“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying”
Events this week:
May 1st- World Maternal Mental Health Day 2024
May 1st- May 31st- National Walking Month 2024
May 1st- May 31st- Skin Cancer Awareness Month 2024
May 1st- May 31st- National Clean Air Month 2024
May 1st- May 31st- Tourette’s Awareness Month 2024
Legislation/Regulation of the week
Upcoming changes to childcare support
Starting from April 2024, existing childcare support will be expanded in phases. By September 2025, most working families with children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support. The changes are being introduced gradually to make sure that providers can meet the needs of more families. This means that: From April 2024, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours childcare support. From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3-year-olds. From September 2025, eligible working parents with a child from 9 months old up to school age will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
Please remember to review this in your policy/legislation review workbook)
Videos of the week
Glitter: The Popstar Paedophile
This new documentary is the first detailed up to date telling of the dark double life of Gary Glitter - real name Paul Gadd - who was viewed as an iconic performer in his heyday, yet was later exposed as a predatory child abuser. The documentary highlights how Glitter was able to evade justice for decades meaning he was free to travel abroad and continue offending.
Documenting his crimes committed both in the UK and across the globe, this new film weaves historical victim testimony, archive and interviews with those who met Glitter on the showbiz circuit, as well as lawyers involved in both the prosecution and defence of Glitter during the different trials across the decades.
The programme looks into how Glitter used his charismatic onstage persona to cover up his predatory offstage behaviour, meaning he was only brought to justice decades after lighting up the charts with a slew of catchy hits.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 90 mins)
Event of the week/month
Skin Cancer Awareness Month 2024
May is skin cancer awareness month. Whether you are directly affected by skin cancer, or you just want to find out more, we have information that can help. For skin cancer awareness month we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions about skin cancer.
Most skin cancers are caused by skin damage that happens from exposure to the sun. The damage can happen from sun exposure over a long period of time or from a history of getting sunburnt. People with a history of sunburn or overexposure to the sun in childhood also have a greater risk of developing both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Because people are living longer, they are exposed to more sun over their lifetimes.
(This can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Some children can struggle with:
· reading, writing, number work or understanding information at school
· expressing themselves, communicating or understanding what others are saying
· making friends or relating to adults
· sensitivities to certain sounds, sights, and textures
· feeling overwhelmed, anxiety or their behaviour
· understanding and following rules and routines
· accessing classrooms, walking, muscular problems, balance, or coordination.
Kent’s Local offer gives SEND children and young people and their families information about what support services are available in their area.
Essex’s Local offer finds help in your local area including support for extra needs, as well as things to do.
Lambeth’s local offer is the place to find out about services and support for children and young people, aged 0 to 25, with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Tell Ofsted about a serious incident in a children’s home or secure children’s home
Children’s homes and secure children’s homes must report the following incidents (sometimes called incident ‘notifications’ or ‘events’) to us:
· the death of a child
· if you have reported someone under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
. you know or suspect that a child has been involved in or subject to sexual exploitation
· a serious incident with a child that required police involvement
· an abuse allegation against the home or someone working there
· if a child protection enquiry has started or concluded
· if a child has a serious accident or injury (secure children’s homes only)
· if a child has absconded (secure children’s homes only)
· if a child makes or receives unauthorised contact with someone that their plan states they should not be in contact with (secure children’s homes only)
· any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers serious
Your Ofsted record will automatically update when you submit your report.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Ofsted confirms plans for inspecting supported accommodation
Ofsted has today published guidance for inspecting providers of supported accommodation for looked after children and care leavers aged 16 to 17.
The guidance follows extensive consultation – with providers, children, care leavers and the wider social care sector – about how inspections can make sure supported accommodation services are helping children and keeping them safe.
Ofsted has also today announced that these inspections will start in September 2024, rather than April. This extra period will give providers more time to digest the guidance, while Ofsted prioritises dealing with the large volume of registration applications, including many from providers that are already accommodating children and care leavers.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Paediatricians call for an end to unjust and dangerous smacking laws
Children’s doctors in England and Northern Ireland are calling for equal protection for children and young people against physical assault, such as smacking, hitting, and slapping.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has published a landmark report which lays out once and for all the health, education, and legal case for a legislative change to remove the “reasonable punishment” defence and to prohibit all physical punishment of children in all circumstances in England and Northern Ireland.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Independent review of gender identity services for children and young people
Dr Hilary Cass has submitted her final report and recommendations to NHS England in her role as Chair of the Independent Review of gender identity services for children and young people.
The Review was commissioned by NHS England to make recommendations on how to improve NHS gender identity services, and ensure that children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria receive a high standard of care, that meets their needs, is safe, holistic and effective.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Paedophiles could be stripped of parental rights under new law
Paedophiles convicted of serious sexual offences could lose parental rights over their children under a new law. The proposed law change comes after the BBC reported the case of a mother who spent £30,000 in legal fees to stop her paedophile ex-husband getting access to their daughter.
After hearing the story, Labour MP Harriet Harman tabled an amendment to upcoming legislation. It covers the most serious sexual offence - rape of a child under 13
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
Health & Safety
Mental health conditions, work and the workplace
One in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point. While mental health problems are common, most are mild, tend to be short-term and are normally successfully treated, with medication, by a GP.
Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems. They are often a reaction to a difficult life event, such as bereavement, but can also be caused by work-related issues.
Work can also aggravate pre-existing conditions, and problems at work can bring on symptoms or make their effects worse.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Advice for employees with mental health conditions
If you already feel under pressure, it's hard to distinguish when 'stress' begins to affect your condition, making it worse or bringing on an episode. Many of the symptoms of stress and a mental health condition are similar. The main differences are the severity and duration of the symptoms and the impact they have on your everyday life.
Most people with mental health problems are diagnosed and treated by their GP and continue to work productively. In fact, evidence shows that staying in work can be a great help to those affected.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
Honest information about Drugs
Facts about drugs including how you may feel after taking them, how long the effects last and the common risks with taking the drug. Some of the drugs we go through include:
· Ketamine
· Cocaine
· Cannabis
· Magic Mushrooms
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Let’s check our drinking- Drinking Check
Many people don't always know how much alcohol they drink and whether their drinking could have any impact on their health.
Our Drinking Check is an alcohol self-assessment that can help you identify if the amount you drink could be putting your health at serious risk. We use a tool developed by the WHO, called 'AUDIT', that is used internationally by medical professionals to check for alcohol harm, including dependence.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Wider Curriculum
Living with an allergy: Practical Tips
An allergy diagnosis can be overwhelming and life changing but this book brings together all the in-depth information and practical tips you need. It includes interviews with the country’s leading allergy experts, advice from people living with allergies and has been endorsed by Allergy UK.
Living With Allergies provides insight into each allergic condition, how to cope at different life stages and information on diagnosis, treatment and everyday management. It also includes tips the doctors don’t tell you: How do you manage allergy anxiety? How do you keep your child safe at school? How can you travel abroad with allergies?
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
100 care experienced children and adults tell their story
Free Loaves on Fridays, a new anthology containing letters, stories and poems by 100 care experienced children and adults, was launched last week.
The book, edited by Rebekah Pierre, professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), features contributions from people aged 13 to 68, from renowned poet and author Lemn Sissay to first-time writers.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
Which foods can reduce your stress and anxiety?
Anxiety can be complex and hard to navigate, but by making small swaps to what you eat, you could see big improvements in your mental wellbeing. With the help of a food scientist and nutrition coach, we unpack the best foods for anxiety - to help put you back in control. According to a Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 survey, around 7 out of 10 adults had felt anxious within the previous two weeks, and for 6 out of 10, this Anxiety had interfered with their daily lives1.
The rise of this mental health issue seems to suggest that the stresses of modern life is a key driver, although many factors are often at play. But what we eat is one lifestyle factor we can control - and relatively quickly.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Hundreds of vulnerable children sent to illegal and unregulated care homes in England
The Guardian has published a news story on its joint investigation with the Together Trust exploring the placement of children in local authority care in unregistered and unregulated homes. New figures show: in 2022-23, councils in England placed 706 children in homes that were not registered with Ofsted; and there was a 277% rise in numbers placed in unregistered children’s homes in England between 2020 and 2023.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Sustainability
Go Green: 10 Tips for a More Sustainable Lifestyle
Measuring a person’s carbon footprint includes a number of factors. Choices we make, from the food we eat, to the products we use and industries we support, to the distances we travel, play into the amount of greenhouse gases we add into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, all aid in the warming of the atmosphere, and contribute to the effects of climate change.
One action item to add yourself in the fight against climate change is to adopt a sustainable lifestyle and consider how our day to day habits play into that. Here’s 10 ways to get started.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 70 mins)
How to start composting
“How do I compost?” might sound like a simple question, but the answers can branch out and multiply like the running roots of a plant. And you have just as many reasons to compost as there are methods.
Composting is the process of breaking down organic matter into nutrient-rich material. The result—compost—enhances soil nutrition, improving conditions for your garden and houseplants and helping them retain water. Collecting scraps for composting also means you’ll throw out fewer food scraps, curbing trash smells.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
How are food and drinks brands greenwashing?
New research from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has found that consumers regularly overestimate how sustainable food and drink products are based on subtle messaging from brands, such as green colour schemes. The research found that most individuals accept general green assertions without scrutiny, assuming that the advertising adheres to regulations. Only a minority, comprising environmentally conscious individuals, business sceptics and vegans/vegetarians, question such claims.
As such, most viewers can be duped by vague terms like ‘natural’ or subtle messaging like images of nature or green colour schemes. The ASA found that marketing messages usually focus on taste, nutrition and price, aligning with consumer research outcomes. However, the report highlights evidence of ‘sustainable’ claims being utilised in various ways within the food production context, occasionally lacking qualification, which could be misleading.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 min)
An Idiot’s guide to change the world- Accessibility should be a right not a privilege : Podcast (Episode 4)
How do we design a better world? Our cities are inherently unequal by design. They were often designed by tall, white, able bodied men. So what have they overlooked? Can we reduce inequality by designing a better world?
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 50 min)
