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Partnership
approach cuts red tape
A leading Liverpool company
is being helped to streamline its dealings on regulations throughout
the country. The Council's trading standards and environmental
health services have entered into a Primary Authority Partnership
with TJ Morris Ltd, the owners of the Home Bargain stores.
TJ Morris is a family business started in Liverpool and still has
its head office in the City. The company has approximately 350
stores and is expanding across the country, opening new warehouses
to cope with the growth in demand the business has seen.
Under a Primary Authority Partnership ('PAP') businesses enter into
an agreement with one Council, who then work with both the business
and other enforcement bodies to help the business comply with legal
requirements. They provide sound advice which the business can rely
on and which is accepted by other regulators throughout the country.
This gives business confidence in the advice it is given, ensuring
it is consistent and suits its particular needs. It also helps with
compliance issues and can help put right any failures which are
identified. The PAP reduces unnecessary burdens on the business by
providing one single point of contact. Councils can have confidence that the business will listen to, and
act on, advice that they give ensuring a better regulated business.
They are also able to recover costs associated with acting as the
PAP for a business.
The partnership with TJ Morris is the 1st in the City to jointly
cover Trading Standards and Environmental Health issues.
Councillor Steve Munby, City Council cabinet member, said:- "I
am extremely pleased that TJ Morris, a highly successful, local
company has entered into a PAP with the City Council.
We want to work with businesses to help them grow and providing a
PAP is one way we can achieve that. Advising and helping
businesses comply with the law ensures that local shoppers and
customers are better protected and the business is guarded from
unnecessary legal action by preventing problems arising through
sound advice which the business can rely on."
Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, said:-
"We're thrilled to be the first company in Liverpool to have entered
into a Primary Authority Partnership with Liverpool City Council.
We're pleased that it understands how our business works and is
willing to support us as we continue to grow – we're looking forward
to building a strong relationship with the Council."
Charity launches
free new book to combat loneliness
1 in 5 older and disabled
people using care services in Sefton say they don't have enough
social contact with people. That's according to a recent survey from
the government's Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).
For the first time, the poll of more than 70,000 people who use
social care services, were asked about levels of social contact.
20% of the people questioned in Sefton said that they either did not
have enough social contact, or that they felt socially isolated.
Commenting on the survey, Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of
Independent Age said:- "These figures present a worrying
picture of social care users' loneliness, not just in Sefton, but in
many parts of England. Nationally one million people over the age of
65 still say they are often or always lonely. That's why we've just
brought out a free Wise Guide book: Healthy, Happy, Connected -
Support and Advice for Older People Living Alone. It's packed with
support and ideas for older people who live alone who want to make
the most of life." To order your free guide for
yourself, a relative or neighbour please call freephone:- 0800 319
6611 or order
online.
Some experts believe that loneliness can be as bad for your health
as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. We want the government to follow up
on its promise to measure loneliness across the whole of society and
target resources at the people who need help the most. |
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NSPCC calls for
better treatment of young victims and witnesses in court
THE NSPCC believes that no
child abuse victim should ever have to face their attacker at court,
which is why the children's charity is today urging people in
Merseyside to sign an epetition calling for the Government to set
up more remote video link sites.
A remote video link site is a designated place away from the court
building which young witnesses can give evidence from. However just
three police forces in England and Wales; South Wales, Kent and
Derbyshire; currently have this facility.
The children's charity hopes that the epetition will attract 21,000
signatures nationally; 1 for every child who gives evidence in
court each year; by 5 September 2014.
The e-petition is just one element of the NSPCC's recently launched
Order in Court campaign, which is aiming to help reduce the distress
that children experience when participating in court proceedings.
The lack of remote video link sites in England and Wales means that
virtually all; 99%; of children who give evidence every year still
have to do so from court buildings which are not appropriate places
for children; especially ones who have experienced abuse.
The NSPCC is writing to all the Police and Crime Commissioners
across England and Wales to highlight the urgent need to address the
treatment of young victims and witnesses in the criminal justice
system and prioritise facilities for these children.
Esther Rantzen, founder of the NSPCC's ChildLine Service said:-
"It's shocking that the majority of child witnesses still have to go
to a court building to give evidence, running the risk of seeing
their abuser and adding to the trauma they have already experienced.
I'm urging everyone in Merseyside to take a stand and sign the
NSPCC's Order in Court petition to ensure the Government sets up a
remote link site in Merseyside. It is imperative that all child
witnesses are given the opportunity to give their evidence remotely
so they can get the justice they deserve."
Bernadette Oxley, NSPCC regional head of service for the North West
and Cumbria, added:- "25 years after the landmark Pigot
Report, a major Home Office inquiry which recommended that child
witnesses should not be required to appear in open court, there are
still thousands of child sexual abuse victims being left fearful,
unhappy and with thoughts of self-harm after having to give
evidence. Attending court can be an intimidating enough experience
for an adult, so for a child giving evidence in an abuse case, it
must be harrowing and could easily discourage others who have
suffered to come forward. A child who has been
sexually abused shouldn't have to worry about seeing the offender in
court. Ensuring that there is a remote site in all regions should
help reduce the stress that children can face when they give
evidence."
The need for more remote sites is just 1 of 3 changes the Order in
Court campaign is calling for, to ensure young people in the justice
system are treated first and foremost as children. The others are:-
► Compulsory training for lawyers and barristers to prevent
'brutal' court cross examinations.
► Greater access to Registered Intermediaries; trained
communications experts; to help them understand what is happening
with the police and court whenever necessary.
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