“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success”
Events this week:
August 12th- International Youth Day 2024
August 12th- International Left Handers Day 2024
August 16th- The Thoughtful Traveller Day 2024
August 18th- Never Give Up Day 2024
Legislation/Regulation of the week
The Children and Social Work Act 2017
The Children and Social Work Act 2017 was created to improve the welfare and safeguarding for looked-after children and regulate the work of social workers. It formed the foundations for the establishment of a new regulatory regime specifically for the social work profession in England. It also promoted the safeguarding of children by providing relationship guidance and the necessary teaching of sex education in schools.
(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
Alex Brooker: Disability and Me
In this intimate and extremely personal documentary, comedian and TV presenter Alex Brooker examines his disability to acknowledge for the first time how much it impacts on who he is.
Alex revisits key moments from his past, uncovering both joyful and difficult memories. Having conversations with family and friends that he has never had before, Alex engages with elements of his disability he has avoided until now.
Turning to the present, Alex explores what it really means to be disabled in the UK today. Admitting that he knows he is out of touch with many people’s disability experiences, Alex comes face to face with the lives of disabled Brits around the country to see the reality of day-to-day life - from prejudice and lack of support to resilience, camaraderie and just 'being me'.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 70 mins)
Event of the week/month
International Youth Day 2024
International Youth Day is a global celebration dedicated to the contributions, aspirations, and potential of young people around the world. This special day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges facing youth, while also highlighting their innovative ideas and positive impact on society. International Youth Day promotes the importance of empowering young individuals to take active roles in their communities, encouraging them to voice their opinions and participate in shaping a better future.
(This can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
Being online is an important part of how young people ‘do’ relationships. Young people are using online spaces for their social and romantic lives. They told us that they would like their parents and carers to talk with them more about this. We know that these topics aren’t always easy to talk about, so #AskTheAwkward has been created to help you to explore online relationships with your secondary aged children, making these conversations part of everyday life.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Stronger protection for victims of Stalking
The Government recently announced that new measures will be put in police for a stronger protection for victims of harassment and stalking. Stalking is a complex form of abuse that can have devastating consequences for victims and their families.
Under new guidance, police officers will no longer need to meet a higher criminal standard of proof threshold in order for someone to apply for a stalking protection order. Stalking protection orders were introduced in January 2020 and protect victims by addressing the perpetrator’s behaviours before they become entrenched or become more severe. Perpetrators of SPO’s can face restrictions such as having to notify the police of their whereabouts or travel. If breached, an individual could face up to 5 years in prison.
This new guidance will be vital for those that are victims of these types of offences as it means that it will be easier to obtain these Orders and will be hopeful in deterring those of committing these types of crimes
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Digital Awareness in Early Years - Advice for EY Practitioners
As devices become more commonplace in early years settings, here are some tips on how practitioners can help children use screens safely.
Things you can do to support children’s use of technology in your setting include:
outlining how you support children’s use of technology in your setting - it can be helpful to combine this with safeguarding policies
using device safety settings to ensure apps and content are age-appropriate
monitoring and supporting children while they use devices
thinking about what you post online and how this may impact your role - this could be ensuring you do not share details about children, parents or other practitioners and adhering to any social media policies which cover staff personal use of social media platforms
getting parental consent before creating or sharing images of children and store them safely
You should teach children about internet safety by:
making them aware of what safe use of technology looks like
choosing educational apps and platforms that help them to develop their skills
having conversations and sharing advice with parents to encourage safe online use in the home
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 50 mins)
Cost Effective Healthy Food - a resource!
The Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (EYFS) mandates that meals, snacks, and drinks provided to children must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious, (as per Food and Drink guideline 3.55).
The Department for Education (DfE) collaborated with early years experts and health professionals, including Anaphylaxis UK, has produced a "Cost Effective Healthy Food" resource. This resource offers tips and recipes to help serve healthy food affordably and conveniently. It covers various aspects such as nutrition, introducing solid foods, managing allergies, menu planning, and more.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Digital Awareness in Early Years - Creating digital boundaries
We advocate for making children's online experiences positive. However, the internet can pose challenges for them, making it tough to discern truth from falsehood, avoid negative content, or address mistakes. This is why we need to introduce positive online habits to foster your child's confidence in using the internet responsibly.
These tips can initiate discussions within your family about online well-being, ensuring everyone feels informed, confident, and content during their online activities.
Screen-time
Reducing screen time is beneficial for well-being, whether online or offline. It's recommended to establish limits and boundaries for screen usage and utilize well-being features available on apps like Instagram and TikTok, as well as on devices themselves.
Learn your way round the negative
Children may encounter online content that triggers negative emotions like upset, anger, or low self-esteem. In such cases, it's advisable to prompt them to mute or block accounts responsible for these feelings. Additionally, utilizing settings that filter out unwanted words, phrases, or posts can help create a positive online environment. Encouraging children to take control of their online space contributes to their well-being.
Mistakes Happen
If your child makes an error online, like engaging in an argument or disclosing personal information, approach it with understanding. Consider using this mistake as a valuable learning experience.
Get Chatting
Engage in frequent conversations with your child about their online activities and the emotions they experience while doing them.
Take the Lead
Parents serve as role models for their children, particularly regarding online behaviour. It's crucial to follow the same advice you give to your children for online well-being. This includes taking breaks and refraining from engaging with negative content. Leading by example reinforces healthy online habits for the entire family.
Do not believe everything you see
Encourage your child to understand that not all online content is accurate. Prompt them to consistently question what they encounter, especially if it contributes to negative feelings or a fear of missing out.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins
Do you know what apps your children are using?
It's important to stay informed about the apps your children are using. Many popular apps, like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, offer fun and creative ways to connect with friends but also come with risks such as exposure to strangers who pose a risk of harm, inappropriate content, or cyberbullying.
Regularly check the apps on your child's device and have open discussions about their online activities.
Encourage them to share their experiences and teach them about privacy settings and safe online behaviour. By staying involved and informed, you can help ensure your child's online experience is both fun and safe.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Health & Safety
How Healthy is flavoured water?
Many of us enjoy adding flavour to regular water to make it more attractive to our taste buds. This can be done in a variety of ways - from using classic cordials to modern water enhancers. But are there more natural ways to keep your body hydrated?
Our bodies are made of around two-thirds water. So keeping it topped up with healthy fluids is extremely important. Water plays a critical role in numerous bodily functions. Giving your body less water than it needs can lead to dehydration. This can cause headaches, fatigue, and decreased mental and physical performance.
It's recommended you drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. Plain water is best for meeting your body's hydration needs. However, some find it challenging to reach these targets by drinking plain water alone.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
The Easy Exercise That's HUGE For Your Brain Health | Dr. Andy Galpin
Most people need to do more exercise. Despite us being aware of its obvious benefits to our health, we can still struggle to get active. So, what’s holding us back? A persistent injury, lack of free time, or simply not knowing how to get started? Dr. Andy Galpin believes it’s always possible to incorporate exercise. With evidence-based exercise regimes, he’s on a mission to make a fitter future achievable for everyone.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
How to look after your mental health and well-being as a safeguarding professional?
Working with trauma can significantly impact your mental health and wellbeing, making self-care crucial. Engaging in self-care helps manage challenging emotions, vicarious trauma (This is when exposure to traumatic situations and helping others through challenging circumstances impacts the supporting individual’s own mental health), and other work-related stresses, enabling professionals to better support others. Since self-care is personal and varies from person to person, it's essential to find what works best individually. Over the next few weeks we will explore some different self-care ideas for you to try!
This week, let’s focus on ‘Creating a support Network’.
Having strong social networks is crucial for coping with the challenges of working with trauma. Regularly connecting with colleagues, family, and friends can reduce feelings of isolation, provide an emotional outlet, and boost confidence and self-worth. A small group of close contacts can offer significant emotional support. Sounds simple doesn’t it, but with all the pressures of life do we really ensure we take time for ourselves? So take some time out - go out for a drink / catch up with some friends or family
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
The best brain exercises to sharpen your mind
Exercising our brains is every bit as important as exercising our bodies. Most of us don't consider our brains as a body part that needs exercise, or even give a thought to its health until something goes wrong.
However, exercising your brain can help protect against dementia, improve your attention span, sharpen your focus and boost your chances of it performing to its full potential throughout your life.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Wider Curriculum
Help with food and activities in the holidays
In 2021, the government announced a 3 year funding settlement of over £200 million each year for the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme.
This programme is designed for pupils who are from underprivileged backgrounds and pupil premium children.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
The teaching apprentice: Alice’s Story
Alice is doing her postgraduate teaching apprenticeship at St Martin’s C of E Voluntary Aided Schools in Epsom, with Surrey South Farnham SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training).
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
Perseid meteor shower: Where and how to watch up to 100 shooting stars an hour
Stargazers across the UK are in for a stellar treat as the "best meteor shower of the year" is set to peak from Monday night.
The spectacular Perseid shower may offer up to 100 meteors, also known as shooting stars, every hour as it peaks on the night of 12 August, going into 13 August.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
How much does uni in the UK cost, and will I earn more if I go?
Hundreds of thousands of students are hoping to secure a place at university in September. Getting a degree is expensive, but does uni pay for itself through higher future earnings?
One of the biggest costs of going to university is the course itself. Most students take out loans to pay for their undergraduate tuition.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Sustainability
Report: Global wind capacity to double by 2030, but fall short of 1.5C climate goal
New research has revealed that nations intend to collectively double the world’s wind energy capacity this decade. However, this increase still falls significantly short of the tripling required to stay on track with the 1.5C climate pathway.
According to Ember’s latest report on global wind targets, the urgent goal of tripling global renewable energy capacity, pledged by more than 100 nations at COP28 last year, is not on track to be delivered in full.
The report highlights that national strategies and policy documents predict a rise in wind capacity to 2,157gigawatts (GW) by 2030, a 2.4-fold increase from 2022 levels. This figure, however, leaves a substantial gap of 585GW between current targets and the necessary 2,742GW needed for a global tripling.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
We ranked all 34 Olympic sports by sustainability – here’s the leaderboard
Out of 34 Olympic sports, only seven achieved a “gold” rating, demonstrating clear leadership within the Olympic movement. These were: athletics, biathlon, hockey, rugby, sailing, skating and skiing/snowboarding.
Twelve sports received a DNF rating, including tennis, basketball and gymnastics. Those sporting bodies have provided negligible public evidence of engagement with sustainability.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
4 practical tips for eating more sustainability
The systems that bring food from production to the plate are responsible for nearly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, significant biodiversity losses and global land and water degradation — with clear impacts upon human health. Waste is a key stage in global food systems and one that also has a significant ecological impact.
To be clear, achieving true sustainability in food systems is a challenge for producers, distributors and all those involved in the global food system. Systemic change is needed through policy and program interventions to support the production and availability of plant-based foods alongside greater emphasis on providing sustainable choices for the consumer.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 min)
An Idiot’s guide to change the world- Poor soil means we have 50 harvest left
Hunger is the biggest single risk to global health, so why does one-third of food produced go to waste? In episode 3, find out the main causes of world hunger and why sustainable food production is crucial to avoid food waste. We’ll hear from Corinne Woods, Sean Sherman, Andy Cato and Anna Scavuzzo.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 70 min)
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