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Seth Godin’s blog – What have we become? (And what are we becoming?)

Seth Godin’s blog – What have we become? (And what are we becoming?)

Every day, we change. We move (slowly) toward the person we'll end up being. Not just us, but our organizations. Our political systems. Our culture. Are you more generous than the you of five or ten years ago? More confident? More willing to explore? Have you become more brittle? Selfish? Afraid? ... Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
July 27, 2016
Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Take control

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Take control

Having little or no sense of control is a key factor in stress. People who are under immense pressure will often not get stressed while they have some degree of control over those pressures. At the same time, some people can face fairly modest levels of pressure, but be highly stressed because they have little sense of control over the circumstances they are in. Control, or our sense of control, will often be the difference between being stressed and not. A vicious circle can easily develop in which feeling stressed affects our coping abilities and then we feel that we have less control. Our sense of control goes down and down. Similarly, control is a factor in anxiety. People who…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 14, 2016
Do you want an autism-friendly high street?

Do you want an autism-friendly high street?

Public spaces can be overwhelming for an autistic person trying to deal with too much information. Many autistic people and their families give up using shops, restaurants and other high street outlets because they do not find them accessible, and their worlds shrink. These are places other people might expect to visit without a second thought. We found out that: 79% of autistic people feel socially isolated 70% of families living with autism feel socially isolated. The British Retail Consortium represents over 80% of the UK’s high street. We’re asking them to work with their membership, which include some of the country’s biggest retailers, to make the high street autism-friendly. Show your support for a high street accessible to all – sign…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 14, 2016
Study explores emotional intelligence and stress in social work

Study explores emotional intelligence and stress in social work

Realistic workloads and ongoing emotional support are essential if social workers are to manage stress and perform their job effectively, according to new research. The study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence -- the ability to identify and manage emotions in oneself and others -- stress, burnout and social work practice. It also assessed whether emotional intelligence training for social workers would reduce their burnout rates over time. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
July 14, 2016
British ethnic minorities differing views on immigration and Europe explored in new report

British ethnic minorities differing views on immigration and Europe explored in new report

Race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust launch new report on Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) population's attitudes Ethnic minorities in Britain have very different views on immigration and Europe, according to a new report by the Runnymede Trust. The report (called 'This is Still About Us') uses high-sample surveys and focus groups across several areas to explore BME opinion. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
July 14, 2016
Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Think laterally

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Think laterally

It is Edward de Bono’s name that is most closely associated with the notion of lateral thinking, although the basic idea behind it (the importance of thinking creatively and not getting stuck in tramlines) long predates his work. What de Bono did was to put the ideas across clearly and effectively. In our day-to-day lives we generally rely on established ways of thinking and behaving. Life would be intolerable if, at every step of the way, we had to think consciously about what we are going to do next or how we are going to do it. Established patterns are needed for dealing with mundane, routine matters. However, the price we pay for this convenience is that there is a…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 30, 2016
Bob Holman obituary

Bob Holman obituary

Bob Holman, who has died aged 79 after suffering from motor neurone disease, earned a unique place in social work, when, in 1976, he resigned his professorship in social administration at Bath University to become a community worker on the city’s deprived Southdown estate. He saw his affluence and position as inconsistent with his Christian faith. He and his wife, Annette, and their two children, Ruth and David, moved from a comfortable middle-class area in the city to a home next to the estate and he started the project where he then worked. Ironically, this thrust him into far greater prominence than university life afforded, as he published widely to propagate ideas forged by his experiences. His advocacy, as well…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 30, 2016