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Establishing modern slavery risk assessment and due diligence in adult social care
New commissioning officer's guide
Working with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and the LGA, the University of Nottingham Rights Lab has published a guide for commissioning officers and managers in local authority adult social care teams on Establishing modern slavery risk assessment and due diligence in adult social care: a commissioning officer's guide to help minimise the risk of modern slavery in the care sector. The guide outlines practical actions that can be taken to set up effective local systems of risk assessments and due diligence processes to ensure that adult social care employees are working in safe environments and without the risk of exploitation.
Attend our virtual event on Tuesday 31 October, 10.30am–12.00pm
To accompany the launch of the guide, we will host an Establishing modern slavery risk assessment and due diligence in adult social care virtual event with author of the guide Dr Caroline Emberson and a panel of colleagues from East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Portsmouth City Council who were involved in developing the guide. We’ll also hear from Unseen, the UK anti-slavery charity, that recorded a 1,024% increase in the number of potential victims in care work calling its modern slavery and exploitation helpline in 2022.
Unseen will host a webinar on Monday 23 October (2.00pm–3.00pm) on Exploitation in the care sector to discuss its new report into the care sector – Who Cares, which draws on new data from the helpline and includes recommendations for the sector and for Government.
Provider Selection Regime (PSR) webinars
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England announced last week that the Government plans to introduce the NHS Provider Selection Regime (PSR) regulations to Parliament on 19 October. A series of webinars on implementing the PSR will run between Tuesday 24 October and Monday 4 December, covering information that is extremely important for all local authorities that commission healthcare services.
Social care workforce departures
Almost 400,000 people left their jobs in social care in the year to March 2023, with about a third of these exiting the sector altogether, according to Skills for Care's annual report on The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England. Skills for Care, the strategic workforce development and planning body for adult social care in England, said its projections suggest that in just over a decade from now, the sector will require a 25 per cent increase in posts.
Children’s services improvement
This week, we published a new report – A maturing approach to children’s services improvement: updating the key enablers of progress – outlining how councils are continuing to deliver improvements in children’s services and their efforts in ensuring children and young people get the support they need. The report notes that councils have been rising to challenges, including through the undeniable impact of COVID-19 through a culture change in workforce and closer partnership-working, and ensuring that the voice and lived experiences of children is at the heart of the improvement effort.
Consultation on improving integrated commissioning in health and social care to close on 31 October
The Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) consultation on Improving integrated commissioning in health and social care – which is seeking views from individuals, professionals and organisations on changes to Section 75 of the NHS Act (2006) to increase the use of pooled budgets to support the integration of health and care – will close on Tuesday 31 October. Councils are encouraged to respond and share the call for evidence.
Trader Support Service for Northern Ireland traders extended until December 2024
The Government announced that the Trader Support Service, which helps businesses navigate changes to the way goods move between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, has been extended until December 2024. The service also provides guidance and training to help businesses understand what the Windsor Framework means for them and avoids traders having to use specialist software. Businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland can sign up for the Trader Support Service and access free online Trader Support Service courses and training materials. Councils are encouraged to share this information, as appropriate.
Smarter spending – innovation challenge scoping (Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre virtual event)
Monday 16 October, 11.00am–12.30pm | Online
Local Authority Procurement Reform Surgery (YPO virtual event)
Wednesday 18 October, 3.00pm–4.00pm | Online
Procurement Reform roadshows (Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol)
Thursday 19 October–Tuesday 21 November | Various locations
Exploitation in the care sector (Unseen webinar)
Monday 23 October, 2.00pm–3.00pm | Online
Provider Selection Regime (PSR) webinars
Tuesday 24 October–Monday 4 December | Online
The Sourcing Playbook webinar – learning from doing in local government (Local Partnerships webinar)
Thursday 26 October, 11.00am–12.00pm | Zoom
Modern slavery risk assessment and due diligence guidelines for adult social care (LGA virtual event)
Tuesday 31 October, 10.30am–12.00pm | Zoom
Sustainable procurement diagnosis and action planning showcase events – East of England LGA (EEGLA) virtual events
Friday 3 November, 10.00am–11.00am and Tuesday 7 November | Online
Procurex Cymru / Wales
Wednesday 8 November | Utilita Arena, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff CF10 2EQ
National Children and Adult Services Conference
Wednesday 29 November–Friday 1 December | Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth BH2 5BH
iNetwork Annual Conference
Thursday 30 November | Hyatt Regency Manchester, 55 Booth Street West, Manchester M15 6PQ and online
Digitalisation training weekender event for councillors (an LGA 'Leadership Essentials' event)
Saturday 2 December–Sunday 3 December | Crowne Plaza Leeds, Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL
first is the LGA's membership magazine, distributed to around 16,700 councillors and local authority chief executives in England and Wales. Councillors and officers can sign up for the first e-bulletin using their council email addresses and/or access first online to browse LGA news stories, features, good practice case studies and comment pieces, including those from past issues.
For editorial inquiries, please email karen.thornton@local.gov.uk. For advertising, contact Polena Boutwood, Media Sales Executive at polena.boutwood@cplone.co.uk or on 01223 378047.
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