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Biscuit fund: The volunteers patching up Britain’s welfare state

Biscuit fund: The volunteers patching up Britain’s welfare state

A few weeks ago, I decided to have a clear-out. There were several years’ worth of clutter best assigned to the rubbish, but among the old birthday cards and assorted keyrings, one box stood out: it was full of letters and cards from readers. I started writing about social issues for the Guardian in 2012, around the time austerity measures began to be put in place. The following seven years have seen the emergence of a level of poverty few of us would have previously imagined possible in modern-day Britain, from hungry school children scavenging in bins for food to the growing homeless population sleeping in tents. But somewhere, not too far below the surface, I have also seen it produce a wave…
Dr Neil Thompson
April 4, 2019
Connect with Neil online

Connect with Neil online

Please click on the relevant link below Facebook page Facebook Social Work Focus group LinkedIn Twitter YouTube channel Neil’s website The humansolutions website Information about Neil’s online learning community, the Avenue Professional Development Programme
Dr Neil Thompson
April 4, 2019
Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Don’t hide

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Don’t hide

There will often be times when it is wise to take a backseat, to keep your head down and not get involved. Some situations are best avoided, as the hassle of getting involved far outweighs any potential benefits. But, there will also be times where we are tempted to bow out, to slip quietly away and leave it to other people to sort things out when perhaps that is not the wisest strategy. For example, there will be times when someone is being treated unfairly or in a way that undermines their dignity (bullying clearly comes into this category). We may be tempted to stand back and pretend we haven’t noticed. However, much of such bullying (and other forms of…
Dr Neil Thompson
March 21, 2019
This could have been done so much better

This could have been done so much better

A doctor in California told a patient he was going to die, using a robot with a video-link screen. Ernest Quintana, 78, was at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fremont when a doctor - appearing on the robot's screen - informed him that he would die within a few days. A family friend wrote on social media that it was "not the way to show value and compassion to a patient". The hospital says it "regrets falling short" of the family's expectations. Mr Quintana died the next day. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
March 21, 2019
Be the change the children need

Be the change the children need

Every day more and more children are coming into care, who need a loving and safe home to call their own. Unfortunately, Local Authorities tell us they are struggling to find people who can offer their children this opportunity. We’re trying to help bring about change with our new innovative approach, but we need your help. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
March 21, 2019
Introduce ‘ bereavement first aiders’ in workplace, employers urged

Introduce ‘ bereavement first aiders’ in workplace, employers urged

Bereavement “first aiders” should be trained by employers to help people in the workplace who are struggling with grief, a charity has said. Research by Sue Ryder, which provides palliative, neurological and bereavement assistance, suggests the majority of UK adults are not getting any formal support after the loss of a loved one. The charity is calling for an “open, honest national conversation” about grief and has urged the Government to look into the availability of bereavement services. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
March 21, 2019
Connect with Neil online

Connect with Neil online

Please click on the relevant link below Facebook page Facebook Social Work Focus group LinkedIn Twitter YouTube channel Neil’s website The humansolutions website Information about Neil’s online learning community, the Avenue Professional Development Programme
Dr Neil Thompson
March 21, 2019
The Learning from Practice Manual

The Learning from Practice Manual

Are you involved in student supervision or other ways of helping people learn? If so, Neil Thompson’s The Learning from Practice Manual is for you. Neil has been involved in supporting practice learning for over four decades. This hands-on manual of practice guidance encapsulates his experience and expertise in a way that readers will find very helpful. Available for purchase along with many other books by Neil here or from the Avenue Learning Centre here.
Dr Neil Thompson
March 7, 2019
Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Aim for thriving, not surviving

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Aim for thriving, not surviving

Strange though it may sound, good enough sometimes isn’t good enough. Very often people are so busy that they will settle for getting things done to just about an acceptable standard and then start to focus on the next task, rather than get the first thing as far beyond ‘just good enough’ as possible. What we end up with then is mediocrity at best. There is a technical term for this: satisficing. This is a made-up word, derived from combining satisfactory with sacrificing. It refers to the tendency for people to settle for what is satisfactory and thereby sacrifice producing the best results possible. Freud captured this idea when he said that the good is the enemy of the best,…
Dr Neil Thompson
March 7, 2019