How to make changes to your CQC Registration

This month, the CQC are publishing the forms you can use to apply to make changes to your registration.

The changes you can make, include adding or removing partners, registered managers, regulated activities and locations. 

Once you have received your Notice of Decision and certificate you’ll be able to make changes to your registration.

It’s important that you let the CQC know about any changes, as you need to make sure your registration is up-to-date when it comes into effect on 1st April 2013.

If your locations, legal status, regulated activities, partners or other details change before 1st April, you’ll be able to apply to make those changes using downloadable forms that you can email to the CQC. 

The CQC will email you when these forms are available. If you would like more information on the registration process, visit the CQC website. 


Source: www.cqc.org.uk
Image: baddog, Flickr

Increase in people taking on second jobs

A growing number of people are taking on second jobs in order to earn some much-needed extra cash. Many people are looking for evening work, in addition to their day job, so that they can maintain their lifestyles. In these austere times, people are finding themselves unexpectedly having to deal with a change in their financial circumstances, for example, after splitting up with a partner. Others are just trying to cope with a rise in the cost of living.

Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics suggest that over one million people in the UK have an extra job.

Xenios Thrasyvoulou, founder of the website People Per Hour, agrees: "Second job seekers is our fastest growing sector. It's doubled in the last 12 months" (BBC, Feb 2013). The type of people who are taking on second jobs is also becoming more varied, he says. "It is anything from students to retirees, and anyone in between. Mum entrepreneurs, or stay-at-home mums, is a big community on the website. Many are actually on maternity leave."

It is, however, important to consider the tax implications of taking on a second job. For more information, click on the following link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21292450 

If you are a job seeker looking for help, follow this link: http://www.wordsworthreading.co.uk/interview-skills.php

The CQC Found Waiting Times Increased Last Year

A survey recently conducted by the CQC demonstrates that patients are now waiting longer to see a doctor or nurse in NHS A&E departments across England. A survey was conducted, collecting the experiences of almost 46,000 people who had received care in A&E departments throughout 2012. The results showed;

-        1/3^rd of respondents waited more than 30 minutes before they saw a doctor or nurse (an increase from the 29% position reported in 2008, and 24% reported in 2004)

-        1/3^rd of respondents also stated that they waited more than 4 hours to be seen (an increase from 27% in 2008, and 23% in 2004)

-        Almost 25% of respondents who arrived at A&E via an ambulance said they had to wait more than 15 minutes before their care was transferred from the ambulance team across to the A&E clinical team

However, the results also illustrated that patients felt significantly more confidence in the A&E staff; claiming that doctors definitely listened to them, that medication requirements were explained to them, and that reception staff enabled them to discuss their conditions or symptoms in a private environment.

Image by KateJones365, Flickr

The CQC works to improve patient care with the 'Patients Stories' Report

Towards the end of last year, there have been some useful updates from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 

A patients’ charity has been working with the CQC to help the organisation ‘root out’ instances of poor care. 

In November 2012, the Patients Association published a report called ‘Patients Stories’ which included testimonials from relatives or patients who had experienced unacceptably poor care. The report went on to reference the working relationship that is firmly in place between the CQC and the Patients Association – outlining how referrals or concerns about poor quality care that are shared with the Patients Association are then passed on to the CQC for serious investigation and follow up. 

The Patients Association receives over 8,000 calls each year; with individuals sharing their care experiences with the charity. Now such calls can support the CQC in the way in which they monitor the quality of services provided by all health and social care providers across England.

If you are a health care provider and would like help with your CQC registration, visit us at Words Worth Reading Ltd.

Writing Your Personal Statement

The personal statement is a key part of the university application process, and is completed by up to half a million applicants each year.

Recent research, carried out on behalf of the Sutton Trust, compared the quality of personal statements from independent and state schools. 

The researchers examined over 300 personal statements from students with the same grades who applied to the same university department.  They found that applications from independent schools were more likely to be well-crafted and contain a wide range of high status, relevant work experience.

They also found significant differences in presentation - writing errors were three times more common in the applications from state schools.

The Sutton Trust are campaigning to make the application process fairer by:

• Asking students to reflect on which attributes they would bring to a course or university, rather than simply listing their previous achievements. There should also be a limit on the number of experiences described.
• Universities taking young people’s background into account, and judging low and middle income applicants according to the academic and extracurricular opportunities available to them.
• Schools and colleges individually or collectively providing more practical support to help students through the university admissions process, something already the norm for more privileged students.
• UCAS changing its ‘free response’ policy to prevent the sale of pre-written ‘personal’ statements.
• The professions introducing more programmes to provide systematic support for young people from low and middle income backgrounds to access internships and high quality work experience.

So the debate continues, but whatever application system is in place Words Worth Reading Ltd can help you improve your chances of a university offer with a well written UCAS personal statement.

Graduate Employment:Opportunities Abroad



Recent figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show an increase in the number of graduates who have chosen to work abroad since the start of the recession.

In 2011, 27% more graduates worked overseas than had done so in 2008. For students from Oxford and Cambridge, there was an even greater increase of 35% in the same period.

Although this is still only a small proportion of all UK graduates (less than 4%), a recent survey by the British Council found that 1 in 3 people felt they would have a better job if they had lived or studied abroad
 

Jo Beall, a Director at the Council, commented on the survey results: 

'The good news is that this poll shows people are beginning to recognise how vital international skills are for enhancing their career. Research last year revealed that more UK employers look for international awareness and experience above academic qualifications. But the bad news is that not enough people in the UK are taking opportunities to gain international experience. That needs to change if the UK will successfully compete in the global economy.'
 

For more information on job-seeking, visit the Wordsworth Reading resource page for job-seekers at http://www.wordsworthreading.co.uk/jobresources.shtml

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading for Pleasure Campaign

The Society of Authors is running a campaign to encourage reading for pleasure in schools. The campaign aims to:

- provide a library in every school run by a specially trained teacher or librarian.

- support teachers with initiatives which will inspire children's love of reading.

- include author visits and residences in Ofsted’s accreditation process.

The Society has lobbied the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb,and raised an Early Day Motion in Parliament in support of this campaign. 

Early Day Motions are rarely debated in the House of Commons, but provide a mechanism for raising awareness of issues. So far, this has been signed by 44 MPs with representation from across the political spectrum.   The motion is:-

That this House notes that one of the Government's priorities is for all children to read daily for pleasure; believes that every school should have a well-stocked library; further notes that research shows that children who have access to a school library and who read for pleasure reach higher levels of attainment in all subjects; further notes that the best way to encourage children to read for pleasure is by free voluntary reading; and calls on the Government to continue to take all necessary steps to encourage school libraries.

 

Interested in writing for children? Take a look at our Writer Pages to see how we can help!