Humansolutions Bulletin - February 18th 2016

Putting things off is something we all do from time to time and is not necessarily, in itself, a problem. However, it can become a problem if we get into the habit of procrastinating regularly as a way to avoid what we don’t want to face, or if we don’t realise that we are consistently letting some things fall to the bottom of the priority pile. In this guide we explore the problems that procrastination can cause and offer suggestions for doing something about it in order to help make our work and home lives more organised and productive. Procrastination: Putting things off and how not to do it by Sue Thompson available for just £1.99 Click here to read…

Why put off until tomorrow what you can put off to the day after?, as the old joke goes. But the price we pay for procrastination is no laughing matter. We have known for a long time that one of the key elements that contributes to stress is not having a sense of control. The more out of control we feel, the more stressed we are likely to get, and that can then have all sorts of detrimental effects. A common reason for procrastinating in the first place is anxiety – for example, putting things off that we don’t feel comfortable or confident about doing (the things we do feel comfortable and confident about are likely to be the things…

I’m looking to create a book that tells social work’s story – in 40 objects. Is it possible to represent social work through a collection of objects and what would these be? For this project I’m looking to choose forty objects that, taken together as a collection, give us a vision of social work – facets of its past, present and possible future ... My aim is to tell social work’s story in 40 of these objects (though I will make sure that all the objects and their proposers are included in the book). In addition, a photo of each proposer with a brief pen picture will remind us that, as interesting and illuminating as the objects are, social work is actually about people. I hope the personal stories…

You are the first person to really listen and not criticise me” This is a comment a social worker halfway through a motivational interviewing programme received from a young person in Merton. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a structured approach to direct work that can help individuals to want to change behaviour. It is shaped by an understanding of what triggers change and is designed to be a non-confrontational way of helping someone to recognise and do something about their present or potential behaviour concerns. Click here to read more

The House of Lords has voted to keep targets aimed at reducing child poverty, forcing the government to reconsider its plan to abolish them. The bishop of Durham, supported by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, led the effort to retain the targets, which measure material poverty, and were set to be scrapped under the welfare reform and work bill. Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, announced the proposals in July, prompting dismay among child poverty charities. He said the government would scrap its measurement of child poverty and the aim to eradicate it by 2020, while replacing it with a new duty to report levels of educational attainment, worklessness and addiction. Click here to read more

“You can never get over it if you truly love someone,” says Kathleen, 86. “I am old fashioned and I think you can only truly love one person in your life.” With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Kathleen is one of 14 Londoners aged between 75 and 95 who have revealed when they fell in love and the difference it made to their lives. The group is featured in Love Lived, a collaborative exhibition combining video and photographs capturing their stories and thoughts about love. The project, currently on display at Broadgate Tower in central London, was created after photographer Holly Wren was inspired “to show that experiences of love are universal and transcend the boundaries of age”. Click here…