The Latest Bulletin

Social work employers and educators must do more to ensure practitioners are supported in handling emotional distress, according to sector leaders. Speaking at Community Care Live on the issue last week, Paul Angeli, assistant director of children’s social care and youth inclusion at the London Borough of Merton, said emotional distress was at the core of all social work, but employers and managers did not take it seriously enough. “Distress is the stuff of social work and if it’s not then I don’t know what is, because when you hear a distressed child or a vulnerable adult, if you’re not hearing that distress than as a social worker what is your job? What are you doing? Your job is to…

The CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, and Mind, the mental health charity, have today jointly published a revised mental health guide for managers to improve support for those experiencing stress and mental health issues at work. The updated guidance follows recent CIPD research which found that less than one in three organisations (32%) train line managers to support staff with poor mental health. Mental ill health is now the primary cause of long-term sickness absence for over one in five (22%) UK organisations. A recent Mind survey of over 44,000 employees also found that only two in five (42%) felt their manager would be able to spot the signs they were struggling with poor mental health.…

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The word ‘cynic’ comes from the Greek word for dog, so to be cynical literally means to be dog like, in the sense of not caring, of being happy to let the world pass you by. It involves not making an emotional investment, of being detached and disengaged. For many people cynicism is an emotional coping mechanism – if you don’t put your heart into something, you are much less likely to get hurt by it. And, without that emotional engagement, the result is likely to be negativity and defeatism. You can’t succeed at something if you don’t engage with it. But, equally, you can’t fail, which is a big part of the appeal of cynicism as a coping method…

This is the second annual Richard Wilkinson Lecture and will be delivered by Professor Kate Pickett. Entitled "Failing the Future: Childhood in an Unequal World" this will be an unmissable event for those interested in understanding the effects of inequality on children and, by definition, on all of our futures We are delighted that Professor Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Level and The Inner Level, one of our co-founders, Trustee and world-renowned inequality expert will be delivering our second annual Richard Wilkinson Lecture. Professor Pickett will draw on her extensive work on child wellbeing and inequality, to bring us "Failing the Future: Childhood in an Unequal World". This public lecture is free for anyone to attend and light refreshments will be provided. The…

A quality job. What’s not to like? But what do we mean by ‘quality’ and how can we measure it appropriately so it can be improved? The CIPD has conducted a detailed and extensive survey of approximately 6,000 workers across different sectors using seven critical dimensions which employees, employers and policy makers can measure and focus on to raise job quality and improve working lives. Click here to read more

An article I wrote for The Globe and Mail on ageism in businessclearly struck a nerve. At the age of 52, I could feel, hear and witness the discrimination. The response to the article was overwhelming. Ageism is not a new concept; the term was first coined by Robert Butler in 1969. However, the conversation is gaining momentum because of: 1) longer life spans; 2) decreasing birth rates; 3) longer career spans, given mandatory retirement at 65 is no longer mandatory and; 4) shifting perspectives and policies on the role of age in the workplace. So it is no surprise that studies abound on the impact of the aging population on the workplace. Historical policies, beliefs and norms are being completely debunked. A…

The number of people aged 85 and over needing 24-hour care is set to double, says a new study, as an expert warns the care system is "at breaking point". The study, published in the Lancet Public Health journal, analysed the projected health needs of the elderly in England between 2015 and 2035. It found that the number of 65-year-olds and over needing round-the-clock care is also set to rise by a third. The government says adult social care reforms will be set out in the autumn. Click here to read more