The Latest Bulletin

Neil has now produced a short video giving an overview of the programme. Neil will be happy to hear from you if you have any questions. Click here to view the video

It is understandable, of course, that we will seek to avoid suffering whenever possible. We look dimly on people who seek to impose suffering on others and regard wanting to inflict suffering on ourselves as a form of pathology. Clearly, suffering Is not something that tends to get seen in a positive light, and quite rightly so. However, this is not to say that suffering cannot also bring positives in some ways. There are, of course, lessons that can be learned from suffering – not least in relation to how to take steps to avoid such suffering in the future. However, it is important that we approach such lessons in a balanced way. For example, if we have suffered because…

Over half a million older people leave their house once a week or less, leaving many feeling lonely and isolated. Fraser, a 20-year-old medical student, has taken matters into his own hands and spends his spare time giving rickshaw rides to elderly residents of a care home. Click here to read more 

Acas has been busy with its new guidance recently and so have the Employment team’s vacation students. Here is a cautionary piece on cyber bullying in the workplace. The unstoppable rise of social media and online networking has led perhaps inevitably to the emergence of a new type of workplace bullying – cyber bullying. If you are not familiar with the term, cyber bullying is defined by Acas as “any form of bullying, harassment or victimisation online.” Acas has recently released guidance on cyber bullying and how it can be appropriately dealt with at work, which addresses several key issues. The Acas guide highlights cyber bullying as an important issue for employers to understand and deal with. Cyber bullying ranges…

The "shocking" case of a man with learning disabilities and terminal cancer has led to a call for the prime minister to appoint a commissioner for learning disabled people's rights. Ian Shaw, 34, spent nine years in secure hospitals before being moved into community care last year. The cancer was found and his parents say the units should have spotted it. Sir Stephen Bubb, author of two reports on secure units, has told Theresa May Ian's case highlights ongoing failures. Sir Stephen told the BBC that Ian's story was "all too typical". "It has led me to believe that institutional care is at root abusive and we must close these institutions." In his letter to Theresa May, he says that…

If recent events in politics have confirmed anything, it is that we live in unpredictable times where old assumptions no longer hold true. Creative thinking is crucial for business success through a period of uncertainty. Upheaval presents a chance to embrace uncertainty and remain level-headed, focused and compassionate under pressure. That’s where mindfulness comes in. Research in contemplative neuroscience suggests that mindfulness - the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment - makes us more resilient, regulates our stress response, increases emotional intelligence and strengthens our ability to focus. Click here to read more

Neil has now produced a short video giving an overview of the programme. Neil will be happy to hear from you if you have any questions. Click here to view the video

Over the years I have run very many training courses on conflict management and a common theme that has emerged right at the start has been a strong tendency for participants to bring with them the idea that conflict can be equated with hostility or even fighting (physically or otherwise). Of course, there is a significant potential link between conflict and these other issues, but it would be a big mistake to see them as one and the same. It is better to understand that hostility is not the same thing as conflict; rather, hostility is what emerges when our efforts to manage conflict have not worked out as we would have hoped. It is perfectly possible to have conflict…

What defines an organization’s culture? It’s people. Culture is shaped by the collective beliefs and behaviours of its work force. Culture is organic and lives and breathes each day. The aggregate of employees’ daily thoughts, feelings and actions creates the culture, which is tangible and can be measured. Culture sets the standard for how employees and managers interact with each other and their customers. Peter Drucker’s famous quote, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” can be observed today in an organization’s financial performance. Click here to read more

Prisons are now the largest providers of residential care for frail and elderly men in England and Wales and are increasingly turning into hospices, providing end-of-life care for older prisoners and even managing their deaths. In the first report on older prisoners by the prisons and probation ombudsman, published on Tuesday, Nigel Newcomen reveals that the number of prisoners over 60 has tripled in 15 years. He also says there will be 14,000 prisoners aged over 50 by 2020, amounting to 17% of the total prison population, up from 13% in 2014. The situation is so serious that Peter Clarke, the chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales, has told the Guardian that he believes the time has come…