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Coping with a significant loss is one of the most demanding experiences each of us will ever have. Supporting people who are in the throes of grief can also be a highly challenging experience. This manual, with its exemplary blend of theory and practice provides a solid foundation of understanding alongside helpful practice guidance that will be of immense value to members of the caring professions, managers and supervisors and, indeed, anyone called upon to support people on their grief journey. Available from https://neilthompson.info/shop/ or Amazon

Yes, it’s a cliché, but the fact remains that, in working with people and their problems, we are likely to get better results if we smile. Smiling gives a clear message to the effect of ‘I am pleased to be in your company’ while not smiling can give the message that we are not pleased to be in that person’s company. Of course, we don’t want to go overboard and come across as insincere, but smiling really can make a big difference. Sounds obvious? Not worth saying? Just watch people around you and see how often people interact with one another without smiling. You’ll see that lots of opportunities to make a positive connection are being missed. Click here to…

“You’re bloody lovely ain’t you,” said Frances Barrett, as the robotic cat she was stroking flicked its ears and whiskers one lunchtime this week at the Oak Manor care home in Bedfordshire. The resident was one of several who live with dementia playing with the home’s small menagerie of animatronic animals that were originally designed to entertain American girls aged four to eight but have found a growing market in British care homes. At the other end of the table, Majorie Stephenson tickled her “cat” under its chin, laughed as she scooped it up in her arms and announced: “I’m going to take him home with me and take him for a walk every day.” Click here to read more

The National Academy for Social Prescribing is a national charity, founded in October 2019. Our goal is to ensure social prescribing thrives across the whole country. We envision a vibrant, innovative, and ambitious movement. One that connects communities and mobilises hundreds of thousands of people. Each with a shared commitment to transforming lives. We support the grassroots groups and national charities who offer socially prescribed activities. We connect the health system to the incredible work that’s happening in communities. We help medical professionals, including Social Prescribing Link Workers and students. We work with leading researchers to build more evidence for social prescribing. We develop effective new approaches to common problems. And we champion social prescribing across the world. We know…

Many problems at work can be resolved informally, for example through an informal chat. An employee could raise a problem informally by telling their line manager or someone else at work, for example, another manager or someone in HR. It does not have to be in writing at this stage. Take the problem seriously - if an employee raises a problem informally, you should still take it seriously. If you do not, the problem might be raised as a formal grievance later. A formal grievance might lead to the employee making a claim to an employment tribunal if it's not resolved. Click here to read more  

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“Where there are people, there will be problems, but there will also be potential” is a key part of Neil’s work. And that is precisely what this manual is all about – equipping practitioners from various professional disciplines to help people address their problems and realise their potential. Part One provides an extended essay on the nature and significance of problem solving to lay solid foundations of understanding. Part Two then offers guidance on using 101 problem-solving tools that can be used in a wide variety of circumstances. Available from https://neilthompson.info/shop/ or Amazon

The term ‘trauma’ is often used in a very loose and ‘watered down’ way to refer to any difficult or distressing situation. However, in its technical sense, trauma refers to a wound (physical or psychological) that has lasting effects. We are now realizing more fully that so many of the mental health problems that people encounter are linked to earlier experiences of one or more traumas. Indeed, difficulties in life more broadly will often have their roots in trauma. So, if we are working with people in any sort of supportive or supervisory way, we would do well to ask ourselves whether trauma is playing any part in the situation – particularly those situations that are proving problematic or challenging…