Things in the library 24 Sept...

 Things about health... 

The fourth annual profile combining data and knowledge with information from other sources to give a broad picture of the health of people in England in 2021. Includes sections on Child Health and also the effect COVID-19 has had on health in England.

Things coming soon... 

The interviews were held for my replacement this week so, providing all the paperwork goes through correctly, an excellent new member of staff will be joining the library with good experience of doing this type of job. I am sure you will make them feel very welcome. They will also lower the average age of the library staff ! 

Things about adoption... 

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence has published a report looking at the experiences and needs of adopted children and their families. Findings include: a child’s needs must be comprehensively assessed and form the basis of a support plan that is put in place from the start; support for families should be proactively provided to meet their needs; children’s continuing relationships with former foster carers, social workers, birth family members and their local community can be critical to placement stability; and adopted children require ongoing and evolving support throughout their childhoods.

Things about bread... 

The addition of folic acid to food has been a successful public health policy in a number of countries worldwide such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, resulting in falls in neural tube defects. Folic acid will be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour across the UK to help prevent life-threatening spinal conditions in babies, the government and devolved administrations have announced.

Adding folic acid will mean foods made with flour, such as bread, will actively help avoid around 200 neural tube defects each year – around 20% of the annual UK total.

Things about safeguarding... 

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published a review of the circumstances involved in cases where babies under-one-year-old have been harmed or killed by their fathers or other males in a caring role. 

Findings include: a range of risk factors were common in many of the cases, a lack of information sharing was a key factor that prevented practitioners from responding to risk to babies, and many services aimed at new parents are predominantly focused on the mother. 

Recommendations include: the government should fund pilots to develop holistic work with fathers and the engagement of fathers must be embedded in prospective and current family-focused programmes. NSPCC Learning has published a CASPAR briefing summarising learning from the review.

Things about getting to school... 

Children who walk or cycle to school may have a healthier body weight than those who arrive by car. A new study followed more than 8,000 schoolchildren over a period of years. The findings showed that even using public transport instead of taking the car led to a reduction in body fat.

It is widely accepted that physical activity helps people of all ages stay at a healthy weight. Walking or cycling (active travel) to school is likely to help children achieve this but, before this study, there was a lack of adequate evidence.

As children get older, they become more independent and often have more choices about how they get to school. Researchers found that children who switched to walking and cycling to school between the ages of 7 and 14 had healthier body weights than those who continued to travel by car. The findings also suggest that the beneficial effects of walking or cycling may be greater for children from the most deprived areas. 

Obesity is a major public health problem in the UK. More than one in five children in the last year of primary school are overweight and as a result are likely to have poorer physical and mental health.

This research underlines the importance of encouraging active travel. This means providing safe and effective infrastructure to encourage people to walk, cycle, or use public transport. Finding ways of supporting children and families from lower income households to walk or cycle could help these groups overcome some of the health inequalities they face. 

Things to make... 

I do love Autumn (by retiring in Autumn my plan was always to visit New England during the Fall ... maybe one day)  and it's nice to get the nip in the air to prompt me to cook some suitable autumnal food. This vegetarian lasagne is a lovely recipe I have made before and will be featuring in next week's menu at our house. 

Things in the library 17th Sept...

 Things watery... 

The Waterfront Festival returns on Saturday 18 September, with many stalls, events, and activities planned at both Victoria Quays and Attercliffe Don Valley Moorings.  The free event runs from 10am to 4pm at Victoria Quays, and 11am to 3pm in Attercliffe. It will see live music and street performances, boat trips, canoe and paddle boarding taster sessions, stalls and street food. There will also be guided walks, including taking in the canal’s Street Art Trail.

Things foodie... 

The Harvest Fayre is a celebration of Sheffield food and drink and takes place this weekend Sat18 and Sunday 19 in the City Centre 10am – 6pm both days.  Free admission. It features food producers and businesses from around Sheffield and further afield, bringing a range of vegetables, fruits, spices, preserves, oils, cakes, cookery books, craft beers, gins, cakes and much more for you to  enjoy.

Things about Social Care... 

If you want to read the full health and social care plan announced recently by the government - this is a link to the document.

Things about Black History... 

October is Black History month and there are resources and information available on this website. One of the events planned is 'Explore Your Nursing Family History' (Virtual Event). This session is open to everyone, but will be especially interesting to people of colour looking to find out more about the history of their families. Sign up to attend and a Zoom link will be sent to you before the event.

Things about COVID-19 vaccinations for children... 

A statement from RCPCH about this topic in response to the recommendation from the four UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) regarding offering COVID-19 vaccinations to all 12-15 year olds. 

Things about transgender children...

Farrer & Co has released a two-part podcast offering guidance on the law, best practice and how to effectively safeguard transgender children and young people.

Things to make... 

If you have family members going off this weekend to be students then they may need simple recipes to cook with limited equipment and a small budget. There is a nice selection here - but of course anyone can make them not just students! Started by students at the University of Portsmouth in 2015, The Student Food Project has since grown into one of the worlds leading student recipe websites.

Student Food wanted to show students how easy it is to cook an amazing meal with fresh ingredients. Their recipes are designed to be easy to follow, quick to make and cost-effective. This Sausage and Ratatouille Casserole sounds perfect - don't forget to remind them to put the dish to soak before they try to wash it! You don't want it to still be there when you pick them up at Christmas.

Things in the library 10th Sept...

 Things about child well-being... 

The Children’s Society has published its annual Good Childhood report, looking at the wellbeing of children in the UK in 2021. Findings from a survey of around 2,000 10- to 17-year-olds between April and June 2021 include: 7% of 10- to 15-year-olds in the UK are not happy with their lives; the areas causing the greatest dissatisfaction are school, friendship and how they feel about their appearance; and 85% of children who rated how well they had coped during the pandemic gave themselves a score of above five out of ten. Children's happiness is in an alarming state of decline. 

"Society is tragically failing our young people. School, friendships and how they feel about the way they look are causing the greatest dissatisfaction in adolescence."

 Things about art... 

Evening in Benares, India
Sir William Rothenstein (1872-1945)

For the past six months there’s been a lot of work going on behind-the-scenes to renovate, redecorate and redisplay works at the Graves Gallery, and they are now open again.

They have transformed four of the galleries in the Graves – walls have been re-cladded, spaces redecorated and over a third of the artworks on display have been changed over.

Currently you will be able to see Phlegm’s Pandemic Diary, a new exhibition of work by sculptor Mark Firth, an exhibition curated by pioneering artist Keith Piper, and a new display on the theme of landscape.

Things to buy... 

We have over 100 second-hand books for sale, the list and prices are on this spreadsheet. Now that we can take card payments it is easier than ever for you to come up to the library to browse and buy.  You can also ring us with your choices and, if they are still available, we can take your card payment over the phone and either keep them for you to collect or send in the internal mail (at your risk). Please make sure all transactions take place 30 mins before our closing times. 

Things about opening hours... 

A reminder that we are now back open on two evenings a week  Tuesday and Wednesday until 19:00 - it seems to be popular and we have a few regular attendees.

Things about ultra processed foods... 

A cohort study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, of 9025 British children assessed longitudinal associations between UPF consumption and adiposity trajectories from childhood to early adulthood.  Ultraprocessed foods tend to be more energy-dense and nutritionally poorer (ie, high in levels of free sugar, salt, and saturated fats but low in levels of protein, dietary fiber, and micronutrients) compared with less processed alternatives and are designed to be cheap, palatable, durable, convenient, and appealing. The findings suggest that higher UPF consumption is associated with greater increases in adiposity from childhood to early adulthood. 

Robust public health measures that promote minimally processed foods and discourage UPF consumption among children are urgently needed to reduce obesity in England and globally.

 

Things about everything... 

 Whether you want to know more about our training, what we do, how to request an article or what services we can provide for management then our website is the place to look. Including useful links to Book a Librarian, finding e-books or searching our library catalogue.

Things to book and attend... 

Sheffield's brilliant 'Off the Shelf' literary festival is back 15th-31st October. With speakers and events for everyone including comedian and writer Andy Hamilton, Former Labour MP Helen Jackson, Black Women Write Now – curated by Désirée Reynolds' Lady Hale (who was the first woman and youngest person to be appointed to the Law Commission, President of the Supreme Court and a pioneering reformer), Miriam Margoyles and  Poet Laureate Simon Armitage performs a newly commissioned piece in celebration of the Peak District National Park’s 70th anniversary. This brochure has all the events at a glance.

Things to make... 

One of my jobs this weekend is to make crab apple jelly. This year my fairly new tree is heavily laden with fruit. If you don't have crab apples then other UK apples are coming up to their best season - one of my favourite apple recipes is Dorset apple traybake.

 

Things in the library 3 Sept...

 Things to read... 

Our next Reading Group meeting will be on 4th Oct still online via Teams. A book that I particularly enjoyed when I read it a couple of years ago so I am interested in what other people think of it. The book is Bear Town by Fredrik Backman and don't be put off thinking it is about sport - anyone who knows me will know I have no interest in sport! 

It is a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

 

Things about pre-eclampsia... 

 A blood test which identifies pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, a condition that is potentially life- threatening if not diagnosed and closely monitored, is being supported and spread across the region by the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN).

The test eliminates the risk of poor prediction of pre-eclampsia and reduces the risk of unnecessary hospitalisation for women who will not go on to develop the condition. This creates the potential to free up hospital beds and provides both an improved patient experience and wellbeing and financial benefit for the NHS.

Things about CAMHS ..

CAMHS National Summit 2021: transforming mental health services for children and young adults. This online conference, organised by Social Care Conferences, takes place on 16 November 2021. Further information: Social Care Conferences

Things about sepsis... 

Clinicians at Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital are leading medical trials of a blood test that could help to save thousands of UK lives a year by predicting sepsis days before patients show any symptoms. Sepsis is the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury and is associated with life-threatening organ dysfunction. Worldwide, an estimated 49 million people a year contract sepsis, while in the UK almost 2 million patients admitted to hospital each year are thought to be at risk of developing the condition.  

Presymptom Health believes the technology can predict whether a patient will develop sepsis around 3 days before symptoms appear, enabling clinicians to treat them much sooner and manage them more effectively. 

Things about baby boxes... 

The Scottish Government has published a report evaluating the Baby Box scheme which provides families with a range of essential items including information leaflets designed to inform and support positive parenting behaviours. Findings from a survey of 2,236 parents, and 870 health visitors, midwives and family nurses include: the estimated take up of baby boxes in Scotland is over 90%; 84% of parents surveyed said they had found the leaflet on safe sleeping useful; and 37% of parents felt they had learned about bonding with their baby through playing, talking and reading as a result of reading a leaflet included in the box.

Things about babies...

Delighted to announce that we have two new members of the Reading Group Lily & Evie both born in the last few weeks. Congratulations to both sets of parents and their families. 

Things about autism... 

The National Autistic Society and Mind have published a good practice guide to help mental health professionals adapt talking therapies for autistic children and adults. The guide incorporates the views of over 1,500 autistic people and almost 1,000 family members who responded to a mental health survey in October and November 2020.

Things about body image and eating disorders... 

The NSPCC has released figures on Childline counselling sessions to children about eating and body image disorders. Figures for 2020/21 show that: there were 4,986 counselling sessions on body image and eating disorder issues. This included a 13% increase in counselling sessions to 12- to15-year-olds compared with 2019/20, and a 7% increase in counselling sessions to 16- to 18-year-olds.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has released findings following analysis of NHS England data on the number of children and young people waiting for eating disorder treatment. Figures show that at the end of the first quarter of 2021/22: 207 children and young people under the age of 19 were waiting for urgent treatment, up from 56 at the same time last year - a 270% increase; and 1,832 were waiting for routine treatment, up from 441 at the same time last year – a 315% increase. Figures also show that the number of under-19s receiving urgent and routine treatment has also increased by 160% and 93% respectively on figures for the same period last year.

Things to eat...

A recommendation from Sarah this week... nutty plum and sloe gin crumble.