The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking has been introduced as part of the UK’s own robust regulatory framework. It shows that products comply with the UK's product safety regulations which are designed to protect consumers.

Given the current difficult economic conditions, the deadline to start using the UKCA marking has been extended from 31 December 2022 to 31 December 2024. The government will continue to recognise the CE marking for 2 years. Businesses can also use the UKCA marking, giving them flexibility to choose which marking to apply.

The government will publish a new schedule of webinars in 2023 to explain the new processes and to answer questions.

The Mental Health and Productivity Pilot was launched in 2019 to encourage and help Midlands-based employers to support the mental health of the workforce and improve productivity.

Originally funded for three years, it was recently extended until December 2023 having been awarded further investment by the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care, to ensure they can continue to help organisations of all sizes to prioritise the health and wellbeing of staff.

The latest HSE statistics (https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/) in the UK show that we have seen significant growth in the numbers of people missing work because of work-related stress, depression or anxiety, and with around 17 million working days lost through these, the impact on organisational productivity cannot be underestimated.

Organisations in the Midlands Region can access free support and resources to help you to make your workplace a healthier environment for your staff.

Find out more on their website, or you can email the regional contact Sally Newnham snewnham@lincoln.ac.uk.

Nominations are now open for the LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards 2023. The Awards will celebrate the very best technology, services, digital advances, and creative thinking that the County has to offer.

The awards are open to individuals and companies based in Leicestershire. They are a great opportunity to gain recognition for your successes, raise the profile of your business and attract new customers or employees.

Nominations close on Sunday 8 January 2023. Three finalists will be shortlisted within each category by a judging panel and then the winners will be announced at the awards, which takes place on Thursday 16 February 2023 at the National Space Centre.

Award categories:

• Innovation in Creative
• Innovation in Education & Community
• Innovation in Food & Drink
• Innovation in Logistics and Exports
• Innovation in Med-tech & Life Sciences
• Innovation in STEM Industries
• Innovation in Space
• Innovation in Sport, Well being and Accessibility
• Innovation in Sustainability
• University Student Innovation

Certified B Corporations, or B-Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

B Lab is the non-profit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet. They develop and share knowledge, tools and campaigns to inspire learning, accelerate action and drive change.

You can certify as a B-Corp if you operate for profit in a competitive market, and have been operating for at least 12 months. B Lab support and assess you to become B-Corp certified.

Why become a B-Corp?
Businesses that become B-Corps have seen great results, including: committed and motivated employees, increased customer loyalty, higher levels of innovation, and market leadership.

As part of the Multiply project Leicestershire County Council is delighted to be working in partnership with National Numeracy. As part of the project National Numeracy will be training volunteer Numeracy Champions across the region who can empower adults to get on with numbers so they can fulfil their potential at work and at home.

Numeracy Champions will be drawn from colleagues across Leicestershire’s employers and community. This intermediary based model focuses on developing a network of champions across the region and uses a popular CPD-accredited online training course. Numeracy Champions don’t teach maths, they act as mentors to build confidence, support positive attitudes, change mindsets and introduce resources to support skills learning. They are empowered to help change the conversation around maths across their organisations and encourage adult learners to re-engage with everyday maths learning using the National Numeracy Challenge, an online learning resource.

To find out more about the project and how you can get involved, join the information session providing an overview of the project and the resources available to you. The engagement event is online and scheduled as follows: Wednesday 14 December 2022, 9:30am - 11:00am. 

How is your business learning and taking steps to reduce energy bills this winter? Please complete this online survey which is part of De Montfort University Masters dissertation research in DMU’s Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development. Your responses will help shed light on this issue and improve the support available for SMEs. The survey takes just 4 minutes to complete – please also share with contacts if you can.

Survey open until end of December 2022. If you have queries, contact Lujain Yacoub on p2649025@my365.dmu.ac.uk.

Meadowdale Primary School in Market Harborough is seeking your views on a proposal to change the catchment area. The consultation will run for 6 weeks from 29 November 2022 to 10 January 2023. The determined admissions arrangements must then be ratified by the trust/governors by 28 February and published on the website by 15 March.

This policy will operate for entry September 2024. It will also apply to all mid-term admissions for the school year 2024/25 and for subsequent years until further notice.

For full details of the proposal and how you can respond to the consultation please click the button below.