A new expert advisory group to look at how teachers and school leaders can be better supported to deal with the pressures of the job will be announced by Education Secretary Damian Hinds today (15 March).

Addressing more than 1,000 school and college leaders and teachers at the Association of School and College Leaders’ (ASCL) annual conference in Birmingham, Mr Hinds will say that teachers always put the good of their pupils first but should not take their own wellbeing for granted.

Earlier this year, Mr Hinds launched the first ever integrated strategy to recruit and retain more teachers setting out a comprehensive plan to build the status of the profession and create more opportunities for teachers to progress in their career. It also included an ambition to transform the day-to-day experiences of teachers, and laid out plans to create a positive, supportive culture in schools.

The Advisory Group – which brings together head teachers and principals, teaching and college unions, professional bodies and mental health charity Mind whose CEO, Paul Farmer, co-authored an extensive review for the Prime Minister on mental health and employers – will work with the government to look at how to promote better wellbeing for teachers.

Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of steps taken by Mr Hinds to address some of the concerns raised by the profession and create a great culture in schools. These include clamping down on excessive workload, simplifying the accountability system for schools and helping schools improve behaviour management in their classrooms.

Speaking to the conference, Damian Hinds will say:

Teaching is one of the noblest professions in the world – the chance to change lives and help young people build a future is what makes it a calling not a career. Teaching requires high levels of selflessness as teachers always put the good of their pupils first.

Like any really important job, teaching comes with its own challenges and, whilst rewarding, I don’t need to tell you how stressful it can be. As a society there is a much greater level of understanding about mental health and wellbeing and it is something many of you raise with me when I visit your schools. Whilst those conversations are focused on supporting your students, I’m clear that your wellbeing is also something we need to prioritise.

As part of the recruitment and retention strategy we want to help you all provide supportive schools culture and as part of that today I’m announcing my plan to set up an advisory group on wellbeing. The group will provide expert advice and work with us to look at how we as the Government and school leaders as the employers can promote wellbeing among our dedicated teaching staff.

Happy, motivated, well supported teachers are more likely to have happy and motivated pupils in their classrooms and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we’re all here.

Mr Hinds will also set out his ambition to help schools follow the lead of other professions that are stepping up efforts to champion wellbeing among their staff – including the NHS, which plans to provide better mental health and wellbeing support to frontline staff as well as employees.

Drawing on this, the expert group will listen to the concerns of teachers and school leaders before making recommendations to the Department for Education, local authorities and multi-academy trusts to raise awareness of the importance of wellbeing in schools and share good practice, advice and support.

The speech follows the publication of landmark new guidance – updated last month for the first time since 2000 – to introduce compulsory health education in schools so that all children are taught how to look after their mental wellbeing and recognise when classmates may be struggling, as part of the government’s new relationships, sex and health education guidance.

General secretary of ASCL, Geoff Barton, welcomed the proposals:

Teaching is a fulfilling and demanding job, and we have perhaps been too ready in the past to regard the pressures which are part of teaching as something which goes with the territory.

We now have a much improved awareness of mental health and wellbeing across society, and schools are well aware of the importance of this issue for pupils and staff. The establishment of an expert group to look at how schools can be better supported in their work around mental health and wellbeing is a good idea and we look forward to its recommendations.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, the mental health charity, said:

Mental health problems at work are common in all workplaces, and although we have made great strides, mental health is still a taboo subject. The ‘Thriving at Work’ report led by Lord Dennis Stevenson and myself found in many workplaces, opportunities are being missed to prevent poor mental health, including the education sector.

Through our ‘Whole School Approach’ programme, teachers and school leaders have been telling us that they need more support for their mental health and wellbeing at work. That’s why we welcome the Education Secretary’s commitment to support teachers and school leaders. Teaching staff do an incredibly important and demanding job, so employers need to support their staff so that they can come into work at their best.

The first, and arguably most important step, will be to start a conversation about mental health that empowers teachers, and make sure they have access to the right training and guidance to support themselves, their colleagues and their students.

The recruitment and retention strategy was developed with teachers, education unions and leading professional bodies to boost teacher numbers, support the 450,000 teachers already working in schools in England, and raise standards for pupils, by:

• Creating an Early Career Framework, the biggest teaching reform in a generation, backed by at least £130million a year in extra funding when fully rolled out. New teachers will receive a two-year package of training and support at the start of their career, including a reduced timetable to allow teachers to make the most of their training. Extra investment will also be pledged, through the £42million Teacher Development Premium, to roll-out the Early Career Framework
• Extra financial incentives to encourage talented teachers to stay in the classroom – Bursaries will be reformed to include retention-based payments for those who stay in the profession by staggering additional payments throughout the first years of their career.
• Simplifying the process of applying to become a teacher – introducing a new one-stop application system to make applications easier for would-be teachers and making it easier for more people to experience classroom teaching.
• Helping school leaders to reduce teachers’ workload – helping school leaders strip away unnecessary tasks such as data entry; simplifying the accountability system to clarify when a school may be subject to intervention or offered support; and working with Ofsted to ensure staff workload is considered as part of a school’s inspection judgement.
• Creating a more diverse range of options for career progression – helping schools to introduce flexible working practices through a new match-making service for teachers seeking a job-share and developing specialist qualifications and non-leadership career routes for teachers that want to stay in the classroom, with additional incentives to work in challenging schools.

Since becoming Education Secretary, Mr Hinds has made championing the profession one of his key priorities. Last year he provided schools with an additional £508million teachers’ pay grant to provide a pay uplift for thousands of hard-working teachers.

In December 2018 the UK and Welsh Governments announced that an independent review would be carried out into the Swansea Bay City Deal. The review has now concluded and today we are publishing the review report.

Both governments welcome the report which provides us, local partners and the private sector with the confidence to invest in the region and bring about economic growth. We are pleased that the report recognises the continuing commitment of all partners to the deal, as well as the positive impact a successful City Deal would have across the region. Both governments accept the review recommendations.

The report acknowledges the strengths of the City Deal, in particular as a key enabler to regional partnership working. It provides a solid foundation upon which our two governments and the regional partners can move forward with rapid delivery of the City Deal. We have already discussed the recommendations with the leaders of each local authority in the region and will continue to work closely with them over the coming weeks to consider how the recommendations can be implemented.

Our initial priority will be the urgent finalisation of the business cases for the Swansea Waterfront Digital District and the project at Yr Egin in Carmarthen. As soon as the final business cases are brought forward, both governments commit to expediting the appraisal process to enable these projects to move into the delivery phase as quickly as possible.

It will ultimately be for the leaders of the four local authorities to decide how they wish to strengthen the region’s Programme Management Office and to consider the roles of their committees. However, the report makes a compelling case for these changes – both governments recognise the potential to drive forward the City Deal through the establishment of a strong portfolio management structure. We will support the region to introduce changes needed to ensure this deal is a success and delivers upon the commitments made in signing the Heads of Terms. Importantly, we want to see the region bringing forward a robust plan and timetable for delivery of the next tranche of projects.

The private sector is a key partner in this City Deal and the Economic Strategy Board has an important role to play in helping it to succeed. The review report rightly recognises the contribution the board makes and its ability to help identify opportunities which the deal can capitalise on. We want to see this board take a more active role in the oversight of the deal, ensuring the best possible projects are supported.

Our commitment to the Swansea Bay City Deal is strong and both governments are determined to see it deliver for the communities of south-west Wales. Working with our regional partners, this review report will help us to achieve this ambition.

Click here to read the independent review in full on our website.

Following an Environment Agency prosecution at Worcester Crown court yesterday, Nicholls, 57, of Stanford House, Stanford Bridge, Worcester, pleaded guilty to three charges relating to the illegal operation of waste sites. Nicholls operated under the trading names of UKBF Group Ltd and Plastics Recycling Centre Ltd, at the car park for Smethwick Drop Forge Ltd (SDF) in Kidderminster, land and units at the Gemini Business Park (GEMINI) in Kidderminster, and Cherry Tree Farm in Stanford Bridge.

The defendant deliberately and over a prolonged period, accepted waste onto each of the three sites. He did so without the necessary environmental permits and in breach of the registered waste exemptions required to ensure that there was no risk to human health or the environment. Nicholls avoided costs relating to the waste activity and failed to produce waste records as required by law. Large well known companies were among Nicholls’ customers, the court was told.

When Environment Agency officers visited the sites, they found large amounts of assorted types of waste, including hazardous waste, being illegally stored and treated. Large quantities of plastics, contaminated with dairy and wine products, were found at the Gemini and SDF sites, with no measures in place to prevent the liquids from polluting the nearby Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal and River Severn. The quantities found could have caused significant harm to the environment, including to fish and invertebrates.

Complaints were received by the Environment Agency about rat, fly and odour problems at the Gemini site caused by large amounts of food waste waiting being stored and processed on site. The SDF and Gemini sites were also deemed to be at high risk of fire by a Fire Community Risk Manager, who accompanied the officers on their visits to the sites.

Nicholls gave Environment Agency officers repeated assurances that he would remove the high risk waste types and apply for the necessary Environmental Permit, in response to warnings and to an enforcement notice that was issued. Waste was moved between the SDF and Gemini sites, and after Nicholls and his companies were evicted from the Gemini site, on to Cherry Tree Farm.

Nicholls eventually abandoned the waste filled sites. The landowners are continuing to work with the Environment Agency, and the companies from where the waste originated, to clear the site.

Speaking after the case, an Environment Agency spokesperson said:

Waste crime is a serious offence with tough penalties as it can damage the environment, blight local communities and undermine those who operate legally. This case sends out a clear message that we will not hesitate to take action to ensure the protection of the environment and avoid harm to health. Businesses can support us with this by carrying out their Duty of Care and Due Diligence checks to ensure that they are using legitimate companies to deal with their wastes and not criminals like Mr Nicholls.

To find out how to responsibly manage any waste your business produces or visit our website. We can all play a part in helping to prevent waste getting into the hands of criminals. If you suspect that a company is doing something wrong, you can call the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Praising staff for their commitment to support Hastings residents, Amber Rudd will also host a summit with local charities, including Citizens Advice, to better understand how people in Hastings are dealing with benefit changes she is making to the welfare system.

There are 4.6 million people in work in the south east, with unemployment down 129,000 since 2010.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said:

I have long admired the hard work and the empathy of staff at the Hastings jobcentre. Like all staff across the country, they are also unafraid to make sure I hear the unvarnished view.

It’s the dedication and experiences of these staff who have helped inform the changes I have sought to make to Universal Credit.

The changes I am making ensure that behind our supportive staff, is a fairer and more compassionate system.

From scrapping any extension to the 2 child policy limit to stopping unnecessary reassessments for disabled pensioners, we are re-designing the welfare system so that it supports people who want to work and protects the vulnerable from poverty.

The visit is part of Amber Rudd’s fact finding tour about how Universal Credit is working for people across the country.

As a system that has to work for everyone, the Secretary of State’s tour is taking in the experiences of people living across the UK, from coastal communities like Hastings to rural towns and cities, including Taunton and Stoke-on-Trent.

Today’s (15 March 2019) Hastings visit follows the announcement this week that benefit claimants in Harrogate will be the first to move from old style benefits to Universal Credit.

Amber Rudd has already announced changes designed to make Universal Credit fairer, including pilot schemes to provide more frequent payments for new claimants, a new online system for private landlords and a more flexible approach to childcare provisions.

And earlier this month Amber Rudd announced new measures to support disabled people, including stopping unnecessary reassessments for disabled pensioners.

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This British Science Week, Glasgow-based company, Tissue Solutions Ltd, demonstrates why the UK is a world leader in life sciences and medical research.

Founded in 2007, Tissue Solutions is a global virtual biobank providing fully consented human tissue and biomaterials to pharmaceutical and biotech companies across Europe, Asia and the U.S to develop new drugs and diagnostics.

The company has since gained international reputation as a high-quality ethical provider of human tissue, working to support scientific discoveries and improve clinical success for oncological diseases, autoimmune diseases and more.

Dr Mike Short, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for International Trade, said:

Companies like Tissue Solutions ensure that the UK remains a world leader in medical research and innovation. In 2018, the UK exported nearly £25 billion in medicinal and pharmaceutical products alone, showing the global demand for British scientific excellence.

In 2017, the UK Government launched the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy which demonstrates our commitment to the sector. Therefore, I would encourage companies to get in touch with DIT through great.gov.uk if they need support to enter new markets overseas.

The UK has one of the strongest and most vibrant health and life sciences industries in the world, which supports 240,000 jobs and generates a turnover of around £70 billion per year.

British Science Week is an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) across the UK. The event encourages organisations, professionals, and science communicators to get involved in STEM events and activities.

The UK is the number one destination for life sciences inward investment in Europe, and is home to the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies and top 30 medical technology companies.

With 20 employees based in its Glasgow office, Tissue Solutions operates a virtual tissue bank with a client base that includes over 80% of pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in the Fortune 1000.

Dr Morag McFarlane, Chief Executive Officer at Tissue Solutions, said:

Ethically sourced human biomaterials lead to new treatments and are increasingly important for scientific breakthroughs.

We are committed to providing human tissues to researchers worldwide and exporting has always been central to our business. We have grown a lot since 2007, with support from DIT, and now provide a range of tissue related services to the global research community.