The Latest Bulletin

In an ever-more connected world, it would be easy to assume that loneliness was on its way out — after all, we now have unlimited opportunity to communicate with almost anyone we want at any time we please. But, in fact, it’s still rife: according to the Campaign To End Loneliness, over nine million people in the UK describe themselves as “always or often lonely”. Age has an impact here, too: an Age UK report suggested that the number of over-50s experiencing loneliness will reach two million by 2025 — a 49% increase from 2016. And with researchers suggesting that loneliness can be seen as a disease that changes the brain’s structure and function, this is a significant public health…

And that’s the paradox, because the closer possibility gets to reality, the more it engages with the unforgiving edges of the real world. As we begin to imagine something better, it’s important to have some insulation, room to believe and a chance to fill in the missing pieces. But then we have to allow the constraints of reality to intersect with our beautiful new conception. Click here to read more

In everyday speech, people may use lots of different words or terms. ‘Street children’ and ‘homeless children’ or homeless youth  might be used interchangeably, but there are some differences. Not all children who are homeless end up living in the open on the street. Many end up sleeping in very inappropriate but out of sight places – on the floors of friends or strangers, or sleeping in temporary accommodation like hostels. For example, the homeless charity Shelter estimated in 2018 that as many as 9,500 UK children have spent their Christmas in a hostel or other temporary accommodation, often with one family in a single room, sharing bathrooms and kitchens with other residents who they don’t know or trust. Click here to read more

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Social work by its very nature is challenging and demanding work. But, in the current social, economic and political climate, it can prove extraordinarily difficult to keep your head above water. Written by two highly experienced social work professionals, this important book explores the significance of that context, offers guidance on how to survive despite it and even to aim for thriving within it. There are no easy answers, but there is much we can do to make sure that we are able to fulfil the potential and value of social work as a force for making our society a humane one without sacrificing our own health and well-being. Available from here or Amazon

Sometimes the difficulties we face in organizations can seem so deep rooted and so extensive that we can feel there is nothing that can be done about them. A pervasive sense of defeatism and hopelessness can easily set in. This is especially the case where morale is low. The result can be a vicious circle: defeatism contributes to low morale and low morale makes people feel helpless. In reality there is often much that individuals can do – especially when working collectively – to make a positive difference. Organisational cultures – whether positive or negative – are basically sets of habits, and habits can be changed. Start to explore possibilities rather than assume that there aren’t any.

Across the country, young people are being manipulated, sexually abused, forced to launder money and deal drugs. Exploitation isn't obvious. But it happens everywhere. And you can stop it. Get to know the signs of child exploitation and how to report it through our award-winning #LookCloser campaign with the British Transport Police and National County Lines Coordination Centre. Together we can protect children from this abuse. Click here to read more

Too many disabled children are being denied fun and friendship at their local playgrounds because they are not designed for them. Half of families with disabled children face accessibility problems with their local playground. 1 in 10 parents of disabled children said their child got hurt using inaccessible equipment. We are calling on the Government to invest in a multi-million pound inclusive playgrounds fund. Inclusive playgrounds are places where all children, can be themselves and form memories that last a lifetime. Demand the Government gives every child an equal chance to play. Click here to read more

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a sensitive topic. People are afraid to get things wrong or to use the wrong word. It doesn’t help that the words involved are confusing. You have probably encountered these concepts at a mandatory training session, a workplace event, or on Twitter. They often involve decades of complex scholarship being reduced down to a single word, and, as such, they can easily be misrepresented. But for any progress to be made, and for real diversity and inclusion to be achieved, getting to grips with what they actually mean is crucial. Click here to read more

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