Earlier this year over 3,300 charities took part in a research study about fraud awareness, resilience and cyber security.

We have published the results of the fraud research study which suggests that many charities are not doing the basics to protect themselves.

Over two thirds of charities (69%) think fraud is major risk to the charity sector and internal (insider) fraud is recognised as one of the biggest threats.

But the findings show charities are not always recognising how vulnerable they are, and not consistently putting basic checks and balances in place:

• over a third (34%) think their organisation is not vulnerable to any of the most common types of charity fraud
• over half (53%) of charities affected by fraud in the past 2 years knew the perpetrator
• 85% of charities think they are doing everything they can to prevent fraud, but almost half don’t have any good-practice protections in place

The gap between awareness and practical action poses a threat to charities’ valuable funds, and to public trust and confidence in the sector.

Simple steps to protect your charity’s funds

• introduce and enforce basic financial controls (for example have at least two signatories to bank accounts and cheques, undertaking regular bank reconciliations)
• make sure no one single individual has oversight or control of financial arrangements – effective segregation of duties is a crucial method of preventing and detecting fraud
• encourage staff, volunteers and trustees to speak out when they see something they feel uncomfortable about

International Charity Fraud Awareness Week

Get involved between the 21 and 25 October 2019 to help promote openness and honesty about fraud.

It’s an opportunity for trustees, employees, volunteers and the wider public to learn more about the growing threat from fraud, and to highlight the good work of those charities that are successfully tackling fraud and reducing the harm it causes.

Download the Charity Fraud Awareness Week supporters pack from the Fraud Advisory Panel website.

Register to access the free Fraud Awareness Hub for important fraud prevention help sheets, guidance, videos and question and answer sessions.

The Hub will give you access to a new ‘Tackling Charity Fraud – Eight Guiding Principles’ document. You can use this to strengthen your charity’s resilience to fraud.

We have also worked with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to develop cyber security guidance relevant to charities of all sizes.

The Cyber Security: Small Charity Guide provides simple, free or low-cost steps to improve cyber security.

The Board Toolkit is relevant for larger charities. It helps boards and senior managers understand cyber security from a governance perspective, making it easier to have productive conversations with technical colleagues.

An independent review into the Toddbrook reservoir incident announced by the Environment Secretary in September will be led by former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Professor David Balmforth.

The Terms of Reference, published today, (21 October 2019), set out the scope of the review, which will look into the events that took place in Whaley Bridge, in Derbyshire, from 1 August this year and consider what lessons can be learned by the wider industry to ensure ongoing reservoir safety.

It follows the precautionary evacuation of residents of Whaley Bridge after high water levels damaged the spillway of Toddbrook reservoir.

The Canal and River Trust, which owns and operates the reservoir, worked with the Environment Agency, fire and rescue service, the Royal Air Force and others around the clock to reduce water levels and to repair damage to the spillway to make it safe for residents to move back in.

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said:

I’m pleased that the independent review into the incident at Toddbrook reservoir, which I commissioned last month, is now well underway.

I expect this review to provide valuable insight into how this incident came about, and I hope it will also offer peace of mind to local residents. The outcome of the review will help inform how we can further improve this country’s excellent reservoir safety record.

The review will:

• Investigate the possible causes of the damage, and identify any issues in the operation, inspections or maintenance of Toddbrook reservoir, including the dam and spillway, in the period leading up to the incident on 1 August 2019
• Assess the dam’s capacity before 1 August to survive extreme flood events without collapse
• Assess the roles of those involved in the supervision, management and regulation of Toddbrook reservoir
• Consider lessons learned from the incident on 1 August 2019 in regards to: the design, maintenance and inspection of the Toddbrook reservoir; and the application and adequacy of current regulations

Professor Balmforth will report back to the Environment Secretary with his findings on the incident by the end of the year, the details of which are expected to be made public early next year following consultation with all parties involved.

Professor David Balmforth said:

England has an excellent reservoir safety record and the speedy action of many organisations helped keep the community around Toddbrook reservoir safe during the highly unusual incident earlier this year.

However, it is important that we uncover the causes of the damage to the dam and identify any lessons which can be learned, and I look forward to taking that work forward.

The full Terms of Reference for the review can be accessed here.

Since the summer the Environment Agency has ensured that water levels at Toddbrook Reservoir are monitored and remain at a safe level until full repairs are completed. The Canal and River Trust has also been assessing the damage and identifying how the reservoir can be permanently repaired in the longer term.

All NHS doctors and dentists in England now have access to a comprehensive mental health service, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced today.

More than 180,000 doctors and dentists can get confidential advice and support, in person or over the phone, if they’ve faced a stressful incident at work or feel they are struggling with their mental health.

Staff can access support 24/7 through a dedicated phoneline and a crisis text service available through the night. The service is currently staffed by 200 experts whose training is tailored to understand the specific circumstances of clinical life.

When a patient emails or phones the service, they are given a link to the app where they can book appointments with a clinician of their choice. After being assessed, the patient can continue to be seen by their lead clinician who can:

• prescribe medication
• support them while off work
• follow up as appropriate

They will also have access to a range of individual and group therapies.

Feedback from those who piloted the service has been very positive:

• 88% said the service had a positive impact on their wellbeing
• 85% said it had a positive impact on their ability to work or train

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

Our incredible NHS would be nothing without our outstanding, devoted staff. Many of them face incredibly challenging, and often distressing, situations on a daily basis and we owe it to staff to provide the mental and physical health support they need to deliver consistently high-quality care for patients.

There is a lot of work taking place across the country to improve the offer to staff and dedicated support to all doctors and dentists in the country is a key part of this. I’m determined to provide those who care for us the full backing they deserve and open doors to specialist services to turn to whenever they need help.

Dr Clare Gerada, Medical Director of NHS Practitioner Health, said:

I am immensely pleased and proud that the work we have done over the last decade has demonstrated the value of a service like NHS Practitioner Health. This means that any doctor or dentist in England can access free, confidential NHS mental health support and treatment and get the help they need.

No doctor or dentist need shy away from seeking help. They can be assured of the same levels of confidentiality we would afford members of the public who access care, and the stigma and barriers to seeking help through mainstream NHS services have been removed.

To sign up, call 0300 0303 300 or email prac.health@nhs.net.

The line is open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm.

Text NHSPH to 85258 for the out-of-hours crisis text service.

The Prime Minister spoke to President Erdogan of Turkey today.

The Prime Minister welcomed the agreement between the US and Turkey on the temporary suspension of fighting, which he said was a step in the right direction. He hoped that the agreement would hold and minimise further casualties on all sides.

But he also underlined that there remains a great deal of concern about Turkey’s military operation in northeast Syria.

The Prime Minister and the President agreed to look for an opportunity to meet alongside President Macron and Chancellor Merkel to discuss the current situation as well as broader issues including counter-terrorism and migration.

Published 20 October 2019

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