Things in the library 20th Aug...

 Things about Sure Start... 

The Institute for Fiscal Studies published their research which finds that one of England’s biggest early years programmes delivered long-lasting health benefits for children through their teenage years. Taken together, ​the savings from reduced hospitalisations up to age 15 offset around 31% of spending on the programme.

Established in 1999, Sure Start Children’s Centres brought together health, parenting support, childcare and parental employment services into a one-stop shop for families with children under 5. At its peak in 2010, Sure Start received £1.8 billion a year (a third of overall early years spending), but spending has since fallen by more than two-thirds as many centres have been closed, scaled back or integrated into Family Hubs.

The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, builds on previous IFS analysis and provides the first evidence of how this major initiative affected children’s health up to age 15.

These results highlight ​the importance of integrating a range of services during the early years to improve child health ​in both the immediate and longer term. These are important lessons for existing services (such as Family Hubs) and ​should inform the government’s approach to the recommendations in the recent Leadsom Report ​on the first 1,001 days of life. While this autumn’s Spending Review will be a tight one, these results highlight the importance of considering the long-term benefits of early intervention policies, not just their up-front cost.

Things about RCPCH... 

The General Medical Council has now approved the plans for new two-level, run through specialty training programme from summer 2023, which will be "flexible, fulfilling and fit-for-purpose" called RCPCH Progress+. As a trainee or a educational supervisor these FAQ may be of interest to you to find out more.

Things about Covid-19... 

Recent article in JAMA Pediatrics looked at whether there were differences in the odds of household transmission by younger children compared with older children. The ages of children were grouped as 0 to 3, 4 to 8, 9 to 13, and 14 to 17 years. The study suggests that younger children may be more likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with older children, and the highest odds of transmission was observed for children aged 0 to 3 years. Differential infectivity of pediatric age groups has implications for infection prevention within households, as well as schools/childcare, to minimize risk of household secondary transmission. Although children do not appear to transmit infection as frequently as adults, caregivers should be aware of the risk of transmission while caring for sick children in the household setting. As it is challenging and often impossible to socially isolate from sick children, caregivers should apply other infection control measures where feasible, such as use of masks, increased hand washing, and separation from siblings.

Things in the gardens... 

Held annually in the Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Art in the Gardens is an outdoor art exhibition, with artists, craft makers and visitors coming together from across the UK.

This event on 4th-5th September is an opportunity to buy a piece of art or craft direct from the artists, whilst enjoying the surroundings that the gardens have to offer. Thousands of pieces of art and craft are on show and for sale.

From premier artists in the pavilions and marquees, sculptures on the lawns to the Open Art Competition, a dedicated 'Home and Gardens' area and a host of professional artists and craft makers. Go along to explore the gardens, meet the artists, enjoy some locally sourced food and drink, beautiful artwork and enjoy your day. Online pre-sale tickets available  and it does sell out. there will be two sessions each day. This will be 10.30am-14:00pm and 14:00pm-17:30pm. 

Things to eat... 

I think aubergines are a wonderful vegetable lending themselves to many cuisines. Here is a recipe for the vegans amongst you...or anyone else who wants a meat free tasty burger.

**** No blog next week as I will be taking a day off ****

Things in the library 13th August...

 Things to read... 

Whether you are staying at home in the garden or holidaying away don't forget our great selection of Leisure Reading which anyone in the trust can borrow. From light and frothy to hard-hitting and thought provoking, come and browse the shelves or view our selection online. Simply join the library to take advantage of all our services.

Things about sleep... 

A good night’s rest is essential to a healthy lifestyle – protecting you physically and mentally as well as boosting your quality of life. The Sleep Charity has a wealth of good advice and support for Children and adults. There is also a special website aimed at teenagers so if you or someone you know is struggling with sleep have a look at their resources.

Things to help you...  

Make sure you have a NHS Open Athens account set up to access many of the online resources available to you. One of these is BMJ Best practice. You can access this anywhere, it has trusted, evidence-based content and you can earn CME points whilst searching for answers to your clinical questions. Its particular value is for trainees in years 1-5, students, and a broad range of healthcare staff learning and practicing in the UK. Also available as a quick link from the SCH Intranet without an Athens account.

Things out and about... 

As a change from the Peak District's rivers and reservoirs you might like to visit Carsington Water or Rother Valley Country Park for water or cycling or a good picnic venue  or my personal favourite Attenborough Nature Centre and Reserve for all things watery. All of these are within one hour and 15 mins drive from the hospital with activities for all ages (bookable in advance).

Things to learn... 

We can provide help or training on a variety of topics delivered remotely to small groups or individuals. To arrange this all you need to do is join the library (see above) and then 'Book a Librarian'. If there is something you need help with which isn't listed on the booking form then please ask if it is something we can help you with or point you in the right direction.

Things afternoon tea... 

This week Sarah has been providing scones, jam & cream, brownies and drinks in the library with the chance to get away from the workplace. Still chance to pop up today before 4pm. Her excellent scones are made from this recipe. Colouring in sheets also available.

Things in the library 6 August...

 Forty things... 

Someone asked me recently “was I counting the days until my retirement” …well I wasn’t …but I did & found I had 40 of my working days left. So I thought I would spend my last 40 days telling everyone something  different about the library on each of those days via our Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtags  #40things #GillRetiring . When I made a list I found so many things I wanted to tell people about that I might have to postpone my leaving day 😄. So do follow us to find out what 40 things I have chosen.

Things for new starters... 

If you have new rotating doctors in your area or as colleagues please make sure that they know about the library and all our services. Everyone in the trust gets our Monday morning bulletin so do encourage them to glance through this and also to join the library to make the best use of our services whilst they are with us. Whether it is for training, literature searches, current awareness services or leisure reading or a place to work, they will be very welcome. They can find full details of everything to offer on our website.

Things green... 

Sheffield has been blessed with many green open spaces within the city boundaries - many thanks to be benefactor J G Graves. This greenground map produced by Outdoor City and University of Sheffield shows 365 of them.

Things about mindfulness... 

An interesting article spotted this week looks at Yoga and Mindfulness Interventions for Preschool-Aged Children in Educational Settings: A Systematic Review which can be downloaded from this link. They conclude that this systematic review provides some evidence that yoga and mindfulness are promising practices for addressing social emotional development among preschool-aged children.

Things about social and ethnic groups... 

A  population-based retrospective cohort study has published the results of  research looking at the social and ethnic group differences in children’s use of healthcare services in England, from 2007 to 2017. They conclude:

Between 2007 and 2017, children living in more deprived areas of England made greater use of emergency services and received less scheduled care than children from affluent neighbourhoods. Children from Asian and black ethnic groups continued to consult GPs more frequently than children from white ethnic groups, though black children had significantly lower outpatient attendance rates than white children across the study period. Our findings suggest substantial levels of unmet need among children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Further work is needed to determine if healthcare utilisation among children from Asian and black ethnic groups is proportionate to need.

The full text of the article and supplementary material  in Archives of Disease in Childhood can be accessed by this link. 

Things about opening hours... 

We are now open one evening a week (Tuesdays) until 7pm if you need to use the library and/or the computers.

Things about Children and young people’s mental health... 

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have published initial findings from the early evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme, a programme funding the creation of mental health support teams working in schools and further education colleges in England. An evaluation of the first wave of mental health support teams and education mental health practitioners, working with more than a thousand schools and colleges, include: schools and colleges welcomed the funding of additional capacity to provide in-house mental health support and participants raised concerns about gaps in support, especially for children and young people whose needs were not ‘mild to moderate’ (the group that the teams are designed to support) but also not serious enough to meet the referral criteria for specialist services. The final report from the early evaluation will be published in summer 2022.

Things to read... 

The next virtual Reading Group meeting will be on Sept 1st at 18:30 to 19:30 - all are welcome, please contact the library for the joining link. The book we will be looking at is 'West' by Carys Davies.

When widowed mule breeder Cy Bellman reads in the newspaper that colossal ancient bones have been discovered in a Kentucky swamp, he sets out from his small Pennsylvania farm to see for himself if the rumours are true: that the giant monsters are still alive and roam the uncharted wilderness beyond the Mississippi River. Promising to return within two years, he leaves behind his daughter, Bess, to the tender mercies of his taciturn sister, Julie. With only a barnyard full of miserable animals and her dead mother’s gold ring to call her own, Bess fills lonely days tracing her father’s route on maps at the subscription library in town and shrinking from the ominous attentions paid to her and her aunt by their neighbour and sometimes yard hand, Elmer Jackson. Bellman, meanwhile, ventures farther and farther from home, across the harsh and alien landscapes of the West in reckless pursuit of the unknown.

Things to make... 

Greengages (Reine Claude in France) are, I think, my favourite plum (sorry Victorias ...you are a close second) and spotted in the shops yesterday. They can vary in quality but good ones are fabulous. If you want to cook with them this Nigel Slater frangipane tart is good (you can always cheat with a ready-made pastry case if pastry isn't your thing.