PLC Public Sector reports:
This is the first post of a new feature on the PLC Public Sector opinion blog. Each week, we will post our recommended actions based on the updates included in our previous week’s e-mail.
Our recommended actions arising out of last week’s email are:
Any public sector body involved in negotiations over the departure of a senior executive must make sure they take the appropriate advice and seek all necessary approvals following the recent decision in Gibb v Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
Following the ICO’s warning to NHS bodies, all public sector bodies should take the opportunity to review their data security policies. Policies should require that memory sticks and other portable devices are encrypted. In addition, steps must be taken to make sure these policies are enforced.
Local authorities should ensure that the recently issued teachers “rarely cover” guidance is forwarded to all schools that they have responsibility for (without any additional local guidance).
Numerous consultations were launched last week. Anyone with an interest in the power to trade, public procurement remedies, flooding, discrimination, school staffing, wheel clamping, waste or concessionary travel should take note and respond where they think appropriate.
Finally, for the particularly conscientious, the health and safety poster that must be displayed in workplaces has been updated. However, the deadline for replacing the old version is not until April 2014.
If you wish to submit your views on any of the actions we have recommended, or would like to highlight any other issues that you feel need action by public sector lawyers, please feel free to submit a comment below.