Category: standards

Ofcom asked to investigate sting on ex-foreign secretaries – The Guardian

Posted September 18th, 2015 in media, news, parliament, public interest, standards by tracey

‘Channel 4 has asked the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, to investigate a cash-for-access sting on two former foreign secretaries after criticism over its reporting of the allegations. The parliamentary commissioner for standards cleared Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw, and said the damage done to the former MPs could have been avoided if Channel 4’s Dispatches and the Daily Telegraph had accurately reported the exchanges they had filmed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Firoozmand v Lambeth London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted September 16th, 2015 in appeals, codes of practice, complaints, delay, homelessness, housing, law reports, local government, standards by tracey

Firoozmand v Lambeth London Borough Council: [2015] EWCA Civ 952; [2015] WLR (D) 374

‘A local authority offering accommodation to a homeless applicant who complained about its condition was not under a duty whenever such a complaint was made to carry out a hazard inspection and assessment before making its decision as to suitability of the accommodation offered.’

WLR Daily, 3rd September 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Broadmoor Hospital inspection reveals ‘urgent’ changes required – BBC News

Posted September 16th, 2015 in mental health, news, ombudsmen, prisons, quality assurance, restraint, secure hospitals, standards, statistics by tracey

‘Broadmoor Hospital has been told to make urgent changes after a report which highlighted the “overuse” of face-down restraints on patients. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the high-security hospital in Berkshire “inadequate” after an inspection.’

Full story

BBC News, 16th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

David Bedenham Discusses HMRC’s Alcohol Wholesalers Registration Scheme that Commences on 1 October 2015 – 11 KBW

Posted September 7th, 2015 in customs and excise, delay, fraud, HM Revenue & Customs, licensing, news, quality assurance, standards, VAT by sally

‘Alcohol duty fraud costs the treasury an estimated £1 billion per annum. HMRC has stated that
‘the wholesale sector is the major point where illicit alcohol is diverted by organised criminals into retail supply chains…this link in the supply chain is vulnerable because it is the only activity not required to be authorised by HMRC…Introducing a requirement for wholesalers to register with HMRC will address this and reduce opportunities for fraud.’’

Full story

11 KBW, 4th September 2015

Source: www.11kbw.com

Yarl’s Wood conditions deteriorated so much women are being treated like ‘animals’ – The Independent

Posted August 12th, 2015 in asylum, detention, health, immigration, inquiries, news, pregnancy, refugees, standards, statistics, time limits, women by sally

‘Conditions at a privately run immigration removal centre have “deteriorated” over the past year to the extent that almost half of the women held there fear for their safety, according to a damning report published by the Chief Inspector of Prisons.’

Full story

The Independent, 12th August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK prisons inspector seeks time limits on detention of migrants without trial – The Guardian

Posted August 12th, 2015 in asylum, detention, health, human rights, immigration, news, pregnancy, refugees, sexual offences, standards, statistics, time limits, women by sally

‘The chief prisons inspector has called for time limits on the detention of migrants without trial after fresh warnings of a significant deterioration in conditions at an immigration removal centre for women.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Social care regulators receiving 150 allegations of abuse towards vulnerable adults every day – The Independent

Posted August 10th, 2015 in budgets, care workers, complaints, elderly, local government, news, sexual offences, social services, standards, statistics by sally

‘Social care regulators receive 150 allegations relating to the abuse of vulnerable adults and the elderly every day, new figures reveal.’

Full story

The Independent, 8th August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

BSB criticises its training course but remains tight-lipped on future – Legal Futures

Posted July 13th, 2015 in barristers, consultations, legal education, news, standards by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has strongly criticised the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), while remaining tight-lipped as to whether it should be scrapped.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 13th July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

MPs to debate children’s carbon monoxide deaths in Corfu hotel – The Guardian

Posted July 13th, 2015 in causing death of children or vulnerable adults, children, compensation, duty of care, health & safety, inquests, news, standards, unlawful killing by tracey

‘The deaths of two children from carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Corfu will be debated in parliament next week.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

LSB Chief Executive speaks at Westminster Legal Policy Forum event on innovation in legal services – Legal Services Board

Posted July 10th, 2015 in alternative business structures, legal services, Legal Services Board, regulations, rule of law, Solicitors Regulation Authority, speeches, standards, statistics by tracey

‘The Legal Services Board Chief Executive Richard Moriarty spoke at the Westminster Legal Policy Forum event: Innovation in legal services market – growth, skills and new business models.’

Full speech

Legal Services Board, 9th July 2015

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Prison staff shortages contribute to suicides, report says – BBC News

Posted July 2nd, 2015 in bullying, death in custody, medical treatment, mental health, news, prisons, rehabilitation, standards, statistics, suicide, telecommunications by sally

‘Understaffing in prisons in England and Wales could be a factor in suicides among inmates, a review has concluded.’

Full story

BBC News, 1st July 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

More than a third of police child abuse investigations ‘inadequate’, says watchdog – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 2nd, 2015 in child abuse, child neglect, news, ombudsmen, police, standards, statistics by sally

‘Inspection of response to paedophilia and other types of abuse a ‘damning indictment’ of police.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 2nd July 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regina (Lumsdon and others) v Legal Services Board – WLR Daily

Posted June 30th, 2015 in advocacy, appeals, barristers, EC law, judicial review, law reports, Legal Services Board, proportionality, quality assurance, Solicitors Regulation Authority, standards, Supreme Court by sally

Regina (Lumsdon and others) v Legal Services Board [2015] UKSC 41; [2015] WLR (D) 270

‘The decision of the Legal Services Board to approve the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (“QASA”), introduced by the regulators to assess the performance of criminal advocates in England and Wales, complied with the requirements of article 9 of Parliament and Council Directive 2006/123/EC and regulation 14 of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2999), and was proportionate and lawful.’

WLR Daily, 24th June 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Lawyers’ strike over legal aid cuts boosted by the backing of major firms – The Independent

Posted June 29th, 2015 in advocacy, barristers, budgets, courts, fees, industrial action, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors, standards by sally

‘The “strike” by lawyers which threatens to bring chaos to the criminal justice system next week has received a substantial boost after the country’s biggest legal aid firms pledged to support the action.’

Full story

The Independent, 26th June 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prison overcrowding understated for years, minister admits – The Guardian

Posted June 12th, 2015 in news, prisons, standards by sally

‘Prison authorities have been underestimating the scale of overcrowding in jails in England and Wales for six years, the prisons minister has admitted.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

NHS patient safety fears as health watchdog scraps staffing guidelines – The Guardian

Posted June 5th, 2015 in budgets, health & safety, hospitals, news, ombudsmen, quality assurance, standards by tracey

‘The NHS has been accused of backtracking on improvements to patient safety brought in after the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal in an effort to tackle its escalating financial problems. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) watchdog has unexpectedly scrapped work to set out how many nurses are needed in different parts of hospitals to ensure safe patient care.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Education and Adoption Bill published – Education Law Blog

Posted June 5th, 2015 in adoption, bills, education, government departments, local government, news, standards by sally

‘The Education and Adoption Bill was presented to Parliament on 3 June 2015. The proposed legislation would make the following changes to education law in England and Wales.No date has been announced yet for the second reading.’

Full story

Education Law Blog, 4th June 2015

Source: www.education11kbw.com

“Professional Statement” could be the key to unlocking flexible routes to the Bar, says regulator – Bar Standards Board

Posted April 20th, 2015 in barristers, codes of practice, consultations, legal education, licensing, news, pupillage, standards by sally

‘Using a Professional Statement to define what a newly authorised barrister should be able to do from “day one” – the point of being issued a Full Practising Certificate – could be the key to making qualification routes to the Bar more flexible and innovative, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said.’

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 15th April 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Nurses who don’t report poor care or who cover up mistakes now face being struck off – The Independent

Posted April 1st, 2015 in codes of practice, hospitals, news, nurses, standards, whistleblowers by sally

‘Nurses could be struck off if they fail to escalate concerns about poor care or hide the truth about mistakes, under new rules unveiled by the profession’s governing body.’

Full story

The Independent, 31st March 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lord Woolf: 25 years on from Strangeways, prisons are still in crisis – The Guardian

Posted April 1st, 2015 in legal aid, news, prisons, rehabilitation, standards, statistics, suicide, violent disorder by sally

‘Harry Woolf, the former chief justice who wrote the report on the 1991 Strangeways prison riot, says its lessons haven’t been learned.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk