Humansolutions Bulletin - April 20th 2017

Watch Neil being interviewed about the course by clicking here

When people are described as ‘selfish’ there is usually an element of having a preference for receiving over giving. That is, they are seen as much more interested in taking than giving. In a very real sense, selfishness is the opposite of generosity. From a moral point of view, being regarded as generous would normally be perceived as better than being seen as selfish, giving as morally superior to taking. Indeed, much of the appeal of certain jobs will be down to the opportunity to give – jobs in health care, social services, education and so on. Making a contribution to others can give us a sense of satisfaction, can boost our self-esteem and even provide a sense of spiritual…

The poorest areas of towns and cities do not always benefit from economic growth. They can remain disconnected from the prosperity experienced by residents of wealthier neighbourhoods in the same region. This research looks at these issues from the perspective of housing and labour markets in the 20 per cent most deprived neighbourhoods across the UK. It finds that there is a need to reconnect economic growth strategies with poverty alleviation initiatives. The research includes an interactive map which reveals how disconnected regions are spread across the UK, and also shows  the areas affected by ‘double disconnection’, across both housing and labour markets. Click here to read more

Chris Wright, chief executive of Catch22, responds to criticism about large charities' relationships with smaller ones and sets out how his charity sets out to work collaboratively with others. These past few weeks we have been exposed to media focusing on the lack of support for small charities and how these organisations are being shut-out and used as ‘bid candy’ by big charities. William Shawcross, chair of the Charity Commission, said in a public speech the other week that small charities were often “eclipsed by the big brand organisations”. Click here to read more

Gareth Parry has spent almost three decades supporting people with disabilities and mental health issues find work, but a recent mental health crisis of his own has given him a personal insight into the remit of the organisation he leads. Parry has only ever worked for Remploy, starting as a trainee administrator and becoming chief executive a year ago. Problems in his personal life two years ago triggered depression. At the time, he was overseeing a government contract for workplace mental health support. “I knew a lot about mental ill health, but I didn’t recognise it,” he says. “Suddenly I was on the other side. It reinforced the importance of organisations like Remploy; work gave me routine, structure, focus, when…

Last year it became OK to admit that social care was in cataclysmic crisis. Yet so far there is little sign that 2017 will see any high level recognition of the scale of change needed to bring about any kind of long-term solution to this key social policy. The prime minister has been reluctant to say more than that her government “is starting internally to look” at the issue. Hardly reassuring when even the Care Quality Commission has talked of social care reaching a “tipping point”. Poor public understanding of social care and its low political priority, coupled with issues of chronic underfunding and massive demographic change, continue to be a recipe for policy inaction. New Labour ducked the one…