In 2011, the company developed a cooling technology to protect life-saving vaccines in developing countries. Their medical refrigerators can last without power for up to 12 days and have since protected 20 million vaccinations around the world.

Launched this January, the ‘Local to Global’ podcast series features some of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs sharing top tips for growing a business on the world stage. The podcast is hosted by Nick Hewer – famously known for his appearance on The Apprentice as one of Lord Sugar’s advisers.

Sure Chill’s life-changing refrigerators are improving healthcare and living conditions in countries across Africa and Asia – especially those without reliable power. The company currently exports to over 50 countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Pakistan and Nepal, with plans to enter new markets in South America and the Gulf states.

Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion Baroness Fairhead said:

Sure Chill’s success in Africa and Asia highlights how exporting can improve the lives of those in developing countries thousands of miles away. It’s stories like this that inspire other UK businesses to explore overseas markets, and I’m pleased my department has been able to help Sure Chill deliver its life-saving refrigerators internationally.

As demand for British goods worldwide continues to grow, we stand ready to support businesses in Wales and across the UK looking to explore overseas markets. I would encourage likeminded businesses to listen to the ‘Local to Global’ podcast and hear first-hand the stories of businesses on their export experience.

Since launching its first product in 2011, Sure Chill has experienced international success and now plans to use the same cooling technology for domestic use in homes, retail, businesses and even airlines.

The business gained greater publicity last year when CEO Nigel Saunders accompanied the UK Prime Minister on her trade mission across Africa to promote their technology and build trade links. Not only does the company work closely with UNICEF and the World Health Organization, it has also received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Shell Foundation.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Innovative businesses like Sure Chill, who joined my recent trip to Africa with the Prime Minister, are contributing to a stronger Welsh economy, and I am delighted to see their success in the global marketplace. It’s encouraging for other Welsh companies to hear from those who have expanded their business internationally.

There has never been a better time for Welsh companies to export to new markets. The UK Government is supporting Welsh businesses as they begin their export journey, whether that’s with financial support, attending overseas trade shows or connecting them with international buyers.

Sure Chill CEO Nigel Saunders will appear on Episode 4 of the ‘Local to Global’ podcast which goes live on 4 February 2019, and is available on all major podcast platforms including iTunes, Spotify and Acast.

Nigel Saunders, Chief Executive Officer at Sure Chill, said:

We’re proud to be featured in the ‘Local to Global’ podcast. It’s great to share our experience with other businesses knowing that it might give them the confidence to begin exporting.

Exporting has always been part of our business plan because the nature of our product means that the people who would benefit the most are in developing economies.

The exporting process can be complex because different countries have specific requirements. Luckily, the Department for International Trade has provided us with insight into new markets and networking opportunities. Now we’re excited to take our ground-breaking technology to all corners of the globe and improve lives far and wide.

Alan Eccles was appointed as Chief Executive and Public Guardian for England and Wales in 2012, by the Lord Chancellor under Section 57 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Alan is responsible to the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Justice for the effective operation of the agency.

In an email to staff at the Office of the Public Guardian, Alan Eccles said:

We have a reputation for putting the user/customer at the heart of all we do; through the development of world-leading digital services (our LPA online service was the first in government to pass Government Digital Service (GDS) service assessment in 2014), the reform of LPA forms, the way we interact with deputies, the way we conduct safeguarding and investigations, and the excellent service given by our contact centre colleagues.

We have a reputation for innovation that is recognised internationally. We have been invited to speak in Seoul, South Korea, and have welcomed delegates from Singapore, Japan and Jersey to showcase what best practice looks like.

I am extremely proud of our many great achievements during this period and it has been wonderful to celebrate these milestones with you over the years.

What has remained the same during my 7 years with OPG is the commitment of everyone who works here to make a difference. You have always been determined to make a positive impact in the world of mental capacity and to the lives of the users of our services.

Work is underway to start recruitment for the new Public Guardian.

Today, the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Fast Stream and UK technology trade association techUK launched a new programme to encourage collaborative working between early professionals in the Civil Service and the technology sector.

About the programme

Tech Connect is a 12-week digital skills programme bringing together early professionals in government and industry to inspire them to design and deliver the best and most technology-innovative public services.

The programme was launched in partnership with techUK’s Public Services Board (PSB) and is sponsored by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Director General and Chief Digital and Information Officer, Jacky Wright.

The programme gives about 20 third-year DDaT fast streamers and 20 early career professionals from the tech industry the chance to work closely with a wide range of technology companies, all members of techUK’s Public Service Board. This is an opportunity for DDaT fast streamers to gain industry exposure and for early career professionals from the private sector to get insight into some of government’s biggest technology challenges.

What participants will do

Participants will work in blended teams, and will pick a public sector technology, operational or policy problem, with the aim of delivering innovative solutions that can be deployed by government.

Teams will also participate in 5 industry ‘programme days’, hosted by member companies of techUK’s Public Sector Board. Each industry day will give the teams exposure to a new organisation, and focus on innovative technologies and approaches that they can use in their project.

Each team will be guided by 2 senior mentors, one from industry and one civil servant, who will act as a point of contact to discuss strategy, blockers and opportunities, as well as steer the project towards success.

At the end of the programme, the teams will present their solutions to their public service challenge to senior leaders from government and industry, who will provide feedback and select a winning team.

Effective collaboration between public and private sectors

Participants will learn what effective collaboration between government and industry looks like, and how leveraging the skills of the public and private sector can produce outcomes of lasting value for the government.

Jacky Wright said:

I am very excited about the launch of this programme, which will allow early career colleagues in both private and public sector to learn from each other, work together in innovative ways, and develop supportive networks and ongoing relationships. By working in true partnership rather than competition, and supporting greater collaboration, we can encourage innovative, solution-focused thinking among the Civil Service’s future leaders and create the digital organisation that we need for the future.

Kevin Cunnington, Head of the DDaT Profession and Director General, Government Digital Service, commented:

This is an exciting initiative which helps build skills and capability within the Civil Service. This programme is the latest example of our continual collaboration with the wider industry to help make government work better for everyone.

Julian David, Chief Executive Officer, techUK, added:

This initiative provides a much-needed bridge between industry innovation and government. Creating a collaborative partnership in the early stages of a professional career will greatly improve our public services delivery and the experiences we all have as citizens. Our members are delighted to welcome these bright minds into their organisations and play a part in building the next generation of world-class public services.

Background

techUK Public Services Board’s member companies include: Dell EMC, YOTI, Computacenter, Capgemini, IBM, eduserv, Fujitsu, BT, Sopra Steria, vmWare, Amazon web services, BrightLemon, Ark, CDW, Informed Solutions, CISCO.

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Hundreds of children and young people will learn how to use a range of innovative techniques to promote good mental health through one of the largest studies in the world of its kind.

To mark Children’s Mental Health Week (4-10 February), the Education Secretary Damian Hinds announces that up to 370 schools in England will take part in a series of trials testing different approaches to supporting young people’s mental health.

Children will benefit from mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises to help them regulate their emotions, alongside pupil sessions with mental health experts. The study will run until 2021 and aims to give schools new, robust evidence about what works best for their students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Mr Hinds also confirmed the nine areas across the country that will trial new high-quality mental health assessments for young people entering care, helping them get the support they need to meet their individual needs at a time when they are more vulnerable.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:

As a society, we are much more open about our mental health than ever before, but the modern world has brought new pressures for children, while potentially making others worse.

Schools and teachers don’t have all the answers, nor could they, but we know they can play a special role which is why we have launched one of the biggest mental health trials in schools. These trials are key to improving our understanding of how practical, simple advice can help young people cope with the pressures they face.

To support this, we’re introducing compulsory health education in all schools, within which children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, wellbeing and happiness right from the start of primary school.

We are rolling out significant additional resources to schools to improve mental health provision at an earlier stage through the Government’s Green Paper proposals, including awareness of ‘mental health first aid’ techniques and teams of trained mental health staff to work with and in schools.

Led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in partnership with University College London, the school study is now in its second wave and recruiting more primary and secondary schools to join.

The trials are designed to explore the impact of different approaches at school, in recognition of the significant time children spend at school and the important role teachers can play in recognising changes in pupils’ behaviour or mood.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

I want to see all children and young people have the opportunity to flourish – and protecting their mental health is vital to this.

I’m incredibly excited by this initiative, which will help young people better understand their mental health and identify when they need to ask for help sooner.

To explore what works in schools to support young people’s mental wellbeing, the trials will test five different approaches. These include:

• Two approaches focused on increasing awareness in secondary schools through short information sessions either led by a specialist instructor or by trained teachers. These include a set of tools to increase understanding of mental health and mental disorders among both pupils and teachers.
• Three approaches in primary and secondary schools that focus on lighter-touch approaches such as exercises drawn from mindfulness practice, breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques and recognising the importance of support networks including among their own peers.

The mental health assessment pilots, also run by the Anna Freud Centre, will look at providing improved mental health assessments for children entering the care system. Currently an estimated half of all children in care meet the criteria for a possible mental health disorder, compared to one in ten children outside the care system, so these pilots – backed by £1 million announced last year – will identify the mental health and broader wellbeing needs of these children, including whether a referral to a more specialist service is needed.

The areas include two of the Government’s Opportunity Areas Doncaster and the North Yorkshire Coast, where the programme will examine which professionals should be involved in the assessment and develop best practice that ensures every child’s individual needs are at the centre of the process.

Dr Jessica Deighton from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families said:

We know schools have a strong commitment to supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing but have had little clear guidance about the best ways to approach this. We want children and young people, parents and teachers to be confident that mental health in schools has an absolutely robust evidence base.

This world leading research which, we at the Anna Freud Centre are proud to be leading, will provide that and has the potential to transform mental health promotion in schools across England. We also need to better identify the mental health needs of the most vulnerable children in society, particularly children in the care system, and an improved mental health framework will greatly help.

The announcements build on the Government’s wider investment in support for children’s mental health in schools, including bringing in specialist support teams with the mental health trailblazers programme, to ensure every young person is given the tools to thrive despite challenges they may face growing up.

Catherine Roche, Place2Be CEO said:

We welcome these trials in continuing to build an evidence base of effective ways to make a real difference to children’s mental health. We know from Place2Be’s work in schools across the UK the importance of working not only with children and young people, but in partnership with teachers, parents, and the wider community to promote mental health and life-long resilience.

Action for Children’s director of policy and campaigns, Imran Hussain, said:

Every day our frontline services see children and teenagers struggling to get to grips with how they fit into the increasingly complex modern world – contending with things like intense pressure at school, bullying or problems at home, all while being bombarded by social media.

It’s really encouraging to see the Government taking action to tackle the children’s mental health crisis by trialling different approaches in schools. We know from our own school programmes how vital it is to step in early with support to stop problems in their tracks. Crucially, services like these can lessen the anxiety, pain and anguish that some teens go through, but also reduce their need for intensive support further down the line.