RAS – moving social care forward

February 21, 2014

Paul Clifford, CEO from FACE Recording & Measurement Systems explains the benefits of Resource Allocations Systems (RAS).

I was not pleased to be informed in 2007 that in the new world of personalisation, a sheet of A4 was all that would be required for needs assessment, and the prediction of resource requirements – especially as we had undergone a rigorous accreditation process to ensure that our tools met national standards for holistic person-centred assessment. We decided to stand by our belief in the value of high quality assessment and to modify our tools to meet the new requirements of personalisation and resource allocation.

Resource allocation systems (RAS) got off to a bad start because they were so intimately bound up with one predetermined ‘solution’ – an InControl-style self assessment. The result was that, rather than first considering the problems a RAS could solve and then looking at possible solutions, councils started off with one of many possible solutions – and tried to wrestle it into a shape that worked. Frustrated at their inability to do so, some retreated from resource allocation systems altogether – still without ever having considered the core problem.

However, the issues that personalisation was intended to address remain. So now is as good a time as any to reconsider resource allocation systems: what are they, do they work and can they help social care move forward?

Modelling the relationship between needs and costs

The fundamental problem that a RAS addresses is the relationship between needs and costs. The strength and predictability of this relationship is an empirical question and there is no guarantee that it is strong enough to predict costs at an individual level. This distinction between individual and population prediction applies in many walks of life: people who are more competent are generally better paid but few would expect to accurately predict an individual’s salary based upon a few questions on skills and experience.

Similarly, there is a strong relationship between lifestyle and health, but insufficient to permit prediction of an individual’s health status. However, a resource allocation system has to be able to provide an accurate indication of the likely costs of an individual service user’s support. The key question is whether this is possible or not.

How can resource allocation systems be used?

As well as providing indicative budgets, resource allocations systems are capable of helping councils address difficult issues. They can help ensure:

consistency and proportionality of allocation relative to need;
that local policy decisions regarding such areas as social participation and respite care are accurately reflected in support planning; and
that overall costs remain within budget.

They also have broader applications, such as outcome measurement and evaluating the cost effectiveness of interventions such as re-ablement and telecare. More fundamentally, they can help councils move towards a single model of allocation that covers all traditional ‘care groups’.

At a broader policy level they can support health and social care integration by ensuring that funds are not ‘doubly-allocated’ across health and social care, and by identifying individuals who may be eligible for continuing care. Whilst at a population level a good RAS supports; the equitable management of health and social resources; demonstrates equity of allocation and can help predict future costs.

This is no small list of applications and it would be a shame if the legacy of political entanglement resulted in failure to consider such benefits. For example, some have partially blamed resource allocation systems for the failure of personalisation, based on the weakness of the ‘£ per points’ methodology advocated by

InControl (Slasberg et al 2012). This ignores wider factors that have slowed personalisation – such as the collapse of the economy and cuts in social care funding.

Personalisation is inevitably bound up with macroeconomic conditions. In times of extreme famine NGO’s give everyone in a starving village 1 bag of food, regardless of personal circumstance. As scarcity recedes, flexibility increases and it is possible to give those in most need a little more. Similar logic must surely apply to social care: so if we don’t evaluate the progress of personalisation in the context of current adverse economic conditions we risk throwing out the baby with the bathwater. In times of scarcity a rigorous approach to allocation becomes even more necessary, to help ensure fair allocation of such resource as there is.

Conclusions

Properly-designed resource allocation systems work and have a potentially important part to play in shaping the future of health and social care and the evolution of personalisation. They help address a central task of social care, that of managing the relationship between needs and costs. As such they are part of the solution to delivering a truly personalised care system.

References

Slasberg, C., Beresford, P. & Schofield, P. (2012) ‘How self directed support is failing to deliver personal budgets and personalisation’,

Research, Policy and Planning 29,(3), pp. 161-177. Clifford P., Saunders R, Gibbon L (2013) Modelling the relationship between needs and costs: how accurate resource allocation can deliver personal budgets and personalisation. Research, Policy and Planning 30,(2), pp 107-120.

Paul Clifford

Research Fellow, School for Social Care Research

Hon. Senior Lecturer

UCL, London

P.Clifford@cs.ucl.ac.uk

www.ucl.ac.uk

The FACE RAS

February 21, 2014

Effective information for health and social care.

The FACE RAS is the country’s most widely used resource allocation system, being used by over 41 councils collectively, serving over 20% of the population. The goal of the FACE RAS programme has been to develop a resource allocation system that is:

Needs-based;
Accurate;
Integrated with community care needs assessment;
Scientifically validated;
In harmony with personalisation and the integration of health and social care.

FACE Assessments

At the heart of the FACE RAS are FACE assessment tools, nationally-accredited in 2003 by the Department of Health for their holistic person-centred approach to assessment, and their appropriateness for integrated health and social care working. Using the FACE Needs Profile – a single assessment process supports both needs assessment and resource allocation.

For people with complex needs, the most recent FACE Overview Assessment maps to the national Continuing Care Decision Support Tool and also provides an indicative budget for our ‘Continuing Care’ RAS.

Using the FACE RAS

The FACE RAS programme is a collaborative programme. Councils work hand in hand with our dedicated project managers and our team of researchers at UCL, who have supported the validation of our ‘national’ resource allocation model. Our user groups enable development of a common approach to complex issues such as how to allocate for respite care, or support for social participation. However, at the same time as using a validated standard approach, each council has considerable freedom and flexibility regarding the details of their local RAS set up.

The experience of our users demonstrates that resource allocation systems can, indeed, support personalisation as well as having wider applications, including being able to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of social care innovations, to quantity future costs, and measuring the impact of changes in social care provision. Examples of such uses from around the country include use of the FACE RAS assessment to measure the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of reablement or to provide guidance as to the appropriateness of telecare.

As social care develops, we believe that the accurate assessment and prediction of needs, risks and costs, will become more and more central to delivering high quality personalised care in a world where resources are already scarce and becoming scarcer. Developments in the pipeline therefore include the use of FACE assessments to predict risk of hospital readmission as well as continuing care and social care needs. FACE believes that accurate assessment is essential throughout a person’s lifespan. We have therefore also developed a ‘Children’s RAS’ and a suite of risk assessment tools for vulnerable young adults. Over the next year these will become part of a comprehensive set of assessment tools for young people covering health and social care as well as mental health, education and involvement with the criminal justice system.

About us

FACE is committed to making a difference to the delivery of health and social care. The company is a mix of experienced practitioners and technologists committed to improving quality of care and outcomes through the development of reliable and robust information tools.

For more information please contact Hugh Reynolds, Director of Business Development or explore our website www.face.eu.com

FACE Recording & Measurement Systems

Tel: +44 (0) 845 862 1259

Fax: +44 (0) 115 824 0178

info@face.eu.com

21st Century Latvian culture

February 21, 2014

Dace Melbarde, Minister for Culture in Latvia gives thought to cultural policies in the country and why the concept of national culture is important.

First of all, I have to explain that I believe in the concept of national culture and nation-state in the 21st Century. Among the theorists and researchers there are at least 3 positions with regards to the concepts of nation-state and national identity in the globalisation era:

– Nationalists see the contemporary world as a world of nations where each nation maintains its unique national identity and unity. A demonstrative testimony and recognition of it is an existence and operation of the United Nations Organisation. Nationalists of today consider that growing globalisation endangers the future and uniqueness of the contemporary nation-state, and all their efforts are directed towards safeguarding the nation as a singular cultural community united by shared homeland, history, national culture, economy, rights and responsibilities;

– Cosmopolites stand for the information society characterised by open information structures. The essence of their position lies in the belief of the universal humanism and diversity of cultures. Trust and understanding among people of different backgrounds, universal values and rights are the most essential; the global identity is the most fundamental among all others;

– Post-modernists criticise both of the above. They declare that identities of the humanity, cultures and individuals are diverse and multiple. The proper playground for such phenomenon of identities is an environment created by the new information and communication technologies. They believe that the future society becomes more and more individualistic.

Latvia’s future as a nation-state

The birth of the Latvian state is based on the cultural nationalism. The Encyclopedia of Nationalism published by the Academia Press in 2001 describes the Latvian nationalism as a particular form of nationalism stating that the Latvian oral culture – numerous Latvian folk songs, fairytales and legends – – has been and still is the most significant resource information of national self-confidence.

In this era we have seen the rapid demise of cultural diversity throughout the world. Certain cultural and globalisation researchers believe that the cultural homogenisation brought on by cultural globalisation is equal to the ecological crisis we are experiencing and these processes are, in fact, closely linked.

The most obvious evidence is the loss of languages (the situation with dialects and the vernacular is even more critical). From the approximately 6000 thousand languages that people on earth have spoken, at present only half remain, and of those, some are represented now by only 1 or 2 speakers. Even though culture and language are not identical, it is clear to everyone that the disappearance of any language is inextricably associated with the loss of a whole culture, if not an entire way of life.

The dedicated efforts of the international community over the last 5 years attest to the fact that this is not mere conjecture, because, under the auspices of UNESCO and the Council of Europe, numerous significant international legal instruments have been created to safeguard cultural diversity.

Even in Latvia, studies of the consumption of culture prove that Latvians prefer to be passive culture consumers rather than to actively participate in the creative process. As soon as culture as a creative life style is replaced by culture as a “market place”, favourable conditions for the dissemination of commercial culture and entertainment grow, and the national cultural environment weakens.

The preservation and cultivation of a national culture

A national culture is necessary for the development of a cohesive society. The central mission of integration policy should be rallying the community around a common basis of shared values instead of the heated promotion of various ideas throughout the populace, according to the postulates of multiculturalism. In other words, if Latvia truly wants to arrive at an integrated society, then the goal of both state cultural policy as well as integration policy, is to search for what is shared, rather than to merely highlight the differences.

Studies show that over the past 15 years, the ethnic make-up of Latvian society has become notably more complex. There has been a dynamic growth in the development and internal consolidation of various ethnic groups. The larger ethnic groups have started to pay attention to strengthening their own ethnicity.

At the same time there has been a growth in the ethnic identity of the minority communities – there has been no corresponding growth in the national identity as a value. The values that unite Latvian society have not been specifically articulated enough, but their absence is a risk for the small nation to remain in the grip of the tension arising from contradictions inherent in ethnic differences.

The idea of a unified national culture is necessary for the individual. The merging of cultures and the creation of mixed identities are processes that many people are not ready for, thereby eliciting fear and insecurity. A national culture, together with education must be able to deliver a stable base – a set of cultural values – within this amalgam of changing identities, which, as a social and spiritual signpost can assist the individual with their own journey of self-discovery. The preservation of the cultural space of small nations (cultures) is a global imperative. Latvia is the only country in the world that can take the responsibility for the preservation of the uniqueness of its own national culture; and in doing so; it contributes to the preservation of global diversity. We cannot ignore the fact that even though we refer to the certain nationalities living in Latvia as minorities, on a global scale, these ethnic groups are also a part of larger cultures. The small number of practitioners of Latvian culture places it closer to the category of cultures and languages under threat.

From a globalisation point of view, the identities of nations are subject to the increasing competition which has a significant influence not only on the development of a nation brand, but also on the development of the country’s socio-economic prospects.

My belief is that a competitive identity for Latvia in the 21st Century is to be found in the uniqueness of its national culture, its excellence and in the creative potential and talents of its people.

A flagship project of the 21st Century Latvia is the new Latvian National Library. The newly constructed library building called “The Castle of Light” will be opened to readers on 29 August, 2014. One of the ambitions of the Latvian National Library is to become a centre of excellence in digitisation of culture both for Latvia and the wider region. Over the last decade there has already been enriching experiences in setting up the National Digital Library of Latvia “Letonica”. The main long-term goal of the project is to digitise and make Latvian cultural heritage as widely accessible as possible, and to support this with IT infrastructure, common standards, and methodology.

Uniqueness of the Latvian culture stems from the intangible cultural heritage. The main challenge is our ability to build links between ancient wisdom, skills, and the contemporary cultural expressions to create sustainable usage and application of this heritage.

As for the creativity and talents, I strongly believe in the position that creative professionals and cultural specialists have to be recognised as a major asset of the cultural life and policy in Latvia. For quite a long time we have set cultural infrastructure as a main financial priority of the national cultural policy. There is no sustainable, diverse and vital national culture without its main creator – man. There is much to be done to define and protect the legal status of the creative professionals; we have to invest more in strengthening motivation of the cultural specialists, and we have to regain good prestige of the creative professions and professionals needed for the culture market. At the same time there is yet one more precondition for the sustainability of the national culture which cannot be underestimated – an informed and motivated consumer of cultural and creative products. In the context of increasing globalisation and global competition, our authorities should devote more efforts to strengthening the unique identities of national and local cultures and public awareness. At the same time, it is important that people are open to diversity, and they are curious about the history and culture of their neighbouring countries. The shared sense of belonging to the country and its diverse cultural environment, people’s self-respect, self-confidence and taste can ensure a wide public demand of Latvian culture and creative industry products in the future. Thus, in the upcoming years, cultural and arts education should be one of the top priorities in the national cultural policy. In this respect we have to improve quality of our professional arts education as well as to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to integrate cultural knowledge and skills into the formal education process. Media specialised in culture, both written and electronic, is also a subject of the cultural policy to develop a smart consumer of cultural and creative products which is ready to take shared responsibility on the future of Latvian culture.

Dace Melbarde

Minister for Culture

Ministry of Culture – Republic of Latvia

Tel: +371 6733 0200

pasts@km.gov.lv

www.km.gov.lv

Peace of mind

February 20, 2014

IT assets disposal that offers 100% security, 0% landfill and a share in re-sale profits.

At Restore-IT Efficient we’ve built our business of adding value to redundant IT and telecoms assets by offering clients a consistently high quality service, flexible thinking and industry expertise.

Our clients rest assured that all our processes fully meet or exceed legislation and accreditation guidelines and include:

registering assets;
removing hard disks for destruction or data-wiping for re-sale;
refurbishing units;
reclaiming parts for re-building or re-sale;
recycling hardware and devices so that nothing goes to landfill.

Our specialist services, together with guaranteed levels of recycling, help local authorities unlock the residual value from their obsolete IT assets.

What we offer

Security – all drivers and processors, whether at local authority premises or at one of our ten specialist facilities, are CRB checked and our vehicles are always GPS tracked.

Sustainability – we manage data destruction and equipment recycling adhering strictly to the WEEE Directive so that we do not harm the environment and impact surrounding communities as little as possible. Our goal is always 0% to landfill. When it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility, re-sale profits can provide investment for community projects, too – all in all, a win win situation for local authorities, the economy and the environment.

Stability – established in 1999, we are now part of the Restore Group, the second largest group of document management companies in the UK. We are trusted by clients such as the UK’s major investment banks and the world’s largest software company to carry out their IT asset disposal – wherever they are located in the world – securely, on time and to budget.

Accreditation – Restore-IT Efficient is regularly assessed and we are certified to ISO14001 (Environment) and ISO9001 (Quality) standards.

Return on investment – our specialist Smart Device and Mobile Phone

Division uses processes that open up the options for re-sale. We are motivated to sell wiped and refurbished equipment for the highest return and can achieve up to 50% higher values than some other recycling companies. Online asset tracking and open book accounting gives transparency to the entire operation and our clients reap the benefits.

Your peace of mind

Our success comes from our ‘longview partnership’ approach. We’re proud that we build relationships with our clients and the wider community that are based on trust, respect and working together. We’re also proud of our people and culture. It is by encouraging our teams to be competitive and entrepreneurial, yet environmentally and socially responsible, that we have grown our reputation as a dynamic, go-to business with a flexible approach, totally unfazed by the challenges our clients set us.

Please get in touch with Garry Keith, Government Business Development Manager, to discuss how we can meet your requirements.

Garry Keith

Government Business

Development Manager

Restore-IT Efficient

Tel: 01462 813132

garry.keith@restoreitefficient.co.uk

restoreitefficient.co.uk

Bio-securing our woodland

February 20, 2014

Austin Brady, Head of Conservation at the Woodland Trust discusses the impacts of disease and pests on our woodlands, and how we can mitigate the risks.

It’s now just over 1 year on from the day that the devastating disease ash dieback was confirmed within the ‘wider environment’ in the UK for the first time. Up until the discovery last October at sites in Suffolk, including the Woodland Trust’s Pound Farm Woodland, it had only been found on recently planted trees. Interest and concern surrounding tree pests and diseases had been growing steadily for some time as their incidence within the UK in recent years has increased. The outbreak of ash dieback fungus, Chalara fraxinea, however has triggered a major step change. Tree health issues have regularly made national news over the past 12 months and the UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) now classes this as one of its top 4 priorities.

The growing concern and resulting action around tree pests and diseases has also been a top priority for the Woodland Trust itself. As a major landowning conservation charity managing more than 1,100 woods covering 190 square kilometres, the threat posed by a plethora of tree pests and diseases is already having a direct impact. Nearly 350 of our sites contain ancient woodland of which 70% is seminatural ancient woodland – land which has been under tree cover since at least 1600. It is the Woodland Trust’s mission to protect and create more native woodland within the UK whilst restoring areas of ancient woodland damaged through either a lack of, or inappropriate management. Pests like the Asian Longhorn Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) and Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) together with devastating pathogens such as Plane Canker (Ceratocystis platani) and ash dieback therefore pose a huge threat to the Woodland Trust’s own estate and its wider work with government, community groups and other landowners.

Upon the discovery of another pest or disease threatening our trees the first question is often what can we do? Unfortunately the UK and wider European experience usually shows us that eradication is nearly always impossible. Containment or disease ‘management’ is often the best case scenario. Can we stop these pathogens arriving in our forests? is often the next question. The UK as an island nation finds itself in a more advantageous position than most in Europe here, but again this is virtually impossible when we consider the huge volumes of live plants and associated soil, timber, biofuel and packing material being imported daily. In a globalised world where no one can afford, even if it were possible, to ‘batten down the hatches’ and close the border we need to recognise and accept the inherent risks of this trade and develop the most appropriate means of managing this risk. The European Union obviously has a large role to play here in regulating trade and setting industry standards. Its plant health regime is currently being reviewed and the proposals look very positive with an increased focus on surveillance, more stringent movement controls, greater prioritisation and a concerted effort to improve the collaboration and communication between official service, the private sector and the general public. However, the implementation of these new regulations is unlikely to happen before 2018 at the earliest. We must act now if our irreplaceable ancient woodland and relatively limited range of UK native species are to survive.

The Woodland Trust recognised the immediacy of these threats last year and swiftly implemented a three-point plan. The charity has always specified UK provenance seed for its woodland creation projects, but as of 2014 all trees will also be guaranteed to have been grown only in the UK. This immediately reduces the risk of introducing a pest or disease into the woodland as live imports of plants are one of the major ‘risk pathways’ identified by all government and stakeholder advisory groups charged with improving tree health.

An expert seminar on Tree Disease and Resilient Landscapes was hosted by the Woodland Trust and Defra in June this year. The seminar brought together 40 scientists, researchers, forest pathologists, woodland managers, professional bodies, government agencies and nature conservation NGOs to share experience and learning as well as to identify key gaps in knowledge and practice in relation to Chalara fraxinea and other threats. A summary of the seminar will shortly be published on the Woodland Trust website. As well as calls for better biosecurity at our borders and much better surveillance, detection and monitoring of pests and diseases that are current or anticipated threats, there was also much talk of improving our woodland’s ‘resilience’. Recognising the fact that we can never hope to keep out all threats and that some may arrive by natural processes the need to build resilience in our ancient and native woods is seen as the best way of safeguarding their conservation value in the long term. This will require different steps by many different parties but increasing the diversity of woodland structure, using a wider range of species and creating more genetic diversity within our woodlands will be key.

The final point of the plan is a four-year partnership project involving the government Forest Research Agency, the Food and Environment Research Agency and a fellow charity, the National Trust. ObservaTREE is a LIFE+ funded project that will develop an early warning system for tree pests and diseases by engaging citizen scientists with leading tree health organisations to help detect and verify pests and diseases in order to avoid their spread and minimise woodland loss. Through the use of expert volunteers, trained by the Woodland Trust, the project will assist scientists with the investigation and filtering of tree health incidents reported by the public. This will enable tree health scientists to focus on the reports of greatest significance. The processes and experiences gained through this project will be shared with counterparts across Europe in an effort to ensure best practice is shared and the necessary international approach to tackling tree pests and disease is supported. This pan-European approach, shared with other initiatives such as FRAXBACK, will be essential if we are to learn from each other in order to ensure our forests can survive the current and future pest and disease threats.

Austin Brady

Head of Conservation

Woodland Trust

Tel: +44 (0)1476 581111

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Energy that matters

February 20, 2014

James Smith, Chair of the Carbon Trust, sets out why we need to learn to love Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) – before it’s too late.

In front of the Public Liaison Committee in Parliament, the Prime Minister laid out the importance of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to the setting of a 2030 carbon target, and in helping resolve the current debate on how much gas in the UK is safe to burn. An expert report had concluded that, using carbon capture and storage (CCS) as part of the energy system, the UK’s carbon reduction goals could be met at a cost of about 1% of GDP. Without CCS the costs could be tens of billions of pounds per annum higher. A pretty important finding, given the background of rising electricity costs to the UK consumer.

Yet despite the words and reports, the technology has made disappointing progress over the last 10 years. Despite high profile initiatives in the UK and elsewhere, not one integrated, large scale electricity plus CCS project has yet been implanted anywhere in the world.

It is a technology with few friends and apparently no natural owners. It’s easy to see why. It’s big and capital intensive and it keeps unloved fossil fuels going. It has none of the instinctive attraction of solar panels, wind turbines, wave and tidal power devices.

You can’t blame electricity generators for not liking it. After all, it’s a substantial additional capital cost on their sites and reduces the flexibility of their plants. In addition, generators are not offered revenue support for the additional costs in the way they are for wind farms and other renewables. So with a weak carbon market, the bottom line commercial incentive for electricity generators to build CCS is pretty well non-existent.

While Shell for example, with government financial support, is building a billion-dollar CCS project linked to oil sands production in Alberta, most coal and gas producers are wary about whether electricity markets will deliver a decent commercial return on their CCS investment. This might explain why their advocacy for CCS is currently muted.

But carbon capture and storage matters because, like it or not, relatively cheap coal and gas will be the major fuels for the next few decades in generating electricity. Unless CCS is used to stop the resultant carbon dioxide getting into the atmosphere, man-made climate change cannot be contained.

We also need “negative carbon” technology if the worst of climate change is to be avoided. That means actually removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. CCS together with sustainably derived biomass for electricity generation, is by far the best game in town.

Of course it’s not that nothing is being done. The UK’s Energy Bill has provisions to support the technology. R&D costing £125m is underway and a £1bn government competition is being run for a demonstration project. This has linked up with European efforts to run demonstration projects. Unfortunately the number of candidate projects has been diminishing and the years have been slipping by. The goal of getting some tens of demonstration projects running worldwide by 2020 now looks highly improbable.

So what must be done? We all must get real and get behind the technology. Government and industry must work together urgently to build the essential demonstration projects over the next few years. The carbon market, post 2020, must be underpinned now with very strong signals for a carbon price that will stimulate all kinds of low carbon investment, including CCS. And the government must continue with R&D to reduce costs and risks.

The UK has much to gain. We have 2 of the world’s top oil companies skilled in the injection and storage of carbon dioxide. The UK is home to a highly capable process engineering industry. And, we have a very strong university research base to help optimise the current technology and reduce costs. The economic up sides are there for the taking. Research co-ordinated by the Carbon Trust has found that CCS industrial development could contribute £3-16bn to UK GDP cumulatively to 2050.

But needless to say we are not alone. The United States are world leaders where capture technology has been running in large-scale plants for decades, and the CO2 based on a well-established 6,000km pipeline network is used both in fizzy drinks and enhanced oil recovery. The US government is sponsoring major research into improving CCS technologies. Governments and companies in Asia also recognise the commercial opportunities. But we do have the capacity to compete provided we get on with it now.

So to help the planet, keep down the costs of low carbon energy and to create a new and exciting commercial opportunity for British Industry, lets learn to love CCS – before its too late.

James Smith

Chair

The Carbon Trust

Tel: +44 (0)20 7170 7000

www.carbontrust.com

A cleaner, greener future

February 20, 2014

Judith Shapiro, Policy and Communications Manager at the Carbon Capture & Storage Association explains the crucial role CCS will play in reaching climate change targets.

One could be forgiven for thinking that the climate change challenge is mainly a power sector issue. After all, the power sector (in the UK) does contribute the largest share of emissions of any single sector – reaching 40% of total emissions in 2012. In addition, UK policies to tackle climate change are in the main focussed on decarbonising the power sector first. This is obviously firstly because of the significant role that a decarbonised power sector will play in meeting the UK’s statutory target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. Secondly, the power sector has many low-carbon technology options available to it – some of which are already being deployed at commercial scale.

However, decarbonising the power sector alone will not enable us to reach the 2050 target – other sectors will also need to do their part. Of the other key economic sectors (such as transport and residential), the industrial sectors contribute a significant share of UK emissions after the power sector. These sectors, known as ‘energy intensive industries’ – although perhaps they should be called ‘carbon intensive industries’ – emit 55 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to 66% of all UK industry emissions and over 10% of the UK total. However, attempting to address these emissions is not a simple task. Firstly, this is not just one sector, but a large variety of industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, refining and gas processing. Secondly, many of these sectors produce carbon dioxide as part of their process as well as the fuel they use. This means that even if they could decarbonise the emissions from the fuel use (through low-carbon energy technologies), this would only solve part of the problem.

We mustn’t forget that these industries are already implementing options to reduce emissions (mainly through energy efficiency), however most of these options have been exhausted. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is actually the only technology that will enable these industries to significantly reduce their emissions – because CCS captures the carbon dioxide produced in the process as well as from the fuel.

Again, the application of CCS to these industries varies greatly between sectors – some sectors already separate out the carbon dioxide and this could be captured almost immediately with the right CCS policies in place. Others still need to develop and trial a range of capture technologies.

The deployment of CCS in these industries is to a large extent dependent on the availability of CCS transport and storage infrastructure – pipelines and offshore storage sites. It is a well-known fact that the most cost-effective way to develop CCS is in clusters, building pipelines that are able to carry carbon dioxide from a number of emitters (power and industry) and transporting this carbon dioxide to a network of offshore storage sites. We are fortunate in the UK in that many of our power stations and energy intensive industries are already clustered together in some of the key regions in the country – making the UK an ideal place to develop CCS clusters.

Over the last 2 years, the UK has been intently focused on developing policies to decarbonise the power sector – particularly through the introduction of Electricity Market Reform (EMR) which aims to deliver a low-carbon electricity system for the UK made up of (in the main) renewables, nuclear and CCS on fossil fuels. Whilst this is an extremely welcome development for CCS – it represents the first framework anywhere in the world that places

CCS on a level footing with other low-carbon technologies and provides an incentive mechanism to support CCS beyond demonstration projects – it does little to support CCS in industrial sectors.

In parallel with the implementation of EMR, we urgently need to see the development of policies that can begin to support CCS in energy intensive industries. In some ways, there is a greater urgency for these industries as many of these industries are facing tough decisions regarding their continued existence in a carbon constrained world and without the right CCS policies in place, these industries would likely have to relocate to other countries. Were this to happen, the impact on the UK economy would be severe.

There are positive signs that things are moving in the right direction. Just before Christmas, the Government announced the successful award of a Front End Engineering and Design contract to the White Rose CCS project at the Drax power station in Yorkshire. As part of this FEED contract, the project will include the development of the ‘Yorkshire Humber CCS Trunkline’ by National Grid – a pipeline able to carry carbon dioxide from a number of power and industrial sources. In addition, on December 13, the Tees Valley City Deal was approved – to boost process industries in Teesside and unlock £28m of private sector investment. Crucially, as part of this City Deal, support will be available to advance CCS in industrial sectors.

Energy-intensive industries form the backbone of the UK manufacturing economy, and together they have a combined turnover of £95bn, they directly employ 160,000 people and support a further 800,000 people in the wider supply chain. CCS will play a crucial role in maintaining these vital industries in the UK, delivering significant benefits to the UK economy. We urgently need to develop the policies to make this happen.

Judith Shapiro

Policy and Communications Manager

The Carbon Capture & Storage Association

Tel: +44 (0) 203031 8750

judith.shapiro@ccsassociation.org

www.ccsassociation.org

Leading electronic control for vehicle energy optimisation

February 20, 2014

A key factor for environmentally-friendly fuel-efficient vehicles.

In the near future, substantial changes in mobility and land transport will take place. Population growth, energy issues, environment preservation and improvement of life quality and mobility safety will require revolutionary innovations. The automotive industry will need to undergo a deep transformation to react and adapt to mobility needs. Market development will be dominated by a widening demand from Asia, while breakthrough innovations will characterise mature automotive markets.

Electric technology will support mobility innovation. Today, pure electric vehicles (PEV) are still a niche product and will grow with a regular positive trend in next 10 years. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) are becoming mass-market products in Western Europe, USA and Canada. In 10 years, more than 15% of passenger cars will be either hybrid/ plug-in hybrid or pure electric. Key economic drivers for hybridisation are: CO2 emission standard targets (95 g/km by 2020 in EU) for passenger cars and fuel economy (i.e. cost of ownership reduction) for industrial and commercial vehicles.

However, impacts of vehicle electrification go beyond the vehicle itself – rethinking infrastructures and implementing a high degree of integration at different levels. Clearly, electric power generation and distribution have to be restructured to meet PHEV and PEV recharging requirements to exploit the related business opportunity.

As far as vehicle and power train management is concerned, CO2 emission mitigation and fuel saving require real-time on-line optimisation. Integration with traffic monitoring and control systems, navigation systems, fleet management systems and so on, can provide fundamental real-time data to this purpose. At the same time, global management systems can improve their strategies by exploiting vehicle state information.

Finally, a high degree of integration is required within the vehicle, for an intense overall vehicle energy optimisation. Achieving concrete benefits from hybrid technology in actual vehicle use is not straightforward. A detailed investigation of the application is necessary for a successful design of the hybrid powertrain and tight integration between powertrain and vehicle components and their electronic control is essential.

Pure Power Control S.r.l. (P2C) is a SME located in Navacchio Technological. Pole, near Pisa (Italy). Founded in 2008, the mission of P2C is to design and develop environmentally-friendly propulsion systems for land vehicles and marine applications. P2C is a partner of automotive and off-highway OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, as well as shipyards, for the development of innovative low-emissions and fuel efficient hybrid powertrains, based on either electric or hydraulic technology. P2C is also a provider of engineering services for model-based systems engineering, modelling and simulation, and advanced electronic control.

In the development of hybrid electric/ hydraulic powertrains, P2C provides its partners with:

A comprehensive model-based systems engineering design and optimisation of the hybrid electric/hydraulic powertrain;
Advanced solutions for hybrid powertrain control and vehicle energy management, with tightly integrated and efficiently operated powertrain subsystems and foremost optimisation of vehicle efficiency and performances. Depending on the application, the proposed solutions can be either available on a rapid-prototyping platform for hybrid vehicle concept demonstration or included in an existing on-board electronic control unit as well as implemented on a dedicated additional unit.

Control is a key factor for environmentally- friendly fuel-efficient intelligent vehicles, which safely travel and operate by understanding and interacting with the environment.

Ing. Andrea Balluchi PhD

Pure Power Control S.R.I

Tel +39 237 5691133

andrea@purepowercontrol.com

www.purepowercontrol.com

Encouraging sustainable transport in local areas

February 20, 2014

Transport is a sector that affects everyone, whether it be via train, catching a bus or driving through rush hour traffic. However, road transport is reportedly the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU after power generation

In June 2012 the government invested a further £266m to support local authorities in delivering local economic growth whilst cutting carbon emissions from transport. Over £1bn has been invested by the government in sustainable travel across England as part of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

Local authorities across the UK are taking on board recommendations to support and encourage sustainable travel. Councils like Bristol City Council have developed ideas such as the Hydrogen Ferry, a bike recycling scheme, and the Cycle Network.

Reading Borough Council have also been awarded a grant of £20.7m from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund which will help to launch a number of measures in the local areas. These include creating an additional 7,200 daily bus trips, 12,050 daily walk trips and 2,300 daily cycle trips across the town. The council estimates that all these efforts combined would result in a 29,000 tonne reduction in CO2 and an estimated economic benefit of £340m for the town as a whole.

The above examples show just how local authorities are already working towards low carbon technologies within transport. However, is there more that could be done? How should local authorities be encouraging sustainable modes of travel? Here a number of experts discuss whether enough is being done to drive forward the importance of sustainable transport in our local towns and cities throughout the UK…

Sustainability is the future

Sustainability is a thread that is woven through Labour policies, and our pledge is to reinstate the target to reduce emissions in the aviation sector to 2005 levels by 2050 – a pledge scrapped by the Coalition Government.

Not all pollution at airports is caused by aircraft, but also by congestion around nearby roads, which is why we as a Shadow Transport team call for improved surface access and public transport links. We also recognise the valuable role that light rail and trams play in increasing connectivity and reducing emissions – as a Blackpool MP, I’m proud of the tens of millions of pounds from the previous Labour Government which has given us a renewed tramway and 21^st Century tram fleet in the town.

But we also pursue these low-carbon policies because of the range of related benefits they bring to commuters and communities. Cycling and walking improve public health, cut costs at a time when the cost of living crisis bites harder than ever, and reduce congestion, making our roads safer and easier to navigate. Greater use of public transport and schemes like car shares carry many of the same advantages; local authorities must be given the tools they need to innovate and implement successful strategies for sustainable transport.

The Campaign for Better Transport has demonstrated the limitations of investment plans being submitted by new local transport bodies. Projects focused on bus travel account for only 7% of the total, compared to 22% under the old centralised funding system, and there are no projects aimed at cycling. The government should do more to promote the sustainable dimension, but must also recognise the constraints on local authorities. The Coalition Government cut £300m from local transport funding upon coming to power, and we continue to see incremental cuts to crucial budgets, such as a further £10m shaved off funding for supported bus routes. The Local Government Association (LGA) has also raised concerns that the Department for Transport (DfT) money is incorporated into the Single Local Growth Fund, suggesting that forward-looking transport plans could suffer as the money is diverted to plug the gap in other pressing areas of local need.

Beyond its environmental impact, sustainable transport also means making our communities more stable and cooperative, bridging the gap between jobs and skills and ensuring that no locality is left behind as business in other areas grows. The transport budget is no quick fix to the need for central government savings; too much rides on the effectiveness of our transport network in terms of sharing tomorrow’s economic prosperity and reducing the imprint that we leave on the world around us.

Gordon Marsden MP

Shadow Minister for Transport

Labour Party

gordonmarsdenmp@parliment.uk

www.parliament.uk

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Taking small journeys off-road

The government’s Spending Review did not bring good news for local transport. It brought worse news for local schemes aiming to make it easier for people to walk and cycle, for which there was almost no mention at all. In fact, the Road Action Plan that followed the Spending Review demonstrated without a shadow of a doubt that for this government it doesn’t matter what the question is; the answer is always roads.

The government also announced, what it termed the biggest infrastructure spend in decades. But of the £70bn to be spent on transport from the infrastructure fund, a staggering £42bn of this is allocated to HS2. Just imagine what that kind of money could do if it was spent in local communities improving access to walking and cycling routes and public transport services.

In slightly brighter news, the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) has been extended by £100m for 2015-16, with most of the relevant transport funding streams being shifted into the £2bn per year Single Local Growth Fund (SLGF). The LSTF, by providing dedicated national government funding for transport, has been responsible for kick-starting more projects that encourage walking, cycling and public transport, and place initiatives that enable these ways of travel at the heart of their plans and strategies. So it is great to see the continuation of LSTF for another year, but we need long-term certainty over this funding stream to ensure that councils are encouraged to continue planning for the future.

This kind of forward-thinking will help local authorities to make walking, cycling and public transport as alternatives to car travel and the most viable option for getting around. They’ll be able to ensure buses have priority and are not delayed by traffic, as well providing safe walking and cycling links that actually link people from where they live to the places they need to go.

Two-thirds of the journeys we make by car are under 5 miles – distances that could easily travelled on foot, by bike or on public transport. These journeys are mainly around the places we live – they’re trips to the shops, to school and to visit friends. What a difference it would make if these cars were taken off the road, helping to reduce congestion, tackle pollution and keep residents healthy, thereby stopping the enormous drain that physical inactivity and obesity places on our health budgets.

It is vital that central government provides certainty around transport funding at a grass roots level. Local Authorities need to be able to tailor their transport plans to their community so that money is spent wisely and has the greatest impact on local journeys.

Jason Torrance

Policy Director

Sustrans

info@sustrans.org.uk

www.sustrans.org.uk

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Innovating transport technology

Innovation is central to delivering a sustainable transport system that can cope with the growing pressure to move people and goods more efficiently.

A major transformation in performance is needed and, as the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board is playing its part in making that happen.

That can range from backing for research into the environmental impact of electric cars in the North East, to supporting the development of a Smartphone app to help young people make better use of public transport in the South West.

Transport is one of our priorities. As well as supporting the development of the new clean technology needed, it is our job to ensure that the UK is well-positioned as a global developer and supplier of new technologies.

The UK has a strong transport industry, employing more than 1.3 million directly, and there will always be a need for powered transport. But this need has to be balanced with the impact on carbon emissions and the cost of congestion to the UK economy, which is predicted to reach £22bn by 2025.

The Technology Strategy Board has a leadership role across the whole transport industry, promoting innovative solutions to these challenges and turning them into opportunities for UK industry. We bring people together to share ideas, tackle challenges and make new technological advances.

Businesses can make a difference, for example, by working on ground-breaking projects to reduce carbon emissions. There are also opportunities to integrate different energy sources on systems and vehicles, not just to serve the UK’s transport needs but to take a greater share of a global market.

An independent report has predicted that our low-carbon vehicles programme will boost UK gross valued added (GVA) by £8.2bn over 10-15 years.

Our funding is encouraging road haulage operators to switch to low-carbon commercial vehicles and track the reduction in carbon emissions. Examples of other funded projects include a prototype for a hybrid engine that can be retrofitted to double-decker buses and another exploring the use of the latest digital technology to manage urban congestion corridors. We encourage applications that involve local authorities; for example, we plan to run a competition later this year for in-field trials that demonstrate the potential benefits of transport integration.

Innovation can be stifled by a lack of opportunity and our Transport Systems Catapult centre is providing world-class facilities to pursue and test these cutting-edge ideas.

We know that focusing innovation effects on technology alone is not enough. Encouraging people to make different travel choices is another challenge but, by making it easier and more convenient for people to choose sustainable transport, there is potential to ease congestion on our roads and support economic growth as well as reducing carbon emissions.

To do that we need to think about the journey as a whole, making it as seamless as possible, and to encourage integration across different types of transport. Over the last year we have committed up to £63m to support business-led transport projects, studies and workshops, taking a collaborative approach to research and development.

Andrew Everett

Head of Transport

Technology Strategy Board

www.innovateuk.org

Opportunity knocks

February 20, 2014

Annys Darkwa, Managing Director of Vision Housing explains the need for more housing to help re-offenders integrate back into the community

Homelessness remains a real problem in the UK today and most strikingly this can be seen in the London area where people living in temporary housing remains at record levels. London remains an attractive place for people looking for housing and for work. Single homeless providers in London regularly achieve near full occupancy; the predictions are for further growth in population resulting in greater pressures upon an already over stressed housing supply stock.

When people are sent to prison they often lose everything: home, family and job. Their criminal record exacerbates their disadvantages and they often have difficulty in assimilating back into society especially in accessing housing and employment as a result. Many people leaving prison are at high risk of becoming homeless and reluctantly quickly slip back into an offending lifestyle. Accessing and maintaining suitable housing, particularly immediately on release from prison, is a vital step in moving people away from offending behaviour. Furthermore, they need support from people they can relate to in order to help them to increase their social capital, to develop and maintain relationships, to engage in their local community and to access education, training and employment.

By providing decent quality accommodation in an area away from the offender’s “territory” on the day of release, the chance of not reoffending is significantly greater than if returned to the previous community where the offence occurred. However, providing accommodation is only the beginning for offenders on their road to not reoffending. Providing advice and support in accessing statutory help, finding training opportunities and/or jobs, and remaining a source of support as long as it is needed is vital in meeting their ongoing higher needs.

Information for prisoners prior to leaving prison is poor with only 19% of prisoners receiving advice or guidance about accommodation (House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, Rehabilitation of Prisoners, 2004-2005, Volume 1 and 2). Most do not know what their options are and have poor strategies for searching for suitable accommodation.

To address this we need to continue to provide effective access to housing and resettlement support and implement a programme that directly addresses the needs we have identified. The aim must be to improve the levels of social inclusion for offenders and increase the opportunities for them to become involved in training and eventually employment.

As part of Chris Grayling’s ‘Rehabilitation Revolution’, he proposes that every offender should be met upon release by a dedicated mentor who is there to help the offender turn their lives around, resettle into the community and turn their back on crime for good.

We believe that this is too late and that it should start prior to release as many prisoners we see are playing catch-up on this upon release without sufficient resources available to them to sustain them in doing this.

Annys Darkwa

Managing Director

Vision Housing

Tel: +44 (0) 208 648 0402

annys@visionhousing.org.uk

Sharing the sustainable vision

February 20, 2014

Lord Mayor of the City of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen gives details of how the City is becoming the first CO2 neutral capital in Europe…

Reducing CO2 emissions is just a small part of being a sustainable city. Equally as important is expanding our economy and ultimately improving the quality of life of our residents.

Copenhagen is one of the most ambitious cities in the world when it comes to setting sustainability goals – and reaching them. By 2025 we aim to make Copenhagen the first CO2 neutral capital in the world, and we are already well on our way. This agenda is the reason why Copenhagen has been awarded the European Green Capital Award 2014.

Cities play a decisive role in ensuring a more sustainable future. More than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and they are responsible for about 75% of all CO2 emissions. In Copenhagen, the number of residents will increase rapidly in the coming years, and it is important that we expand and develop our city in a sustainable way.

Intelligent urban planning and smart building in a city with fast population growth is needed to prevent an increase of CO2 emissions in a city whose goals, among others, are to be CO2 neutral in 2025. Copenhagen is already seeing results as we have seen a decrease by 20% since 2005. We are determined to reach our goals by installing 100 wind turbines, investing in solar panels, and converting our power stations from fossil fuels to biomass.

Cycling is the fastest and cleanest way of getting around, and 36% of the citizens in and outside Copenhagen use their bikes to work or school in the city every day. We have put a lot of effort in planning and developing our city in a greener way. New wider bicycle lanes, improved design of intersections, and behavioural campaigns have meant that we have set a goal which aims for 50% of Copenhageners to ride their bikes to work or education.

Green Laboratory

Reducing CO2 emissions is just a small part of being a sustainable city. Equally as important, is expanding our economy and ultimately, improving the quality of life of our residents. In times of economic crisis, we need to find new ways to create economic growth and new jobs.

There are benefits to improving bicycle infrastructure, building more sustainably in the city, and cleaning the harbour. The returns can be not only be measured by a better climate, environment and improvement of health and better quality of life, but also in terms of hard cash. Investments will bring returns. It is estimated that more than half of the investments put into improving the energy efficiency of schools, cultural centre’s, homes and offices will be repaid through operational savings for example on energy costs, by 2025. Building bicycle infrastructure, for example, leads to more people taking their bikes to work, which in turn leads to improved health and lower medical costs, as well as a decrease in CO2 emissions and air pollution.

Initiatives like this cannot be accomplished by the city council alone. It requires a great deal of involvement from citizens and partnerships with businesses in order to succeed. Our ambition is to make Copenhagen an international centre for clean tech companies. Already, there are about 500 companies and about 30,000 people work in the clean tech sector in the Danish Capital Region. The OECD has identified Copenhagen as a global leader when it comes to creating growth and jobs in this area, and the growth in the Green Sector is substantially higher than in other sectors in Copenhagen and Denmark.

A big part of the reason for the clean tech sector’s success in Copenhagen is the political focus and the accompanying investments. With a carbon neutral

Copenhagen on the horizon, Danish clean tech companies have a unified platform to demonstrate green Danish technologies.

Sharing Copenhagen

As the European Green Capital we want to share our experiences and solutions with other cities, but also learn from other sustainable projects in the world.

The theme for European Green Capital 2014 in Copenhagen is “Sharing”. We have great traditions of including our citizens. According to surveys, Copenhagen is in fact the third most including city in Europe and we want them to share the city even more than they already do. In collaboration with more than 75 partner organisations and businesses, the City of Copenhagen has planned over 200 activities throughout the year for both Copenhageners and visitors, but we also want the world to join, share and be inspired.

Sharing good solutions will be pivotal; we will be sharing solutions and experiences at events at conferences, masterclasses, guided tours and events across the city. We are looking forward to welcoming the world and sharing our green solutions.

Frank Jensen

Lord Mayor

City of Copenhagen

www.kk.dk

Driving smart, sustainable growth

February 20, 2014

Commissioner for Regional and Urban Policy, Johannes Hahn explains what smart and sustainable growth means for European cities.

It is becoming increasingly clear that economic growth in the EU will come primarily from Europe’s towns and cities. The reality is therefore that these days neither MemberStates nor the EU can achieve their economic or social policy objectives without engaging with cities. The figures speak for themselves: metropolitan regions host 59% of the EU population and 62% of all jobs – generating 67% of the Union’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Since cities are places where challenges are raised and where solutions can be most effectively delivered, they are in the driving seat to implement many EU or national policies at local level. For example, if the EU is to meet its climate targets, it needs cities to better address resource and energy efficiency, notably in transport, housing and in overall urban design. Working across levels is also essential for cities to solve problems such as poverty concentration, spatial segregation, ageing populations, etc.

Therefore, the EU offers a wide framework of support for cities and urban areas, with a great deal of European Commission work impacting in some way or another on cities – seeking a holistic approach to their growth and development.

My job, as Commissioner for Regional and Urban Policy, is to ensure that all these initiatives are coherent and create synergies, and that we work in partnership with Europe’s cities. This will, I believe, unleash the potential of cities to help deliver EU-wide goals of green and balanced growth. Cities have to be at the heart of our plans to create a Europe that is prosperous, environmentally sustainable, and where no citizen is marginalised.

With the dawn of a new budgetary and development programming period for 2014-2020, EU Regional and Urban Policy continues to devote its resources to boosting the economy through targeted action in all EU regions – and pioneering work in its cities that can help boost competitiveness throughout the Union.

Under the new Regulations approved recently, all regions have to target between 50 and 80% of their European Regional Development fund (ERDF) investments on innovation, information and communication technologies (ICT), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the low-carbon economy. Overall, there will be a very significant amount of EU funding devoted in the next period to making cities ‘smarter’, ‘greener’ and ‘more inclusive’. It is essential for cities to ensure that all ERDF-funded projects are aligned with strategic planning policies for their regions.

For cities, smart growth means that urban areas should support a transition towards a knowledge society, building on social, organisational and technical innovation. Cities should develop new educational pathways and a favourable entrepreneurial environment. They should foster a dynamic local & social economy.

In the EU Smart cities and Communities Initiative, smart cities are regarded as places where flows and interactions become smart through making strategic and relevant use of information and communication in a process that is responsive to the social and economic needs of society.

We have to look for projects that do not look at technology in isolation but together with other key issues such as public space, soft mobility, spatial integration, social innovation, and so on.

Green growth means changing a city’s development path towards a model that uses fewer resources to achieve more. Initiatives and projects can include the redevelopment of brownfield sites such as disused dockyards or steelworks, turning them over to business, educational or cultural use – or a combination of these. Cities are supported to develop sustainability strategies or tools to assist the transition to a carbon-free energy system, as well as exploring new green options to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, the ‘Retrofit South East’ project carried out in Petersfield is a good example of the reduction of energy consumption as one of the aims of housing intervention. The Petersfield project improved the energy efficiency of housing aimed to stimulate the emerging retrofit market and has led to the creation of new quality jobs in the region.

In order to advance the inclusive growth of cities, our Policy invests in local responses stimulated by strategies such as neighbourhood management. Tools include education, health and social infrastructure and the development of local services. It is driven by local actors and plays an important role in creating social inclusion. The vital ingredient of an inclusive growth strategy is lively partnerships, which bring in civil society organisations representing people at risk of exclusion, and which embrace the various tiers of government.

Cities must reposition themselves in looking at these various pillars of urban development. They should use the ERDF and other financial resources to provide good public spaces, efficient administrative services as well as physical workspaces with a range of facilities.

Experience tells us that nearly half of our future funding will be spent in urban areas in one way or another. Our philosophy is that effective investments in urban areas should follow an integrated strategy, based on synergies across sectors. We need to bring together the necessary actions in a holistic view of the development of our urban centres.

A strategic approach is a key element of Regional and Urban Policy, and therefore, we are obliging every MemberState to devote at least 5% of total investments under ERDF specifically on integrated sustainable urban development. We will continue to work with URBACT, who provide a platform for exchange of experience and work on the development of local action plans in the various fields of cooperation between European cities. We will also invest €330m in innovative actions in sustainable urban development which will explore new solutions to today and tomorrows urban challenges.

The key to achieving the Europe 2020 goals of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth is indeed in harnessing the potential of our cities.

Johannes Hahn

Commissioner for Regional and Urban Policy

European Commission

www.ec.europa.eu

Talking about health inequalities

February 19, 2014

Public Health England is launching a national conversation about health inequalities to better understand the English public’s perception and experience.

Where you live, what you earn and how long you stay in education may all affect your health.

For example, people living in the poorest neighbourhoods will on average die 7 years earlier than people living in the richest neighbourhoods.

The idea of the national conversation is that through listening to communities across the country, we will be able to better understand the public’s view of these health inequalities, how they are affected by them and hear their suggestions for what might help narrow the gap.

The project will involve speaking with public health professionals and community leaders and holding a series of workshops with members of the public to gain valuable insight into how people are living now. The workshops will explore local solutions that may help to mitigate inequalities and this knowledge will be collated for dissemination via a number of means both locally and nationally.

Ann Marie Connolly, director of Health Equity and Impact at PHE, said:

“The concept of inequalities and their causes are complex and can be difficult to convey in a simple message, so we are interested in better understanding how the public identify and describe health inequalities and want to hear about solutions that may work locally. This will help us improve the way we describe inequalities and how we reduce them.”

Knowledge gained from running the workshops and listening to the views of the public will be brought together in a toolkit that will be available for local authorities and others wishing to run similar projects. At the same time, a national event will bring together this learning to inform national bodies and leaders of the public’s views and our ongoing work.

Find out more at national.conversation@phe.gov.uk

Men outliving women in areas of UK

February 17, 2014

In some areas of the UK men are beginning to outlive females by as much of 13 years.

Figures published by Public Health England reveal that due to changes in lifestyles and dropping unhealthy habits men are living longer than women in areas of the UK.

Experts believe that men are becoming more health conscious whereas women are now more likely to smoke and binge drink.

The area of West Sussex is the top place to live where men outlive women, with men reaching 96 and a female’s life expectancy at 83, closely followed by Kensington, Chelsea, London where life expectancy is 93 for men and 87.5 for women.

At the bottom of the list is Bromsgrove, Worcestershire with men living until 81.3 and women 78.8 years.

An Office of National Statistics (ONS) analyst said greater life expectancy for men in some areas was down to lifestyle, with employed, well educated men most likely to live longer.

Increasing gender equality is also expected to have had an impact, with more women taking up ‘unhealthy male behaviour’.

The average life expectancy remains 82.9 years for women and 78.9 for men, but the gap has been closing since it peaked at 5.7 years in 1969.

Open minds, open cultures

February 4, 2014

Rosemary Crockett, from the Whistleblowing Helpline, explains how managers should respond when a worker raises a concern.

The Whistleblowing Helpline will shortly be publishing updated guidance on raising concerns in health and social care. This is what we advise managers to do when someone wants to “blow the whistle”.

1. Listen carefully to any worker raising a concern

Take the matter seriously, and thank them for raising it (even if you think they are mistaken). Acknowledge that it may be a stressful situation for them.

Respect their belief that they are raising a genuine concern in the public interest, and avoid prejudging whether this is valid.

2. Respond positively and clearly

Reassure the person that the concern will be looked into promptly. Respect requests for confidentiality, but explain limitations on this (for instance, in a police investigation).

Offer advice about support available to them (such as HR, Trade Union, counselling, or independent advice such as the Whistleblowing Helpline). Be clear where they should go if they experience reprisals from managers or colleagues.

3. Assess the facts

Keep an open mind – you may not want to believe all you hear, but stay objective. Focus on the information that is being disclosed, not the worker who is raising the concern.

Recognise emotions you may have, such as anger or distress, and ask for help if you need it.

4. Decide on the way forward

Assess how serious and urgent the risk is; whether the concern is a whistleblowing issue or a personal grievance; and whether referral to senior managers or a specialist function is necessary.

Where there are grounds for concern, take prompt action to investigate or if the concern is very serious escalate it to the most appropriate manager for investigation.

5. Maintain good communication with the worker

Keep the worker regularly updated on progress, and give them feedback on the outcome. Explain action to be taken (or not), but maintain confidentiality where this involves other parties. Explain any misunderstandings which may have occurred.

6. Act fairly

You are accountable for your actions. Remember that you may have to explain how you have handled the concern. Be clear on action taken or not and the rationale behind this, and never ignore or cover up evidence of wrongdoing.

Don’t ever penalise someone for making a disclosure that proves unfounded if, despite making a mistake, s/he genuinely believed that the information was true.

7. Seek appropriate advice and support

If you are uncertain about how to proceed, seek advice from HR or whoever has lead responsibility for personnel functions.

8. Keep clear, concise records of discussions

Record date(s), what was said and the response given, noting the nature of the concern, and record the outcome and actions taken.

9. Follow up action

Consider potential actions, which might be a disciplinary hearing, tackling issues of competence, or no further action. Are there ways to achieve constructive solutions for future improvement rather than simply apportioning blame?

Take steps to share learning and prevent recurrence elsewhere. Raise issues identified in relevant forums such as health and safety; risk assessment; quality reviews; or training and development reviews.

10. Ensure the process has a positive outcome

Publicise and celebrate improvements resulting from someone raising a concern (that person need not be named). This may encourage others to speak out.

Rebuild working relationships and teams after a concern has been raised, with appropriate support from HR, Trade Unions etc. Check on the wellbeing of the worker who raised the concern at regular intervals to ensure they have not suffered any disadvantage, bullying, or victimisation as a consequence of raising a concern.

The Whistleblowing Helpline offers free*, confidential and independent advice about whistleblowing processes to people working in the NHS and adult social care. The helpline can be reached by telephoning 08000 724725, emailing enquiries@wbhelpline.org.uk or visiting the website on www.wbhelpline.org.uk.

*Call charges from mobiles may vary.

Pioneering work improves cancer survival rates

February 4, 2014

Queen’s University Belfast’s cancer specialist Professor Patrick Johnston, is leading a drive to improve survival rates for every European citizen.

Professor Johnston, whose work has transformed cancer care in Northern Ireland, is now leading the efforts to improve survival rates across Europe.

At the forefront of cancer research for the last twenty-five years, Professor Johnston’s leadership has seen cancer survival rates in Northern Ireland move from the bottom of the UK league table to near the top. His work over the last two years, alongside some of the world’s leading cancer experts and patient groups, will culminate in the launch of a European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights, significantly on World Cancer Day (4^th February).

The Bill of Rights, which will be launched at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, and has the support of many MEPs, is the result of two years of work by the European Cancer Concord and Co-Chaired by Professor Johnston. It aims to address the disparities that currently exist in cancer care from one European country to the next.

Leading the vital initiative, Dean of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University, Professor Johnston said:

“In Northern Ireland we have seen the difference that a Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Programme can have on patient outcomes. Previously Northern Ireland was sitting at the bottom of the UK table for cancer survival rates and thanks to pioneering work at Queen’s, in association with the Health Service, we’re now close to the top. This Bill of Rights aims to set a standard that all European countries can aspire to, ensuring that all citizens are entitled to the optimum cancer care regardless of where in Europe they live.”

Professor Mark Lawler, also of Queen’s University Belfast and the ECC Project Lead on this initiative, said:

“Currently three people succumb to this deadly disease every minute throughout Europe. With an ageing population, that number will increase to one person dying every ten seconds from cancer in just 25 years. We have to act now to reduce this frightening statistic. It is critical that today, on World Cancer Day, we insist that it is the right of every European citizen to receive an optimal level of care.”

The Bill of Rights, which has also been published today in leading journals The Lancet Oncology and The Oncologist, is underpinned by three key principles:

The right of every European citizen to receive accurate information and be involved in their own care;
The right of every European citizen to access specialised cancer care underpinned by research and innovation;
The right of every European citizen to cost-effective health systems that ensure optimum cancer outcomes.

Professor Thierry Le Chevalier, Co-Chair ECC and Chair of the Institute of Thoracic Oncology, Institut Gustave Roussy, Paris, France, said:

“This equal partnership between patients and health care professionals which the ECC has created and is nurturing, provides a springboard for the change required to deliver improved outcomes for European citizens and societies.”

Ian Banks, Chair of the Patient Advocacy Committee of the European Cancer Organisation and President of the European Men’s Health Forum who has worked alongside Professors Johnston and Lawler on this initiative, said:

“We already have a number of MEPs from across Europe supporting this initiative and we expect even more will sign up in Strasbourg to ensure that the Bill of Rights is a standard to which all European countries adhere to. With support for the mandate, we aim to look and see how new approaches can be developed that will really make the difference to the cancer patient.”

Recent studies have shown that cancer survival varies greatly country by country. Eastern European countries including Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia have the lowest survival rates in Europe. Survival in these countries is below the European average particularly for good prognosis cancers like colon, rectum, lymphomas, and skin melanoma. Nordic countries with the exception of Denmark, central European countries such as Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Netherlands, and some countries in southern Europe have the best survival rates in Europe for most cancers.

The Launch of the European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights takes places in the European Parliament in Strasbourg at 12pm GMT.

New campaign for breast cancer launched

February 3, 2014

Latest figures from Public Health England revealed that one in 3 women diagnosed with breast cancer in England are over 70.

It was also revealed that this age group also accounts for more than half of all breast cancer deaths annually.

The figures come as Public Health England launch a new national campaign called ‘Be Clear on Cancer’.

The campaign is aimed at reminding older women ‘don’t assume you’re past it’, and to visit their doctor if they spot any changes in their breasts.

Around 13,500 women aged 70 and over are diagnosed with breast cancer in England each year, and surprisingly two thirds (67%) wrongly think women of all ages are equally likely to get breast cancer.

Dr Yvonne Doyle, Regional Director at Public Health England, said: “Research shows that women over 70 have low awareness of the cancer symptoms, other than a lump. They’re also more likely to delay presenting to their GP with breast cancer, which could ultimately affect their chance of survival.

“One in 3 women who get the cancer are over 70, so don’t assume you’re past it or dismiss any symptoms as a sign of ageing.”

Lack of awareness of symptoms other than a lump, such as changes in the shape or size of the breast, is believed to be one of the reasons for this, which the campaign aims to change.

UK and France in nuclear energy agreement

January 31, 2014

The UK and French governments have issued a joint communique declaring their commitment to developing safe nuclear energy, commercial opportunities and skills.

The declaration, which comes ahead of national leaders’ discussions over the EU’s 2030 energy and climate policy framework, reiterates the two Governments’ shared view that nuclear power has a critical role to play in a cost-effective low carbon transition.

The move is the latest in a string of UK-French initiatives on energy and climate policy, including successfully pushing for the European Commission to propose a 40% EU domestic emissions reduction target for 2030, reflecting the importance of giving national governments flexibility over their own energy mixes and securing reform of the Emission Trading System.

The declaration paves the way for the two Governments to collaborate on constructing new nuclear power stations, to maximise opportunities for SMEs in nuclear supply-chains and to fund joint training and skills centres.

During the Franco-British Summit, hosted by the Prime Minister at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Edward Davey and French Energy Minister Phillipe Martin met to discuss how the two countries can further work together to develop interconnectors, nuclear and renewable energy projects; secure an ambitious and early EU 2030 energy and climate package; and deliver a global climate deal at the Paris hosted UN climate conference in 2015.

Edward Davey said:

“Our two countries have a shared interest in tackling climate change and developing low-carbon secure electricity which provides new green jobs and investment.

“Today, we reiterated our resolve to work together towards achieving an ambitious and legally-binding agreement at the next COP in Paris in 2015, and to support an EU-wide emissions reduction target of at least 40% by 2030.

“To unlock the full benefits of the single energy market, European countries need to become more interconnected. So today, we agreed to continue our work to build more electricity interconnectors between our two nations.

“Our partnership on nuclear power has already borne fruit, with this Government’s agreement with EDF on key commercial terms for an investment contract that would enable Britain’s first new nuclear power station in a generation to be built at Hinkley Point in Somerset.

“The declaration we have signed today will further enhance this relationship, allowing us to explore further commercial opportunities to develop nuclear power, and to enhance our expertise and skills in this sector.”

The French and UK Government have agreed to:

Engage constructively with the European Commission’s State aid consultation on Hinkley Point C to demonstrate that the project meets State aid rules;
Work together to maximise opportunities for SMEs in nuclear supply chains;
Develop skilled workforces through investing in joint training programmes and in research and development;
Enhance capabilities in civil nuclear emergency planning and security.

Laboratory of RNA

January 28, 2014

The Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology at the Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO) of the University of Trento, Italy, is focusing on RNA to develop better diagnostic tools and therapeutics for a range of genetic diseases and cancers. The research projects developed in the laboratory also aim at unveiling new active roles for RNA molecules in the mechanisms underlying these diseases, as this ebook details…

Spanish Research Council

January 28, 2014

All available data shows that, despite a better understanding of the biology of tumour cells, the treatment of most cancers has not significantly changed for the past three decades. For the main types of cancer, survival rates for people diagnosed when their tumours were in an advanced stage has changed very little in the last 20 years. In contrast, survival is relatively good with early diagnosis.

Here, Dr Isidro Sánchez-García, working in the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology of Cancer at the CSIC/University of Salamanca, Spain outlines research in this area…

Open Access Government

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UK and France in nuclear energy agreement

The UK and French governments have issued a joint communique declaring their commitment to developing safe nuclear energy, commercial opportunities and skills.

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