“Kindness is free, sprinkle it everywhere”
Welcome to the latest issue! First we are proud to announce that Quest received a 'Good' rating from Ofsted! The report will be published this week on the Ofsted website. Thank you to all employers and apprentices who were observed, questioned or who completed feedback. We are very proud of our achievement!
See below for the latest care sector news, and for Quest apprentices you can see our planned off-the-job learning activities section.
Sector News and Updates
Great British Care Awards
The Great British Care Awards are a series of regional events throughout the UK and are a celebration of excellence across the care sector. The purpose of the awards are to pay tribute to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding excellence within their field of work.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
#WakeUpWednesday: What Parents Need to Know about Instagram
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 1 billion users worldwide. According to Ofcom, in the UK, Instagram is the most likely app/site for older children to have a profile on, with 55% of 12-15 year olds and 70% of 16-17 year olds having one.
Over the years, the app has significantly improved its parental controls and in-house safety features to try and make the platform a better, more positive experience for young children. But things can still slip through the net. That’s why we’ve updated our guide to help parents and carers understand exactly what Instagram is all about.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
‘Unsustainable’ reliance on agency care staff needs urgent government action, warns provider body
Survey of 95 care providers finds 80% using more agency workers than in 2021, with 90% finding them harder to source, amid widening staffing crisis
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Neurodivergent social workers ‘exhausted’ from lack of understanding at work
Social workers with conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia and autism are reporting anxiety and low confidence from being unsupported at work
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Structural change in children’s services ‘no panacea’ for councils’ problems, research finds
Study drawing from experiences of children's services trusts, partnership arrangements and areas undergoing reorganisation highlights importance of leadership, organisational capacity and connections to local communities.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Why live-in care staff are at high risk of modern slavery
Poor working conditions, insecure employment and imbalances of power all contribute to the risk of labour exploitation for live-in staff, finds research
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Online child sexual abuse
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) have released new data on child sexual abuse imagery in the first six months of 2022 in the UK. Findings include: there were nearly 20,000 webpages with self-generated images of 7-10 year-olds (compared with almost 12,000 in the first 6 months of 2021); the largest amount of ‘self-generated’ imagery occurred in the 11-13 year old group (56,000 webpages); and the top five image hosting websites had not been seen by the IWF to be used for self-generated images of 7-10 year-olds before. Recommendations are that parents and carers are encouraged to talk to their children about the dangers associated with children’s online life.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Planned 20% Off the Job Activities
When recording the OTJ activity please ensure that you reflect on what you have learned from completing the activity, use the link and the description of the activity completed.
Legislation of the week – Mental Capacity Act 2005
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is a law that protects vulnerable people over the age of 16 around decision-making. It says that: Every adult, whatever their disability, has the right to make their own decisions wherever possible. People should always support a person to make their own decisions if they can.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 45 mins)
Video of the week – Women’s Health – Breaking the Taboos
Cherry Healey uncovers the biggest issues surrounding women's health
This is a series of 4 episodes of 55 minutes each. It will examine the impact of chronically heavy periods and two common conditions, how some 13 million women in the UK are either perimenopausal or menopausal, examine two women looking for treatment concerning the damage to their bodies caused by pregnancy and how one in five women over the age of 25 will suffer from some kind of hair loss.
(Watching these can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 240 mins)
Psoriasis Awareness/ Psoriasis Action Month 2022
August is Proriasis Awareness month and is used as an opportunity to educate and inform sufferers on a range of topics varying from treatment, causes, triggers and management of the inflammatory and often irritating disease.
(This can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
