Latest news with #LisaStevens
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The migrant tent cities springing up in the suburb where one in every 112 residents is an asylum seeker
Mini 'tent cities' have sprung up in a West London borough where councillors say they are struggling to cope with housing thousands of asylum seekers. Hillingdon had supported 89 asylum seekers out of every 10,000 residents at the end of last year – or one in every 112 – and residents told MailOnline the taxpayers' money which the council is having to pay to house them was 'disgraceful'. Councillors say they are £5million short of the funds they would need to support everyone asking for help - putting a 'huge burden' on taxpayers and local services. With some deemed ineligible for housing support after leaving hotels, there has been a 'significant increase' in rough sleeping - with 'tented communities' springing up in parks and under bridges. Hillingdon accommodates a higher number of asylum seekers than average because of the large number of hotels it has near Heathrow Airport. Some of these are used as taxpayer-funded asylum accommodation – and, once a migrant moves into a hotel, they become the local council's responsibility. Residents said they think central government needs to fork out more money, but were equally sympathetic to the plight of the asylum seekers fleeing war and famine. Lisa Stevens, who lives in Cowley, a village within the borough of Hillingdon, admitted she did not know how much the council was spending on asylum seekers. 'I see them all at the hotels [near Heathrow],' the 49-year-old told MailOnline. 'I didn't know it was that much we were spending on them. 'I just pay my bills. My daughter's in temporary accommodation and can't get a council house, and she's lived in the borough for 18 years.' Margaret, another Hillingdon resident, said she was 'fed-up' with the current migrant situation, and couldn't understand how authorities were unable to stop small boats crossing the Channel in the first place. The 76-year-old fumed: 'I find it absolutely appalling. My husband's in a nursing home and has been for three years. All I get to help is the attendance allowance of £435 a month. The rest comes out of our savings and my husband's state pension. 'I find it incredible that they can't stop the boats coming over. I can't understand why they can't and what the French are doing. I worked all my life, sent my kids to university and now I am paying for my husband's care. It's absolutely disgraceful.' Meanwhile Gina Forse sympathised with migrants making the perilous journey across the Channel to Britain, but believes central government should be footing the lion's share of the bill for migrants, not individual local councils. 'I work for the mental health trust,' the 66-year-old said. 'We have a lot of asylum seekers in hotels who come across with a lot of mental health problems to do with their homes and their traumatic journeys across. '[The money to house them] should come from central government. Asylum seekers should also have a separate mental health service for them as well, because it's draining on our already-drained mental health services. 'Some people obviously need help more urgently than others, so we should triage them.' Sharon Harries, who works at Hillingdon Hospital, said asylum seekers often shoulder the blame for wider failures in services in Britain. 'It's nothing to do with asylum seekers,' the 68-year-old, who lives in Uxbridge, said. 'The National Health Service is not what it used to be. Waiting lists are getting longer and longer. People wait so long for one appointment that they don't even turn up.' Councillor Steve Tuckwell, cabinet member for planning, housing and growth at Hillingdon Council, said the strain on local services could soon increase due to the large number of asylum seekers currently staying in local hotels. He told MailOnline: 'We estimate there's around 3,500 asylum seekers in hotels in Hillingdon at the moment, which is the largest concentration in the country.' 'These asylum seekers will eventually become the responsibility of the London Borough of Hillingdon. 'And that doesn't include the additional asylum seekers that the Home Office is processing and will put in hotels.' The Conservative councillor said Government funding was not enough to cover the costs lumbered on the council, resulting in it having to stump up £5million a year from its own funds. 'Five million pounds would cover the entire library and heritage service for the year,' he said. 'The government provide some funding, but we are way, way, way beyond that. We estimate the funding [for this year] will run out by November. 'After that, the entire burden of asylum seekers will be with the Hillingdon taxpayer. That's unacceptable, particularly because some companies are making record profits from processing asylum claims.' Mr Tuckwell added that their asylum seeker burden was also being added to by British Nationals Overseas (BNOs) arriving from the Chagos Islands, which is expected to be handed over to Mauritius under a controversial new deal agreed by Labour. 'This week alone, we had 129 individuals arrived from the Chagos Islands,' he continued. 'They arrive at Heathrow Airport and, if they have dependants, we are obliged to house them. The Government have said they will only cover the costs for the first ten days. 'We are putting as much pressure on the Government as we can to provide adequate funding for processing asylum claims. It's a huge burden and it also diverts our attention from the services we provide our residents. 'Hillingdon is a welcoming borough, but the volume of asylum seekers being given permanent settlement means we need the funding from government to carry out their policy. 'It's not right that the Hillingdon taxpayer is to fund all of that. It's not acceptable.' Mr Tuckwell added that the council were housing some asylum seekers in newly refurbished temporary accommodation blocks in the borough, but admitted that rough sleeping had risen among asylum seekers deemed ineligible for housing. Outside the Holiday Inn near the airport, Afghani asylum seeker Tory Alai said he had been living in Hillingdon for over a year, after spending his first year in Colchester, Essex. The 23-year-old said he took a small boat across the English Channel from France along with 18 other people, and insisted that he would not go back to Afghanistan, where the 'dangerous' Taliban now rule. 'I am not worried about being thrown out of the hotel,' he told MailOnline. 'I am going to a friend's home. I am not going back to Afghanistan.' Another man named Carlos, from Cali in Colombia, said he had been paying to stay in the same Holiday Inn hotel since arriving in the UK last August. London Councils, which represents the capital's boroughs, told the BBC that asylum accommodation pressures 'are felt by boroughs across the capital and are especially acute in port authorities like Hillingdon'. The group said it estimated a funding shortfall 'of at least £500million this year across all services. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'This government inherited a broken asylum system, with tens of thousands stuck in a backlog and claims not being processed, wasting millions in taxpayer money. 'We are immediately speeding up decisions and increasing returns so we can end the use of hotels, and save the taxpayer £4 billion by 2026.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Avado Awarded CIPD Platinum Centre Status Under New Provider Recognition Structure
LONDON, 19 May 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Avado is pleased to announce that it has been awarded Platinum Centre status by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), recognising its commitment to quality in CIPD qualification delivery and learner support. This follows the CIPD's launch of a new recognition framework aimed at providing greater transparency and clarity for both learners and employers. The framework sets out clear criteria for achieving Platinum status, including strong operational practices, excellence in assessment delivery, and consistently positive learner outcomes. "We're really overjoyed with CIPD's new, clearer guidelines around Platinum Centre status," said Lisa Stevens, People and Operations Director at Avado. "They bring important visibility to the standards behind quality delivery, and we're proud to see our ongoing work in tutor support, programme innovation and learner experience reflected in this recognition." What Platinum Status Means As described by the CIPD, Platinum Centre status signifies a consistently high-quality learning environment. It indicates that a centre: Excels in delivering CIPD standards for marking, assessment and membership Maintains robust administration and operations Demonstrates strong levels of learner achievement and satisfaction A Continued Commitment to Learner Support and Innovation Avado's approach to delivering CIPD qualifications combines comprehensive learner support with innovative technology, designed to create a flexible and engaging study experience. Learners are supported by expert tutors, a growing mentor programme that pairs them with experienced professionals and alumni, and the Avado Connect community – a network offering access to peer connections, monthly masterclasses, job opportunities, and career advice. This human support is complemented by Avado's investment in digital tools. The Learning Hub provides a structured and accessible platform for self-paced study, while tools such as QuickScore, an instant assessment feedback tool, and Ava, a 24/7 AI-powered learning assistant, help learners stay on track and confidently engage with their assignments and course material. Avado now offers learners the opportunity to enrol on one of its 'Plus' qualifications – a premium upgrade designed to enhance assessment outcomes and real-world HR readiness. The Plus experience includes personalised 1:1 pre-assessment tutorials, live mock employment tribunals, extended access to Avado's AI-powered QuickScore tool, and CIPD membership from day one to support professional growth. Supporting the People Profession Avado has supported over 50,000 professionals in achieving CIPD qualifications and continues to evolve its programmes in line with the needs of modern learners and workplaces. This recognition as a CIPD Platinum Centre reinforces Avado's role in providing high-quality, accessible education for current and future people professionals. About Avado Avado is a leading provider of CIPD qualifications in the UK and Middle East. For over a decade, we have partnered with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) to empower HR and L&D professionals to excel in their careers. With a proven track record, Avado has guided over 50,000 learners towards their professional goals, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to develop and grow. For media enquiries, please contact:AvadoEmail: enquiries@ View original content: SOURCE Avado
Malaysian Reserve
05-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
eMed Announces Collaboration with Aon to Provide a Digital GLP-1 Benefit Program for Aon colleagues
Partnership provides virtual clinical support with data driven measurement to improve adherence for obesity management MIAMI, May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — eMed®, the leading Population Health technology platform in remote chronic care management and 24/7/365 live care, today announced an industry-changing collaboration with leading global professional services firm, Aon, to provide GLP-1 obesity management services for the company's U.S. employees. This collaboration builds off the momentum from Aon's recently released findings showing a seven percentage point reduction in the growth of medical spend in the second year of GLP-1 therapy, and a 44 percent reduction in risk of hospitalizations caused by major adverse cardiovascular events with adherent GLP-1 utilization. Both eMed and Aon are committed to improving population health by accessible, personalized, and effective healthcare solutions that support better health outcomes and address critical issues such as obesity, diabetes, and related comorbidities. 'We are thrilled to collaborate with Aon to bring our cutting-edge platform to their employees,' said Dr. Patrice Harris, CEO of eMed. 'Our platform is a science-based, all-in-one solution proven to deliver superior health outcomes for participants, while enabling employers to manage their spend on GLP-1s. Together with Aon, we're not just offering access to GLP-1s; we're ensuring they are used effectively to improve long-term employee health outcomes as demonstrated by Aon's groundbreaking analysis.' 'Our findings show that GLP-1s, when combined with holistic support like nutrition, exercise and mental health resources, can deliver lasting health improvements. Making this investment is essential,' said Lisa Stevens, Chief Administration Officer of Aon. 'Together, we're proving that it's possible to offer access to GLP-1s affordably and with dignity – and that doing so can benefit both people and the bottom line.' eMed, a digital-first healthcare management platform, empowers individuals to address critical health issues such as obesity and related comorbidities, while reducing barriers to medication access and clinical care. As GLP-1 medication indications continue to expand beyond obesity and type II diabetes, making data driven decisions to effectively control increasing healthcare costs is critical to proactively improving overall health. 'We have an opportunity to shift the obesity trend in the U.S. at a macro level. Employers have long been champions of wellness, but most initiatives haven't materially moved the needle on population health. By addressing obesity through the lens of health equity and access, we can unlock positive economic ripple effects,' said Dr. Michael Mina, eMed Chief Science Officer. About eMedeMed® is the leader in Population Health GLP-1/GIP programs and chronic care management. Using Empathetic AI™ technology, eMed brings cost effective GLP-1/GIP benefit programs to employers and 24/7 support to employees. With more than 6 million global customers since its fall 2020 launch, eMed has proven effective and reliable. The eMed GLP-1/GIP Program Screening Kit™ makes it easy for employees to test and screen at home with the guidance of trained Live Proctors. Screening results are clinically reviewed and qualified employees receive monthly prescriptions, 24/7 side-effect support and weekly check-ins to enhance medication adherence. The company is revolutionizing employer GLP-1/GIP benefit programs for employers through Empathetic AITM and an intensive lifestyle intervention component to improve employee health outcomes and manage employer benefit budgets. Learn more at For More Information John GondaJGonda@ 616.309.4888
