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Mental health: Firms ask PM to deliver on pledge

Mental health: Firms ask PM to deliver on pledge

Some of Britain's biggest employers are pressing the government to honour a promise to give mental health the same status as physical health at work. Royal Mail and WH Smith are among the companies asking the PM to follow through on her manifesto pledge to update health and safety legislation. That would mean employers would have to provide appropriate training for staff to deal with mental ill-health. About one in six of people at work have symptoms of a mental health condition. A government-commissioned review put the cost of those conditions, such as depression, anxiety or stress, to the economy at between £74bn and £99bn a year. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
November 22, 2018
Standing ovation for Youth Parliament Commons speech

Standing ovation for Youth Parliament Commons speech

A Co Down student has caused a bit of a stir in the House of Commons with a rousing speech about homelessness. Cormac Savage, 15, was elected to the Youth Parliament in March and was selected to represent Northern Ireland in the House of Commons on Friday on the subject of homelessness. The topic was selected by more than one million young people when the Youth Parliament was drawing up its priorities for the year. The GCSE student from St Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick, received a standing ovation for his speech, in which he described himself as a feminist. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
November 22, 2018
Seth Godin’s Blog – If what you’re doing isn’t working

Seth Godin’s Blog – If what you’re doing isn’t working

Perhaps it’s time to do something else. Not a new job, or a new city, but perhaps a different story. A story about possibility and sufficiency. A story about connection and trust. A story about for and with, instead of at or to. Bootstrapping your way to a new story about the world around you is one of the most difficult things you’ll ever do. Our current story was built piecemeal, over time, the result of vivid interactions and hard-fought lessons. But if that story isn’t getting you where you need to go, then what’s it for? Click here to read more  
Dr Neil Thompson
November 22, 2018
What are human rights?

What are human rights?

Human rights are the fundamental rights and freedoms that belong to every single one of us, anywhere in the world. Human rights apply no matter where you are from, what you believe in, or how you choose to live your life. Human rights can never be taken away, but they can sometimes be restricted – for example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security. These rights and freedoms are based on values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence. But human rights are not just abstract concepts – they are defined and protected by law. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
November 22, 2018
25% off Neil Thompson titles with code THOMPSON25

25% off Neil Thompson titles with code THOMPSON25

Neil Thompson is a highly respected writer and developer of online learning resources, with over 40 years' experience in the people professions. His titles are firm favourites on the Red Globe Press Social Work list: from the popular guide to reflective practice (co-authored with Sue Thompson) The Critically Reflective Practitioner, to specific explorations of complex ethical issues within the field of Social Work, such as Promoting Equality, Social Problems and Social Justice, and Anti-Discriminatory Practice. To celebrate 25 years of Neil Thompson's publishing on the Red Globe Press Social Work list, they are offering 25% off all his titles when you use code THOMPSON25 at the checkout. Click here to browse the range of titles and place an order
Dr Neil Thompson
November 8, 2018
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living: Beware of single cause explanations

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living: Beware of single cause explanations

As human beings we are very effective information processors. Our senses are exposed to a huge amount of data every minute we are awake. If you don’t believe me, just look around the room that you are in. Look at the colours, the shapes, the textures. Add to that what you can hear, what you can smell and what you can touch. And, of course, the raw data is just the surface – we also need to look below that surface to take account of the meanings we attach to each of those bits of sense data (and how those bits fit together to make a coherent whole). So, on a daily basis we are processing and filtering a huge…
Dr Neil Thompson
November 8, 2018
Policy and politics: Why care for the terminally ill needs to be a higher priority

Policy and politics: Why care for the terminally ill needs to be a higher priority

When somebody becomes terminally ill and begins to approach the end of their life, they are likely to need various forms of care and help. They may also have aspirations and hopes for the time they have left. It can be a traumatic, challenging and complex time, but equally some people say they experience moments of great joy, often by being able to make the most of the time they have left. To enable someone to live as well as possible for as long as possible they will need help with the relief of their physical symptoms and pain, but also support with emotional and spiritual needs. This will help them plan and give them the best chance of realising…
Dr Neil Thompson
November 8, 2018
Mental capital and wellbeing at work

Mental capital and wellbeing at work

Mental wellbeing at work is now top of the HR agenda in many private and public organisations, with the Office of National Statistics highlighting that stress, anxiety and depression is costing the UK economy 15.2 million sick days, with presenteeism (workers turning up to work ill or job dissatisfied but contributing little-added value in terms of their performance) estimated as twice as costly as absenteeism. The OECD calculated that mental ill health costs the UK economy £70 billion per year, equivalent to 4.5% of GDP. These health and economic costs, together with the UK seventh in the G7 and 17th in the G20 countries in productivity per capita, make a clear human and financial case for businesses doing something about mental…
Dr Neil Thompson
November 8, 2018
The Why of work: Purpose and meaning really do matter

The Why of work: Purpose and meaning really do matter

Why? It’s a question all of us should ask ourselves. Why do we do what we do? In particular, why do we do the work that, for many of us, occupies most of our waking hours for our entire adult lives? Ralph Waldo Emerson left us a quote worthy of one of those inspirational wall posters: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” That thought may feel warm and fuzzy, but the question remains: Why do we do the work we do? Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
November 8, 2018