue to speak with families about their loved one's decision.

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, says:- "We hope that the new law encourages more people to record their donation decision and talk about organ donation with their families. It is important for people to know that they can do this at any time before or after the law comes into effect, there is no deadline for making your donation decision. e are encouraged that almost ⅔ of people in England are now aware that the law is changing, but we would like this figure to be even higher by the time the law changes. The majority of people tell us that they support organ donation in principle, yet only around 4 in 10 have actually registered their decision. For those who have not thought about organ donation before, or who still have questions, we have lots of information available on our website and our team of helpline advisors are available to answer any queries. Organ donation is and always will be a precious gift and if more people are inspired to support and agree to donation, then many more lives can be saved."

The latest NHS Blood and Transplant awareness survey, carried out in January 2020, showed that 62% of the population aged 16 years or over in England are aware that the law around organ donation will be changing. This has risen from the baseline of 46% recorded prior to the launch of the law change awareness campaign, 'Pass it on,' which officially launched in April 2019. Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, said:- "Too many people lose their lives waiting for an organ, and I've been determined to do what I can to boost organ donation rates. So I'm incredibly proud of the action we are taking with this new law. This is an important step forward in making organ donation easier and more available to those who need it and could help save hundreds of lives every year. I pay tribute to the brave campaigning of families such as Max and Keira's, whose tireless workforce on this issue has made a huge difference."

Max Johnson, the 12-year-old heart recipient, who championed this law change, and in return saw the law named after him and his young donor, Keira Ball, said:- "I am very excited that we now know when the law change in England will actually happen. There are so many people who are waiting, just like I was, for the call to say that a suitable heart, kidney, lungs or liver has been found. I just hope that this law change can help save more lives. When you are waiting for a transplant, every day counts and I hope that everyone who hears about the law change will be reminded to speak to their family, so they know what you want.  I am proud that when people speak about Max and Keira's Law, they will be reminded to think of Keira, and I hope by remembering her in this way, that she will go on to help save even more lives than she already has."

It has also been stated that only organs and tissue used for routine transplants, will be included under the new system. Laura Beattie is 1 of 6,000 people across the UK still waiting for a transplant. Laura, 31, from Stretford, Manchester, has cystic fibrosis. She has been waiting for a lung transplant since August 2018. "There are always mixed emotions, especially depending on how you feel on each day. It is always in the back of my mind and sometimes it does come to the forefront. I always have to have my phone on me and have it on loud as I don't know when the call is coming.  A transplant would make an absolutely massive difference in all aspects of my life from being able to simple things without being breathless doing the smallest tasks, to being able to go out and about without feeling unwell and exhausted. I really hope the law change encourages more people to support and even just consider organ donation because a transplant is my only option now."

NHS Blood and Transplant's awareness and education campaign:- 'Pass it on' will continue to use:- PR, press, social media, radio, TV, outdoor and cinema advertising to help raise awareness of the law change.Wales already has an opt out system, after changing their law in December 2015. Jersey introduced the opt out system in July 2019 and Scotland will also be moving to an opt out system from Autumn 2020. To find out more, or to register your decision to opt in or opt out, visit:- OrganDonation.NHS.UK or call them on:- 0300 303 2094.

Inspectors call for 'radical new approaches' in how the Police and local partners protect children

IN a report published by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) is calling for Police and partner agencies to improve how they workforce together to protect children. HMICFRS last published a report on how the Police service protects children nationally in 2015. Since this report, HMICFRS has continued to inspect how individual Police Forces in England and Wales protect vulnerable children. These, along with the Joint Targeted Areas inspections carried out by HMICFRS along with Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission and HMI Probation provide a detailed picture of the child protection arrangements in each Force area. The report draws conclusions based on these individual Force inspections, which show where the Police service as a whole needs has made progress and where it needs to improve. Inspectors report that:-

► Police Forces have improved their understanding of the risks around vulnerable children.

► Protecting vulnerable children is a priority for Policing leaders, but it requires further resourcing at a time of decreasing officer numbers and budget cuts.

► The approach of the Police and partners is not proactive enough in identifying children that could be at risk of abuse.

► The current system is unsustainable. The Police can't do this workforce alone.  More resourcing needs to be given, not just in Policing, to help support and protect vulnerable children.

The report paints a picture of dedicated professionals working across Police Forces and partner agencies to protect vulnerable children. However, inspections continue to find many of the same problems challenging Forces and their partners. This is, in large part, because the approach of the Police and their partners continues to be reactive with decisions based on the most recent incident. Too little emphasis is placed on identifying underlying issues or the cumulative impact on a child of multiple repeated instances of trauma. HMICFRS has been pleased to find examples of innovative workforce taking place to protect vulnerable children at an earlier point in their lives. In Wales, Police Forces are part of a programme to give early support to children exposed to adverse childhood experiences. All 4 Welsh Forces collaborate with Public Health Wales on early intervention and prevention workforce with children who have suffered adverse childhood experiences. Giving these children early support will have longer-term benefits, not only for the Police, but for health, education and other public services. In England the picture is less consistent, but we have also seen some examples of innovative practice. In Camden, north London, for example the Police have worked with partners to create the United Kingdom's 1st 'child house,' known as the Lighthouse. Based on an Icelandic model, it is designed to help make sure children who have been sexually assaulted aren't further traumatised by the investigation of a crime.

HMI Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said:- "We are calling for radical new approaches to be implemented so that vulnerable children are better protected. We want to see vulnerable children safeguarded at the earliest possible opportunity, so they avoid being subjected to damaging abuse – rather than wait until they have already suffered. Despite the efforts of dedicated staff in every Force and partnership agency the current approach to risk and vulnerability places too much emphasis on addressing immediate risks and the symptoms of vulnerability.  To achieve the best possible outcomes for children, leaders in all agencies with the shared responsibility of protecting children need to improve how they workforce together. Police chiefs and other agencies need to develop coherent protection plans, at a local level, to better identify children who are potentially at risk."

Also published today is research carried out by NatCen commissioned by HMICFRS to evaluate its national child protection inspection (NCPI) programme. Since the programme started in 2014, NatCen report that HMICFRS's approach was considered, engaging, and comprehensive. NatCen also found evidence of positive changes to the way Force's approach child protection, notably in Force leadership, management and governance, and the child's experience of the Force. Engagement by senior leaders with the programme resulted in greater investment in resources designed to safeguard children.

NatCen also made recommendations for how the NCPI programme might further help improve child protection arrangements in Forces. HMICFRS will use the results of this evaluation and recommendations to develop this and other inspections it carries out.