Things in the library - August

Why Language Matters

NSPCC Learning has released the first in a new series of blogs looking at the effects of language used in safeguarding and child protection. This first blog discusses health professionals shifting from recording children’s missed healthcare appointments from “did not attend” to “was not brought” and the impact this can have on wellbeing. A child has no input on whether they will attend an appointment, and is entirely reliant on their caregiver to ensure that they receive adequate healthcare.  

Active Children over Summer

The government has relaunched its 10 Minute Shake Up campaign, aimed at encouraging parents of primary school aged children to get their kids active in the summer holidays. Without PE lessons and daily walks to and from school, children's activity often falls over summer, and this campaign uses some favourite Disney characters to create active games for children to enjoy, involving characters from Marvel, Lightyear, Encanto and Frozen.

Better care for people with a learning disability and people with autism

The Department of Health & Social Care has published the Building the Right Support Action Plan which aims to offer better support from birth, better preventative support in the community and work to improve quality of care for for people with a learning disability and autistic people. They want to ensure that people can live independently in their own home, as part of a community, and to limit the scope under which people with a learning disability and autistic people can be detained by reforming the Mental Health Act to improve how people are treated in law.

A Community-Powered NHS

The think tank New Local has proposed a radical shift towards a healthcare system focused as much on preventing illness as treating it by working collaboratively with communities as equal partners in the design and delivery of healthcare. They believe that prevention is at the heart of a sustainable future for the NHS. In the report, entitled A Community-Powered NHS, they talk about the state, market and community paradigms of the NHS, and in particular the limits of the state and market elements and the strengths of the community. Wider issues such as poverty, racism and a poor-quality environment have huge impacts on community health, and improving these issues can help the NHS can be fit for the 21st century.

Diving Beneath the Surface of Poverty

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has just published it's new report on poverty in the UK, which shows that although the actual number of people in poverty has not moved a great deal, those who are are living in increasingly deeper levels of poverty. This is especially true for larger families, who find themselves increasingly unable to afford basic essentials.

National Child Measurement Programme

The findings of the National Child Measurement Programme for 2021/22 have been published. They show that obesity rates have decreased in the two cohorts measured, 4-5 year old in reception and 10-11 year olds in year 6.

Health Profile for Yorkshire & the Humber 2021

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities produce the Local Authority Health Profiles, which provide an overview of health for each local authority in England. You can see Sheffield's as well as a comprehensive snapshot of the region, the Health Profile for Yorkshire & the Humber. The report shows how Covid 19 has impacted people in the region differently, specifically hitting ethnic minorities, those with existing health problems, and those living in deprived areas. 

Things to do in Sheffield in August

A summer of Lego

If you have children to entertain over the summer holidays, or if you are a really big nerd just really like Lego and/or dinosaurs, Sheffield Bricktropolis' Brickosaurs is a must-see this August. From 6th-21st August there will be a trail of 15 Lego dinosaurs to find in the city centre. You can get a map for £1 from  Explorer Central (next to the Winter Gardens) and you'll have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a family holiday to Legoland Windsor.

Alpaca Life Drawing

Head over to Holly Hagg Community Farm to try some alpaca life drawing on the 13th and 20th August. This extremely cute activity is open to all drawing abilities, adults and children. See the information in the link to sign up. Please keep an eye on the weather and your emails after booking – the events can only go ahead if it's not raining!

Recipe of the month

Adding to the cute animals theme (if you're into that sort of thing) and in honour of the England Lionesses making it into the Women's Euro's final on Sunday, here are some very adorable lion cupcakes to enjoy with the match. You can make them from scratch, or you can decorate some pre-bought. Either way, up the Lionesses!

Things in the Library - July

Here is the Illingworth Library July blog - one week later than promised, because both life and June travel fast.

NHS in England

The Kings Fund have posted a really great video which explains how the NHS works, and how it is changing.

"What are the key organisations that make up the NHS? And how can they collaborate with partners in the health and care system to deliver joined-up care? Watch our animation to find out."

Voices of England’s Missing Children

The Children's Commissioner for England published a report of the findings of an audit of children regularly missing from education settings. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the disruption to education faced by children since the beginning of the pandemic, their number has almost doubled since 2018/19 to 1.7 million. The report gives six ambitions to account for every child:

• Ambition 1. Ask, Listen, Communicate: decisions about children’s education need to be made with children, their families and other adults in their lives.
• Ambition 2. Meet children where they are: all children receive support in school, through families of schools.
• Ambition 3. Exclusion as a trigger for intervention: children should receive a fantastic education, regardless of setting, always and receive targeted support following exclusion or suspension.
• Ambition 4. Letting children be children: no child should feel that they need to miss school to support or care for their family.
• Ambition 5. Attendance is everyone’s business: school leaders have a relentless focus on attendance and work together with LAs to ensure children are supported to be in school and to attend regularly.
• Ambition 6. No more ‘known unknowns’: lack of information should no longer be the reason why children are not receiving a suitable education.

Sexting

Revealing Reality has released a report, supported by the PSHE Association, which looks at sexting. The report highlights the extent of the issue and the unequal way it affects young people depending on their gender, socioeconomic circumstances and self-perception. Findings from a survey of 5,197 14-18-year-olds include: 61% of girls have been asked to share a nude image compared with 31% of boys; and nearly two thirds of girls from a disadvantaged background had been asked to send a nude image, compared with half of the girls from non-disadvantaged backgrounds. 

National Paediatric Diabetes Audit

The Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health has published 'Care processes and outcomes' the national, annual report from the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit highlighting the main findings on the quality of care for children and young people with diabetes mellitus in England and Wales. Read it here.

PANTS for Makaton

The NSPCC has created new PANTS resources to keep children who communicate using Makaton safe from sexual abuse. PANTS (the five underwear rules) supports parents and carers to have conversations with their child to help keep them safe from sexual abuse. The resources include Makaton guides explaining the rules and setting out the importance of having these conversations with children.

Things to do in Sheffield in July

July is always a bumper month in Sheffield. Beginning the month is the new exhibition at the Millennium Gallery, Creative Connections Sheffield which runs from 30th June-2nd October. The exhibition brings together over 30 works from the National Portrait Gallery and Sheffield’s own collection, including portraits of Alex Turner, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sean Bean, Self Esteem, Otis Mensah, Helen Sharman, Mary, Queen of Scots and more. 

If you like architecture you may get a kick out of Out & About Urban Futures Weekends, happening over four weekends beginning the first weekend in July. You can try print making, sculpting a new landscape, and learn about art-led housing.

On the 16th there's Pinknic, Sheffield's biggest Pride event this year - it's a family-friendly event with stalls and performers from across the TV-talent-show board, and it starts with a unity walk beginning at Orchard Square at 11am.

And of course at the end of the month there is Tramlines, Sheffield's biggest music festival which requires no introduction - go and see Self Esteem!

Something to make

Tomato & harissa stew with cheddar dumplings is July's recipe of the month. These cheese dumplings are the perfect dumpling consistency, and the flavour of the harissa goes really well with them.  It also involves chickpeas and perfectly cooked courgettes. I make it all year round, and it's good for the type of warm-but-rainy day that this blog is being written on.