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The term, ‘magical thinking’ is one generally used to refer to an aspect of child development. It describes a form of wishful thinking that is characteristic of young children. In principle, we grow out of it as we develop through adolescence into adulthood. It relates to situation where results are expected to arise without our making them happen. For example, a young child may believe that if they want a bike for their birthday and really do want it enough, then it might just transpire that they get the bike they desire. I have said that we grow out of it ‘in principle’, but what I feel is important to recognise is that not everybody does, or at least not…

Some of the most vulnerable people in the UK are regularly refused access to a doctor, according to a report. Pregnant women, children and homeless people are among those who have been wrongly turned away from practices. Medical care is also refused to sex workers, domestic workers and people who have suffered torture, trafficking, domestic and sexual violence, research has found. In some cases, vulnerable people have been refused registration on more than one occasion. The research conducted by Doctors of the World (DoTW) found that medical centres and GP surgeries were refusing to help at least two in five people, despite their being eligible for free primary healthcare. Click here to read more

Workplace safety is a big issue for many companies. There are frequent briefings, lots of charts and drills, and copious safety gear. But until recently, the emphasis has mostly focused on physical health and well-being, rather than mental health — despite the fact one in five Australians will experience a mental health condition this year. Sodexo, an organisation that provides on-site services such as facilities management and catering, is trying to change the conversation around mental health in the workplace. The company is proud of its safety record, having gone more than two years without a Lost Time Injury, and is now trying to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health by including it in the concept of health in the workplace.…

... want to find out what you can expect from the Getting in on the Act programme over the forthcoming year? The 2016/17 national training programme for the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act builds upon last year’s awareness-raising training and aims to strengthen professionals’ knowledge and understanding of the Act with further in-depth training and learning materials on specific aspects of the Act. Among the new training resources to look out for are expert classes for those whose roles are most affected by the Act, training for those working in the secure estate and the launch of programmes for both practice  leaders and social services practitioners. You can find a new timeline ... that shows when each resource is set to…

With people living longer and fewer young people entering the labour market, Britain’s employers are increasingly reliant on the skills and talents of older workers to boost productivity. However, the ageing population also means that there will be an estimated nine million carers in the UK by 2037, many of whom will be trying to juggle both care and employment. This is according to new research released today by the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development. It finds that, although the UK’s policy framework for supporting older workers and creating fuller working lives is well-developed in comparison to many other European countries, there is a crucial need to turn this thinking into practical action from organisations, to avoid…

Announcing an important one-day conference on Social Aspects of Death, Dying and Bereavement in Glasgow on Saturday 5th November, 2016. Speakers include Robert Neimeyer, Kenneth Doka and Neil Thompson. The conference is hosted by The International Work Group (IWG) for Death, Dying and Bereavement, a non-profit organisation, supporting leaders in the field of death, dying and bereavement in their efforts to stimulate and enhance innovative ideas, research, and practice. The conference is open to non IWG members and will include participants from across the UK.  Delegates from health and social care, from local and central government, from academia and the third sector and from the funeral industry.  It will bring a number of high profile speakers to explain the importance of…

Every one of us on the planet is a unique individual, a person in our own right, with our own unique perspective. Of course, there are various things that people can have in common – the influence of culture and upbringing, for example. We will share certain views with particular groups of people because of political affiliation, religious belief, educational experience or whatever, and so there will generally be considerable overlap between, say, my perspective and that of many other people. However, there will not be a single person whose outlook will be exactly like mine. Even identical twins will have significant differences of perspective on certain issues ... Click here to read more

Children's rights are consistently violated in the context of environmental pollution, which is why Human Rights Watch has submitted a report with a loud and clear message to the United Nations. It's time to take action. One of the worst environmental health disasters occurred in 2011, when 400 children died in Nigeria from lead poisoning. Children were exposed to lead in a number of ways – working in nearby gold mines and processing ore, both on site and at home, and coming into contact with lead dust-covered relatives coming home after a day at work ... Click here to read more

Tens of thousands of patients are having “do not resuscitate” orders imposed without their families’ consent, an audit has found. Hospitals are failing to tell relations that they do not intend to attempt potentially lifesaving techniques to save their loved ones, according to the Royal College of Physicians. Its audit of 9,000 dying patients found that one in five families were not informed of the plans – equivalent to 40,000 patients a year ... Click here to read more

It's great to dream like a kid, but no fun to be treated like one. It bristles because we feel that, even if the person involved has best intentions, we've outgrown being treated like a child. Some behaviors to consider if you want to avoid this situation... Make long-term plans instead of whining Ask hard questions but accept truthful answers Don't insist that there's a monster under the bed even after you've seen there isn't Manage your debt wisely Go to school, early and often ... Click here to read more