This Month's Articles: A Cross to Bear , Football Focused, Less in More the Early Years , Pinders Healthcare Design Awards |
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A Cross to Bear |
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In the face of continuing credit restrictions from the Banks, it has recently been reported that the Government has outlined for consultation a potential increase in regulations for residential care homes following the collapse of Southern Cross. |
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These are said to include a requirement for companies to deposit a capital sum as a condition of their licence, and to allow councils and regulators the power to intervene in the management of homes if they are ever under the threat of closure. The proposals are only contained in a formal Government discussion paper at the moment, but imply that care businesses and their operators would have to satisfy rigorous financial checks as a condition of registration. There would also be periodic reviews, as well as at any period of change or restructuring. The implication is that any financial weakness on the part of an operator could result in a refusal or even, potentially, a loss, of registration.
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| Article by Pinders Director Steve Marriott |
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Football Focused
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The licensed trade has been reacting to the recent European Court of Justice ruling in favour of Karen Murphy in a long-running case against the Premier League for screening football matches via a Greek decoder system. Whilst, in time, this may lead to a significant change in costs for screening such matches, it is important that publicans do not jump the gun and invest in such systems yet, as the ruling now has to come back to the UK High Court to decide how it will be implemented. |
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| In a slightly bizarre twist, the Court has ruled that the Premier League logo etc is copyrighted and so cannot be shown, which raises the prospect of no pre-match and post-match chat, although some might say this would improve the service. The embargo on televising football matches at 3pm on Saturdays remains firmly in place, at this time, so it is unlikely to change the nature of football watching in pubs, but there is hope that this could reduce costs once the full details are known. |
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However, Kate Nicholls of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers warns: "The ruling is only the start of the process. Whilst it clarifies what is not allowed, it will be down to the UK courts to implement and apply in practice. There are many hoops to go through before pubs get a fairer deal. This is not a green light for pubs to start using foreign satellite services now." |
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| Article by Pinders Director Malcolm Kidby |
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Less is More for the Early Years |
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It is now 10 years since Ofsted took over responsibility for regulating and inspecting all registered Early Years child-minding and childcare settings from 150 individual Local Authorities. |
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As there was no national set of standards at that time, each Local Authority set different standards for providers to meet, and took a different approach to regulation and inspection. To accompany the change to Ofsted, the then Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Education) established a set of National Standards covering the five categories: full day care; sessional daycare; creches; out of school care and child-minding. Ofsted developed a national system for the regulation and inspection for all childcare providers, wherever they were located. |
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Today, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) not only enshrines those standards but also regulates educational provision through the 6 key areas of learning and 69 learning goals. However, the recent Tickell Review of the EYFS, chaired by Dame Clare Tickell, has recommended a significant reduction in the number of early learning goals down to 17. Of course, the quantitative should not be restricted at the expense of the qualitative, but, rather, on this occasion, by removing some of the bureaucratic burden, less should actually become more. The revised EYFS is due to be published in March 2012 and we await its new streamlined form with interest. |
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| Article by Pinders Director Steve Marriott |
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There's still time to enter the Design Awards! |
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Now in their thirteenth year, the awards showcase the very best care home, care village and retirement housing projects from across the UK, so if you've created something special, this is your chance for a well-earned pat on the back. Entries are welcomed for projects involving care for younger adults or children as well as the elderly. |
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The judges are looking for new ideas, new approaches to the same challenges, and a clear demonstration of how the design benefits the lives of residents and staff alike. |
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They're particularly keen to recognise the efforts of smaller operators who may have thought the awards are just for the big boys. So, if you've added an extension, remodelled a tired home or built something small but perfectly formed (much like our own Jon Chapman), then there could be an award especially for you. Likewise, don't be put off at the thought of assembling a flashy presentation - a simple summary of what you set out to achieve and how you’ve achieved it, illustrated with pictures and any relevant plans, is all that's required. |
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Entry to the Awards is free, and the process is very straightforward. Simply provide a description of the project, a brief outline of what you were aiming to achieve, and a selection of photographs. While the official closing date for completed applications is 30 November 2011, this date is flexible and should you require more time, we would be pleased to discuss a limited extension. |
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Further information can be found Here on our web-site, or you can click here to view and download an Entry Pack. |
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If you need further assistance, please contact Jon Chapman or Barry Byrne on 01908 350500. |
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