Ethnicity Coding

The incidence, prevalence, and mortality of many diseases are known to vary by ethnic group.There are well documented inequities in access to prevention, treatment, and palliative health and social care services based on ethnic group. There are, too, reported differences in the quality of services received by different ethnic groups and of outcomes of treatment and care. Many of these inequities are amenable to change. However, in order to address them they must, first of all, be comprehensively defined and documented. Mainstreaming ethnic monitoring/data collection is a vital step in the process. The history of such data collection in the NHS is poor, whichever of the key datasets is examined: hospital episode statistics, general practitioner data, cancer registrations, and disease registers. While steps are now being taken to remedy some of these deficiencies, the continued non-availability of ethnic monitoring data and in some cases of compatible ethnically-coded denominator data remains a problem. In particular the lack of ethnic group in births and deaths data has been the subject of widespread comment by specialists in demography and public health and is probably the single action that could most improve the evidence based for addressing ethnic/racial inequalities in health and health care.

Commissioning for equity. Equal access, equal care? Can London deliver the race equality action plan for mental health? Executive summary

This report has been produced by the London Health Observatory (LHO) for the London Development Centre to provide a London baseline for monitoring specific actions in the Delivering Race Equality (DRE) action plan. The report summarises the findings of an analysis of the information collected from all of London's nine Mental Health NHS providers, and 22 independent providers for the national census of inpatients in mental health hospitals and facilities in England and Wales on 31 March 2005 .

The London Health Inequalities Strategy - Draft for public consultation

This is the very first Health Inequality Strategy to be published for public consultation by the London Mayor. As such it represents a momentous step forward in galvanising action across London to address the health inequalities which prevent many Londoners from enjoying their life to the full and making the most of what London has to offer. The Greater London Authority Act 2007 requires that the strategy identifies the health inequalities, the priorities for reducing them and the role to be played by a defined list of key partners in order to implement the strategy. It defines health inequalities as inequalities in respect of life expectancy or general state of health which are wholly or partly a result of differences in respect of general health determinants۪, which it describes as: (a) standards of housing, transport services or public safety; (b) employment prospects, earning capacity and any other matters that affect levels of prosperity; (c) the degree of ease or difficulty with which persons have access to public services; (d) the use, or level of use, of tobacco, alcohol or other substances, and any other matters of personal behaviour or lifestyle, that are or may be harmful to health, and any other matters that are determinants of life expectancy or the state of health of persons generally, other than genetic or biological factors.

An Action Plan for SOLAS

Ireland’s further education and training system faces major challenges at a time of severe economic crisis. The unprecedented level of unemployment -14.8% of our labour force is unemployed - has resulted in significantly increased demand for education and training. More and more people are seeking to upskill or reskill in order to enter or re-enter the labour market and the need to upskill those who have lost their jobs has become obvious to us all. The Government is re-inventing Ireland’s economy so that it is competitive, sustainable and provides opportunities for all to secure employment. The State has a fundamental role in this challenge and there is a particular need to respond with activation measures that provide clear and purposeful pathways to employment, either directly or via further and higher education and training

Delivering Equality Of Opportunity In Schools - An Action Plan for Educational Inclusion

This action plan focuses on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities, from pre-school through second-level education (3 to18 years). Its frame of reference is based on the definition of “educational disadvantage” in the Education Act (1998) as: “...the impediments to education arising from social or economic disadvantage which prevent students from deriving appropriate benefit from education in schools.” The action plan is, therefore, one element of a continuum of interventions to address disadvantage, which include second-chance education and training and access measures for adults to support increased participation by under-represented groups in further and higher education. A further element of this continuum is the ongoing development of provision for pupils with special educational needs in light of the enactment of the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act (2004) and the establishment of the National Council for Special Education.

Delivering Equality Of Opportunity In Schools - An Action Plan for Educational Inclusion - Summary

This action plan focuses on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities, from pre-school through second-level education (3 to18 years). Its frame of reference is based on the definition of “educational disadvantage” in the Education Act (1998) as: “...the impediments to education arising from social or economic disadvantage which prevent students from deriving appropriate benefit from education in schools.” The action plan is, therefore, one element of a continuum of interventions to address disadvantage, which include second-chance education and training and access measures for adults to support increased participation by under-represented groups in further and higher education. A further element of this continuum is the ongoing development of provision for pupils with special educational needs in light of the enactment of the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act (2004) and the establishment of the National Council for Special Education.

ICT Action Plan Meeting the high-level skills needs of enterprise in Ireland

The technology sector in Ireland is thriving. Employment, through indigenous and multinational technology firms continues to grow strongly year on year. All of the top 10 multinational technology companies have a significant presence in Ireland and the indigenous software sector’s exports are worth well in excess of €1 billion annually. Five of the top 10 exporters in Ireland are technology companies, and the sector is responsible for approximately one-third of Ireland’s total turnover. Since January 2011, over 80 jobs a week have been announced in the sector. This is on foot of 6% employment growth in 2009 and 4% in 2010. A recent global competitiveness report ranks Ireland as the top destination in the world by quality and value of investments. With a growing multinational technology presence in Ireland and a vibrant and innovative indigenous software sector, the future prospects for Ireland’s technology sector are bright.

ICT Skills Action Plan 2014-2018

In January 2012, in a direct response to specific skills shortages for people with high-level ICT skills, the Department of Education and Skills published a joint Government–industry ICT Action Plan aimed at building the supply of high-level ICT graduates. One of the key measures in the Plan was the roll-out, from March 2012, of more than 800 places on intensive NFQ level 8 higher diploma ICT skills conversion programmes by higher education providers in partnership with industry. In recognition of the ICT and software development skills shortages that continue to exist, a second phase of the ICT Skills Programme was rolled-out in late 2012, with the Higher Education Authority requesting proposals from higher education providers for a further round of specialist programmes aimed at addressing identified ICT and software development skills gaps. From spring 2013, a number of higher education providers are again offering a number of Level 8 Conversion Programmes, in collaboration with industry partners, which will provide graduates from other skills areas with the opportunity to up-skill or re-skill through a 1 year full-time HDip Conversion Programme in core computing/programming, software and data analysis.

Report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education

In line with a commitment under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness the Minister for Education and Science, Dr Michael Woods, established the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education, in September 2000, to advise the Minister on the development of a co-ordinated framework to promote access by mature and disadvantaged students and students with disabilities to third level education.

Nutrition for substance users - a step by step workbook for people using alcohol and other drugs

This workbook aims to help people who use alcohol or drugs to think about the importance of eating well and find ways to achieve a more balanced diet.

Speech, language and communication therapy action plan

This is the first update newsletter of the Speech, language and communication therapy action plan. The action plan was developed by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) with the aim that all children and young people at risk of or presenting with speech, language or communication needs will be able to benefit from timely support and integrated services that best meet their requirements.The Public Health Agency (PHA), in partnership with the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), has been tasked with implementing the action plan.The update includes news on the publication of the Healthy child, health future framework and highlights other points of progress so far, including the development of the Family Support NI website. There is also an invite for parents to join a focus group to influence and assist with the implementation of the action plan.�

Asthma self-management action plan

This�self-management action plan allows each patient to record and manage the symptoms of�asthma.

PHA/HSCB Hidden Harm Action Plan

This joint PHA/HSCB Hidden Harm Action Plan - Responding to the needs of children born to and living with parental alcohol and drug misuse in Northern Ireland, has been prepared for the DHSSPS in response to the PfA target on Hidden Harm. The plan was approved by DHSSPS in October 2009.

Chronic obstructory pulmonary disease (COPD) self-management action plan

This self-management action plan allows each patient to record and manage the symptoms of chronic obstructory pulmonary disease (COPD).

Bronchiectasis self-management action plan

This self-management action plan allows each patient to record and manage the symptoms of bronchiectasis.