Humansolutions Bulletin - March 23rd 2017

Watch Neil being interviewed about the course by clicking here

Drift is the term used for when we become unfocused, when we lose sight of what we are doing or what we are trying to achieve. Ever gone upstairs and, when you get to the top of the staircase, you have no idea why you went upstairs; your mind is blank? That’s drift. Ever been on the way to a meeting, got distracted then found yourself wondering where it was you were going? That’s drift. But there are more serious versions of drift. For example, an important meeting can get bogged down in detail and lose track of what was supposed to be discussed. A worker can lose sight of what they are trying to achieve or what their role…

As poverty continues to be a feature of the social and economic landscape in the United Kingdom, attention is turning towards the potentially damaging role played by individual decisions made in low-income contexts. This report summarises the most recent evidence on the relationship between socioeconomic status and the psychological, social and cultural processes that underpin decision-making, it highlights: the results of 15 systematic reviews of recent evidence on the relationship between socioeconomic status and psychological, social and cultural processes underpinning decision-making; insights on the impact of poverty on thinking, behaviour patterns, facing challenges and engaging with the social world; a discussion of what these relationships mean for decision-making by those living in or near poverty; how decision-making in contexts of…

Plenty here of interest in this recent round up of news from Runneymede but we highlight, in particular, the report on race in the workplace. Click here to read more

The Law Commission is a statutory, independent body set up to reform the law. We want to ensure that the law is as fair, modern, simple and cost-effective as possible. Three years ago, the Department of Health came to us with a problem. A few months before, a Supreme Court decision called Cheshire West had had a massive impact on what is called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Sometimes people with conditions like dementia or learning disabilities need to be confined or made subject to restrictions in a place like a care home when it is in their best interests. For example, a person with dementia may be kept in their care home to prevent them from wandering off,…

This is our full film on the opening of Wrexham’s Prison, HMP Berwyn, explaining how things are being done differently locally. With the prison opening, many have voiced a range of opinions over the balance of retribution, incapacitation, deterrence and rehabilitation. In forthcoming legislation (the Prisons and Courts bill) rehabilitation is for the first time enshrined in law: “…a key purpose of prison is to reform and rehabilitate offenders, as well as punish them for the crimes they have committed.” We asked a range of questions, from how Governor Russ Trent feels about being in charge of the biggest and newest prison in the UK, about using certain language such as rooms not cells, and even about security around New…