"It's how you deal with the failure that determines how you achieve successes"
Events this week:
August 7th- Playday 2024
August 7th- National Opportunity Day 2024
August 7th –Aged Care Employee Day 2024
August 8th- National Cat Day 2024
Legislation/Regulation of the week
The Children and Families Act 2014
Vulnerable children often need better support from the care system as a result of separated parents or other instances. The Children and Families Act of 2014 created a new system to help these children – by helping the entire family. Among many aspects, it makes young and parent carer’s rights to support from councils clearer and reforms children’s residential care to make sure homes are safe and secure, improving the quality of care that vulnerable children receive.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Please remember to review this in your policy/legislation review workbook)
Videos of the week
Abused by my Girlfriend
Abused By My Girlfriend tells the remarkable story of Alex Skeel, a 23-year-old man from Bedford who survived an abusive relationship with his girlfriend Jordan Worth.
Combining observational filming with personal and police archive, this film provides a raw and uninhibited window into a teenage romance that descended into terrible violence.
Alongside Alex's shocking and thought-provoking testimony, his family and friends also share their stories of seeing him slowly slip away, powerless to stop it, and unaware of how bad it would get.
Bedfordshire Police described Alex's case as one of the most extreme cases of domestic violence they had ever dealt with. In hospital, doctors examined Alex's body and told him that he was just ten days away from death.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 90 mins)
Event of the week/month
National Opportunity Day 2024
Imagine a world where setbacks are simply stepping stones. A world where a change in direction is not seen as failure, but as an opportunity to discover hidden talents and uncover new passions. This is the world we invite you to explore on National Opportunity Day. It’s a world where limitations are shattered, and aspirations are embraced.
Whether it’s vocational training, apprenticeships, work-based learning, or pursuing an alternative higher education path, National Opportunity Day celebrates all these options and more. No student should ever feel left behind. It’s never too late and there’s always a possibility. There’s something for everyone. We’re here to help you navigate through the maze of opportunities and find the path that resonates with you.
(This can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
Podcast: The voice of the child in social work practice
It is important for social workers to consider the voice of the child — their experiences, their worries and their wants — when undertaking their work, particularly when conducting assessments. This improves professionals’ abilities to act in the child’s best interest.
In this episode, three consultant social workers from the NSPCC’s Quality and Practice team look at how we can hear and understand the young person’s voice.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Childline expects more contacts from children this summer about body image and eating disorders
Childline delivered 4,229 counselling sessions to young people from April 2023 to March 2024 about body image and eating disorders.
Support from Childline around these issues peaked in August last year, a time when children are not in school and potentially spending more time outside or on social media.
The majority of counselling sessions about these problems were delivered to girls.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
UK watchdog accuses Apple of failing to report sexual images of children
Apple is failing to effectively monitor its platforms or scan for images and videos of the sexual abuse of children, child safety experts allege, which is raising concerns about how the company can handle growth in the volume of such material associated with artificial intelligence.
The UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) accuses Apple of vastly undercounting how often child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appears in its products. In a year, child predators used Apple’s iCloud, iMessage and Facetime to store and exchange CSAM in a higher number of cases in England and Wales alone than the company reported across all other countries combined, according to police data obtained by the NSPCC.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 50 mins)
How can the next government improve young people's mental health?
Young people with lived experience of mental health issues, together with academic partners, have collated a summary of research-informed asks of the next government 2024 ahead of the General Election.
At McPin we think mental health research should always involve the people it directly affects – which means research must include young people, and national youth policies should be influenced by them too.
With that in mind we’ve worked with young people with lived experience of mental health issues to put together 10 asks ahead of the 2024 General Election. These ten points highlight what the research suggests needs to be prioritised to improve young people’s mental health.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
"But Miss, it was only banter..." How do we equip children with the skills to understand when banter has gone too far?
In schools and youth organisations, banter is a common interaction that can foster camaraderie and strengthen relationships. However, the line between friendly teasing and harmful behaviour can often blur, leading to misunderstandings and even bullying. In partnership with Nottingham Trent University, we have developed a brand new CPD online training course and toolkit to help the children’s workforce navigate this delicate balance.
First, it’s essential to clarify what we mean by banter. According to Oxford Languages, banter is defined as "the playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks". It's a reciprocal interaction that typically occurs between friends, involving a "verbal ping-pong" of comments meant to be light-hearted and humorous. As Ben, a Year 9 student, succinctly put it in Nottingham Trent University’s own research: "Banter’s just like, kind of, it’s, well, it’s with your mates ... if you know someone well and you know that they won’t get offended”.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins
Charities and experts call on next Government to tackle harms caused by online pornography
An open letter led by children’s charity Barnardo’s and Cease (Centre to End all Sexual Exploitation) is calling on the next Government to commit to tackling the widespread harms caused by online pornography.
The letter to the leaders of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats parties, calls for action to include:
· Passing legislation to ensure that pornographic content is regulated online the same way that it is offline
· Ensuring the robust implementation of highly effective age assurance to prevent children accessing pornographic content wherever it is found online:
· Committing to continuing the Independent Pornography Review, led by Baroness Bertin
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Health & Safety
Ten HSE stories you might have missed this summer
It has been a busy start to the summer for HSE with many prosecutions throughout June and July.
Here are TEN prosecution cases you might have missed during that time:
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
How to sleep better in the heat
It can feel impossible to get a good night’s sleep when it's hot. You can't get comfortable when you're too hot, which can make you feel even more tired and lethargic the next day. So how can you sleep better when the temperature soars?
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
Food and exercise can treat depression as well as a psychologist, our study found. And it’s cheaper
Around 3.2 million Australians live with depression.
At the same time, few Australians meet recommended dietary or physical activity guidelines. What has one got to do with the other?
Our world-first trial, published this week, shows improving diet and doing more physical activity can be as effective as therapy with a psychologist for treating low-grade depression.
Previous studies (including our own) have found “lifestyle” therapies are effective for depression. But they have never been directly compared with psychological therapies – until now.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
How you can beat the 'Sunday scaries'
A creeping sense of dread can ruin the sunniest of Sunday evenings. If you're among the 70% of people who experience the feeling, here's what you can do to tackle that particular end-of-weekend anxiety.
If you're overwhelmed by a creeping sense of dread as the last of the weekend slips away, you're not alone.
Seven out of 10 Britons experience the "Sunday scaries", according to research commissioned by the government in 2022.
Suddenly the task it seemed a good idea to abandon on Friday beckons, a groaning inbox awaits and the ambitious list of weekend chores remains incomplete.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Wider Curriculum
How I found my Deaf identity - Rachel's story
Rachel Zemach wants you to know that she's proudly, culturally Deaf with a capital 'D' - and that your children can be too. Despite losing her hearing aged 10, decades would pass before she felt able to express this with confidence. In writing, we speak with Rachel about her journey from deaf to culturally Deaf, and how teaching Deaf children changed her life forever.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
My Apprenticeship Journey: Expectations vs Reality
Max Evans shares his experiences as an apprentice so far
The apprenticeship team have taken on their very own apprentice, Max Evans, to support with the administration and recruitment of apprentices into the University.
Just one month in to his role, Max shares some of his experiences so far and how these differ from his expectations.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
How to deal with Burnout
While some work environments may be especially grinding—such as the medical profession or law enforcement—anyone who’s running out of gas can take steps to alleviate the deleterious effects of burnout and, if necessary, reevaluate their work life.
To counter burnout, having a sense of purpose, having an impact on others, or feeling as if one is making the world a better place are all valuable. Often, meaningfulness can counteract the negative aspects of a job. Other motivators include autonomy as well as a good, hard challenge.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
DfE Celebrating Top Apprenticeship Employers
Employers up and down the country have been recognised by the government for their outstanding commitment to apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships support businesses of all sizes to develop the skilled workforce they need to grow, while helping people of all ages and backgrounds to earn while they learn and get ahead in their chosen career. The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and Top 50 Small and Medium Employers (SMEs) league tables showcase the very best apprenticeship programmes over the past 12 months.
Employers are ranked not just on the number of apprentices they take on, but for their commitment to diversity and apprenticeship achievements. Their dedication to delivering high-quality apprenticeships plays a crucial role in boosting the skills and career opportunities of people from all backgrounds and helping the economy to grow.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Sustainability
A Better Way to Help People Reduce Food Waste
Wasting food is not good for the wallet or the environment. Nevertheless, many households waste a staggering amount of food, resulting in a yearly waste of 1.3 billion tonnes globally. This is the equivalent of one-third of all the food produced for human consumption. Just imagine how many people that could be fed with all the wasted food.
From an environmental point of view, every time food is thrown away, so are also the resources involved in the production, such as the energy used to harvest and transport it as well as the packaging it comes in. If food waste can be stopped, it has been estimated that 6-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced. To put this into context, the WWF has reported that in the U.S. alone, food waste produces 32.6 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Climate Anxiety
Some individuals—especially adolescents and young adults—struggle with what has been dubbed “climate anxiety”: ongoing feelings of fear, guilt, and grief related to environmental changes caused by climate change. For many, “eco-anxiety” can feel overwhelming because the problem of climate change is large, complex, and unlikely to be solved with individual actions alone. Some report feeling despair at the perceived unwillingness of governments or society as a whole to take meaningful action to stop climate catastrophe. Still, there are things individuals can do to better manage their anxiety.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
The power of people: 5 reasons to be hopeful
There's no denying it – things are changing all around us. But one thing stays the same: the incredible power of people coming together. Ready for a dose of inspiration? Here’s 5 stories that show just how amazing people power can be, and why there's always a reason to stay hopeful.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 min)
An Idiot’s guide to change the world- London is running out of Water (Ep 4)
Is the world running out of water? As populations grow and the climate warms, water demand is increasing. But why does no one seem to be talking about it? Opening the tap and having access to clean drinking water is something many of us take for granted while one in three people worldwide still don’t have access to it. In this, episode Gail and Loyiso discuss whether the world is running out of water. We hear from Marie-Chen, a South African doctor, and Lucy Easthope, Professor in Practice of Risk and Hazard.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 70 min)
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