Humansolutions Bulletin - May 31st 2018

Life is a risky business. Whatever we do, whichever way we turn, we take risks. For the most part they are fairly minor risks, with relatively minor consequences if things go wrong. But, it is not at all uncommon for us to take life or death risks (using electricity, driving a car, being a passenger or even a pedestrian, for example). Risk is very much a part of everyday life. This has a number of implications, two main ones in particular. First, it shows how skilful we tend to be at managing risks. Over the years I have run many training courses on risk assessment and management and made this point about how skilled people generally are. The usual response…

Last year, we gave information, support and advice to millions of people facing homelessness or experiencing housing issues. And we won’t stop until there’s a safe, secure and affordable home for everyone. Click here to read more

A scheme that uses specially designed cycles to take elderly people on rides in an effort to tackle social isolation is to be rolled out across Scotland.The Cycling Without Age (CWA) project sees volunteers take their passengers out on so-called "trishaws". The scheme, which began in Denmark, has been operating in Falkirk since 2017. The Scottish government will spend £300,000 to expand it across Scotland, beginning in East Lothian, Perth and Kinross, the Highlands and the Borders. Click here to read more

"I spend time on my own with the blinds drawn and the world shut out.” So answered a staff nurse, one of the 3,700 public and voluntary sector workers who responded to a Guardian survey on wellbeing in the workplace, when answering the question: when you feel stressed, what do you do to relax? From playing heavy metal music on full blast to crocheting furiously in front of the TV, respondents had developed a wide range of ways to unwind. With 93% saying they suffer from stress at work, and more than half saying they are more stressed than this time last year, learning to clock off and manage stress has never been more important. Click here to read more

I first met Bob 11 years ago when he was placed in our children’s home at the age of 15. Having experienced a chaotic and often violent upbringing, I witnessed an initially reticent and timid lad gradually develop into a confident and engaging young man. On leaving the home just before his 18th birthday, a foster home and further education were his next destinations. Out of the blue Bob contacted me recently with some exciting and unexpected news. He was now working as a full-time residential child care worker in another city and loving it. (In my experience, I am aware of only one colleague who had been in care as a child, indeed, I’m told it’s very rare). Bob and…