Things in the library 22nd April

Things about new staff...

As I'm sure most of you are aware, Gill Kaye retired last year, leaving a very large blog shaped hole. My name is Jessica, and I'm the new(ish) Assistant Librarian, and that makes me the new blogger too. I used to do a very similar job at Barnsley Hospital, and I have travelled many library sectors in the past, working in academic, public, museum and science research libraries. It's nice to meet you!

Things about digital literacy...

The London School of Economics has written an article on how digital literacy interventions can safeguard young people from the impact of online harm. It found that children and young people with poorer mental health and wellbeing can be more susceptible to victimisation online and discusses building digital resilience in children and young people. Recommendations include: finding ways to protect children from online harm whilst not restricting the positives of internet use; and carrying out further research into the link between digital literacy and wellbeing.

Things about mental health and wellbeing...

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has opened a consultation on mental health and wellbeing in England. This is being conducted to facilitate the development of a ten-year plan on mental health. Views will be gathered on areas such as improving wellbeing in children and young people. The Department is looking to gain various views from those who work with people who may be affected by mental ill-health such as children and young people. The deadline to complete the survey is 05 July 2022. 

The Mental Elf writes about social media and the promotion of disordered eating, focusing on a study from Monash University looking at the language used, the hashtags coined and the way in which users interact on Twitter in order to propel this Pro-ED movement forwards.

Things about children in care...

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory has published a report summary sharing conclusions drawn from a recent study. As part of the study, 24 care-experienced children between the ages of 10 and 17 in England and Wales were interviewed to find out more about their journeys through the care system. Findings include: young people felt that they were placed on ‘opposing teams’ to their parents during the court process; support networks were broken down rather than sustained; children experienced feelings of loneliness and stigma; and supported placements were too focused on surveillance rather than development. Recommendations include: encouraging children to be informed and involved in decisions about their care, and helping children to maintain relationships and support networks.

Things about drawing...

Sheffield Museums are offering a mindful drawing class at Millennium Gallery. Embrace mindful drawing and enjoy an evening developing your sketching skills, working from different still life objects each week. Don’t worry if you’ve not picked up a pencil since school – it’s a relaxed and friendly group where all are welcome, from the more experienced artists to the absolute beginners. You can join any class through until June, on a Wednesday evening. 

Things lost...

We have some black glasses that were left in the library. If they are yours and you want them back, please come and get them!

Things to make...

I'm going to be keeping up the tradition of sharing a recipe at the end of the blog as I love cooking and sharing food. This tomato and coconut cassoulet by Anna Jones is one of my favourite really easy, flavoursome and satisfying meals to make. 

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 16 July...

Things to search...

Training sessions can be booked on how to conduct a search for evidence using HDAS (Healthcare Databases Advanced Search) accessed via the NICE website.  These sessions and other training we offer can be booked on a 1:1 basis using our Book a Librarian Form (currently conducted via Microsoft Teams).

Another place to search - particularly for guidelines - is TRIP Medical Database. Their new website has launched and if you access via an NHS network you should automatically get access to the Pro version. To help you with the new site there is a brief overview video and a key to the results page.

Things about Looked After Children...

The Nuffield Foundation has published findings from a study carried out by researchers at University College London and Kings College London looking at the health and social outcomes of people who have been in care in England and Wales. The study of data from census reports on 353,601 people, including 5,681 who spent time in care as children, found that there were large social, economic and health inequalities in adulthood for people who spent time in care as children.

Ofsted has launched a survey aimed at young people who are currently preparing to leave care, and care leavers aged 16 and over. The survey asks questions about the planning, preparation and support young people are given when leaving care, to help Ofsted improve its inspections. If you are aware of anyone who might like to participate in this, the deadline for submissions is 23 July 2021.

Things about RSV... 

This RCPCH free webinar, presented on 29 June 2021, was convened to support paediatricians and other child health professionals with managing bronchiolitis and other respiratory viruses this year. It looked at how to manage patient flow, ‘keeping patients safe and pathways open’, covered recognition, management and discharge, and signposted to resources for parents.

Things about Randomised Coffee Trials...

Thank you for those who have sent in feedback - some of the comments are listed below - and to the one person who's chat didn't go so well we are truly sorry you had this experience. We hope that you will have better luck next time as we do expect that people joining in with these chats will do so with kindness, friendliness and in the spirit of mutual discovery and support.

it was lovely finding out about another role in the hospital and how support can be offered in so many different forms.

a positive experience and lovely person

I enjoy meeting new people in this context. It is always interesting.

Thank you for providing this opportunity.  Although it's nice to meet in person, having them virtually has enabled me to participate more and arrange meetings more easily as I don't work at Weston Bank.

It was great to take the time to meet a colleague and learn about their experiences of working in the Trust, and life more widely too. 

I really enjoyed the chat, was nice to learn about other areas of workings within the hospital.  My match was lovely!

Love this project and always excited to meet my partner each time. 

Adorable chat with x  

The next RCT will be in the Autumn but you can sign up in advance if you wish (if you have signed up before and asked to be kept on the list there is no need to fill in the form again). We don't know if/when face-to-face meetings will become the norm, however we will keep the virtual option for those who prefer that (particularly those based at home or working away from the Acute site).

Things to eat... 

Amazingly our first grandchild will be one year old next week....what a year it has been. We are hosting her birthday party (mainly for adults) and are sure to feature one of our favourite buffet salads from Delia - Pesto Rice Salad - always popular and very easy to prepare in advance.

Things not happening...

Due to the aforementioned birthday I will be taking Annual Leave next Friday, so I am sorry that there will be no blog next week.... I will be untangling the bunting and making the house child-proof!

Have a lovely weekend everyone

Things in the library 16th April...

 Things about diversity... 

A new range of e-books about diversity, provided by HEE, have been added to the library catalogue. Some excellent titles that may be of interest to you. The details are on this link and you will need to sign in with your NHS Open Athens account to access them for free. If you don't have an Athens account and you work for the NHS then please sign up here.

Things about serious case reviews... 

The NSPCC catalogue serious case reviews so you can easily find them in one place if you need to. This link takes you to the ones published in March 2021. If you click on the title of each one you will find a brief summary of the case and the findings and also a link to the free full report. You can also search for other past reviews there or our own catalogue for ones relating to Sheffield area.

Things about depression... 

I spotted an interesting article this week "Association between Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Depression Symptoms in Young People and Adults Aged 15-45: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies". Despite some reservations about some of the studies, the authors conclude that evidence seems to be building that a possible association exists, and this may have implications for addressing the burden of mental illness in young people and adults aged 15-45 years. 

Things about modern slavery... 

The Home Office has updated the statutory guidance on identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery. It describes the signs that someone may be a victim of modern slavery, the support available to victims, and the process for determining whether someone is a victim.

Things about looked after children... 

The Mayor of London has published a protocol setting out the roles and responsibilities of groups involved in the care of looked-after children and care leavers in reducing their involvement in crime. The protocol covers: children’s home carers; foster parents; police officers; the Crown Prosecution Service; health services and local authorities. The organisations who have signed the protocol have agreed: that diversion from the criminal justice system should be at the heart of any response to offending behaviour; to listen and learn from children and young people; and ask ‘would this response be good enough for my child?’

Things to attend...

There are a wide range of events available to the public via the University of Sheffield. This page lists the upcoming ones including: history, science, libraries of the future, mental health for NHS, patient reported outcome measures and vegetables for pre-school children. 

Things to make... 

Plenty of al-fresco dining going on I expect at the moment with some meeting possible in gardens. This is a great sharing meal to make Roasted ratatouille & goat’s cheese tart - check the comments as some people have found the mixture larger in quantity...or perhaps they need a bigger tin to cook it. 

Things in the library 4th Dec...

 ***Reminder we are closed all day Monday 7th December for staff training***

Things without mulled wine... 

We had a  great time online on Wednesday evening choosing the books we are going to read next year in the Reading Group. The selection will be being emailed out to the group shortly so if you want to be kept informed please contact the library to be put on the mailing list. Our highest scoring book this year was The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham followed by the Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. 

Hopefully this time next year we will be meeting in person again.

Things about care leavers... 

Coram Voice in collaboration with the Rees Centre have published a report looking at how care leavers feel about their lives 'What makes life good'. Findings from a survey of 1,804 care leavers, collected in 21 English local authorities between 2017 and 2019, include: the majority of care leavers had moderate to high well-being, but 30% had low well-being; 24% of care leavers reported a disability or long-term health problem, against 14% of 16- to 24-year-olds in the general population; and care leavers also reported higher levels of loneliness (22%), high anxiety (33%) and feeling unsafe where they live (16%)

Things about mental health...  

The Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the UCL Social Research Institute has published a report looking at the mental ill-health of young people at age 17 in the UK. Findings from data from more than 10,000 young people who have all been taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a nationally representative study of teenagers born in 2000-02, include: 16% of teenagers report high levels of psychological distress at age 17, 24% of young people report self-harming, and 7% report self-harming with suicidal intent.

Things about safeguarding... 

Article 39 reports that a Court of Appeal judgement, given on 24 November, declared that the Secretary of State for Education acted unlawfully in failing to consult the Children’s Commissioner for England and other children’s rights organisations before making “substantial and wide-ranging” changes to legal protections for children in care in England. Article 39 launched the legal challenge after the government removed and watered down 65 safeguards for children in care in England through The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.

Things about COVID-19... 

The Rees Centre reports on the latest findings from the Co-SPACE study tracking children and young people’s mental health throughout the COVID-19 crisis. The report finds that for participating primary school aged children behavioural, emotional, and restless/attentional difficulties have generally decreased from July, throughout the summer holidays, and as children returned to school in September.

Things about becoming parents... 

The NSPCC has released two podcasts on the Baby Steps perinatal educational programme, designed to help prepare people for becoming parents. Baby Steps has been adapted and delivered virtually since March 2020 and the podcasts discuss: how the NSPCC and external partners have delivered services during the pandemic; and the research and evaluation carried out to gather insight about how the programme has been run since lockdown began.

Things about food in movies... 

A quirky little article I spotted this week found that, across 14 946 foods and beverages, 73% of movies earned less healthy food nutrition ratings and 90% earned less healthy beverage ratings, even though only 12% of foods and beverages were visibly branded products. Moreover, the movie-depicted diet failed federal recommendations for saturated fat by 25%, fiber by 45%, and sodium by 4% per 2000 kcal, featuring 16% higher sugar content and 313% higher alcoholic content per 2000 kcal than US individuals actually consume.

This qualitative study suggests that popular US movies depict an unhealthy diet; depicting unhealthy foods and beverages in media is a sociocultural problem that extends beyond advertisements.

Something to think about when watching all those Christmas movies!

Things about post-Brexit and MHRA... 

From 1 January 2021, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will be the UK’s standalone medicines and medical devices regulator. Stakeholders need to get ready for new rules from 1 January 2021.

Things to eat... 

Following on from the movie film food I found this website suggesting food to match films (spaghetti with 'Lady & the Tramp' obviously!)...my unhealthy choice would be Quick almond croissants with 'Breakfast at Tiffany’s' though I expect I will make more crumbs when eating than Audrey Hepburn!

Things in the library 9th October...

 Things to read...

Our online Reading Group met this last week and gave 'The Versions of Us' a score of 57%. Our next book is 'Ella Minnow Pea' by Mark Dunn. Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island's Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop. As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl's fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere. If you want to read along and join us for a chat we will be meeting online on Wednesday 4th November at 18:30 - 19:30 - contact the library for the joining link.

Things to collect...

If you are searching our library catalogue for an item and want to ensure it is here ready for you then use our Click & Collect button. There is a short video here by the developers of our system to show you how it works. 

Things about self-harm... 

A report had been published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-Harm

Prevention supported by the Samaritans after their inquiry into the support available for young people who self-harm . Respondents to the inquiry made clear that the single most impactful change to improve the support available to young people who self-harm would be a system shift away from the current reliance on crisis interventions towards a preventative model of support. To facilitate this long term aim, planned investment in NHS mental health support for young people should be increased and brought forward more quickly than currently planned. Investment in community-based preventative services, often delivered by the third sector, will also be key.

Things about sugar...  

Public Health England publishes its third annual report on industry action to reduce sugar levels in products that contribute most to children’s sugar intakes. The latest report shows mixed progress across a range of food categories and sectors:

• 
  retailer and manufacturer branded breakfast cereals and yogurts and fromage frais have seen some of the biggest falls in sales weighted average sugar – around 13% – between the baseline (2015) and year 3 (2019)
• sugar levels in chocolate and sweet confectionery are relatively unchanged, while product sales have increased, growing 16% and 7% respectively between 2015 and 2019
• average overall sugar reduction across all food categories stands at 3%

The latest report also finds that marginal progress has been made in reducing sugar in products purchased and consumed in the eating out of home sector, such as cakes and puddings purchased from restaurants or cafes, although calories in these products have declined.

Things about kinship care...  

The report of the Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care First Thought Not Afterthought has been published. There are more than 180,000 children across the UK who are being raised by kinship carers – relatives or friends who have stepped in to help. They are often grandparents but also aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, or even family friends. Many more children are raised in kinship care than in the care system and many more than are adopted, yet awareness of this element of children’s social care is low and support for families is variable and often very limited. This crucial third pillar of the children’s social care system is an afterthought.  This report sets out a vision for a good quality system of kinship care where family are the first point of call and where kinship carers are valued and properly supported to deal with the many challenges they face. They present a series of recommendations which they believe the government, local authorities, and others should consider as a means to achieving that. 

Things to enjoy ... 

Sheffield's Off the Shelf festival of words starts today until 31 October. Something for everyone, even if it is online this year. Examples include Live with the Sheffield Laureate - Otis Mensah and Warda Yassin in conversation with Magid Magid; Ladies Can’t Climb Ladders – Jane Robinson ; the Number Bias – Sanne Blauw in conversation with Professor Wyn Morgan ; Loud Black Girls ; Archeology of Sheffield Castle and Gender Swapped Fairy Tales. Some items are live and some pre-recorded find out more.

Things to make...

The branches of my apple tree are almost touching the ground this year with the weight of fruit, so its another apple recipe for me this weekend...and some more chutney. This one caught my eye this week from the National Trust - spiced toffee apple cake.  

Things in the library 1st Nov...

Things about English Language skills...
Every Monday morning during term-time we have a tutor in the library from Sheffield College helping with basic skills in English & Maths. However the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC) at University of Sheffield is looking for volunteers to join classes so that trainee teachers can practise their teaching. These Free English classes are not part of a course and you don't have to work or study at the University to attend. If you wish to join these classes, you will do so as a volunteer not a student. The classes are a great way of learning English in a relaxed environment and volunteers in the past have really enjoyed and benefitted from them. To join their English classes you must:

• Be over 18 years old.
• Live in the UK and be able to attend face-to-face classes at the ELTC.
• Be able to attend at least 80 per cent of the classes.

If you are interested in attending, please look on their website for times and days, and complete a simple application form.

Things about mental health support...
All NHS doctors and dentists in England now have 24/7 access to confidential advice and support through NHS Practitioner Health. More than 180,000 doctors and dentists can get confidential advice and support, in person or over the phone, if they’ve faced a stressful incident at work or feel they are struggling with their mental health. Staff can access support 24/7 through a dedicated phoneline (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm.) and a crisis text service available through the night. The service is currently staffed by 200 experts whose training is tailored to understand the specific circumstances of clinical life.
Feedback from those who piloted the service has been very positive:

88% said the service had a positive impact on their wellbeing
85% said it had a positive impact on their ability to work or train
Text NHSPH to 85258 for the out-of-hours crisis text service or call 0300 0303 300

Things about teenagers...
Research in Practice has shared a webinar highlighting key messages from research around keeping teenagers safe and the role that parents can play in this.

Things about children in care...
Children in the care system are not getting their legal right to an essential ‘buddy’ as more than two thirds of local authorities admit leaving them on waiting lists, Barnardo’s reveals. A Freedom of Information Request (FOI) by the charity found that 1,202 vulnerable children were waiting to be matched with an Independent Visitor to support them, which is a  20 per cent increase since 2015.
The FOI was submitted to 152 local authorities in England, all of whom responded. It found that ten local authorities stated that they do not provide an Independent Visitor service despite the Children Act 1989 placing a statutory duty on them to do so.
The FOI was carried out in collaboration with the National Independent Visitor Network, NIVN, which is hosted by Barnardo’s. The NIVN believes that local authority funding cuts have hampered their ability to recruit volunteers and match them with children. Finding volunteers from BAME groups to match children who want to befriend someone from their own cultural background has also proved challenging.
There are currently around 75,400 children in care in England yet only 2,653 (3.5 per cent) of them have been provided with an Independent Visitor. Independent Visitors are volunteers who are separate from social care services. They offer emotional support, a trusting and stable friendship and enable the child to have fun and share in recreational activities.

Things about SEND...
The House of Commons Education Committee has published a report on children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) following an 18-month inquiry into Government reforms aimed at placing children and young people at the heart of the SEND system. Recommendations include: a more rigorous inspection framework for local authorities, with a greater focus on SEND in school inspections; a direct line for parents and schools to appeal directly to the Department for Education where local authorities appear not to be complying with the law; powers for the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to investigate complaints about schools; and the development of more employment and training opportunities for post-16 young people.

Things in abundance...
Abundance is a volunteer based organisation in Sheffield that rescues, shares, cooks, and processes fruit which may otherwise go to waste from right across Sheffield. Most of the trees we pick are in private gardens, where they leave 10% of fruit for wildlife. If they pick a public fruit tree we leave at least a third of the fruit unpicked so it is available to the community. Tree owners have the first share, then they donate the fruit they don’t want, volunteers have some and they share the best fruit with the community (e.g. food banks, lunch clubs, support centres). The rest they cook, preserve or juice together in the community. Everyone who joins a preservation workshop gets the recipe and a jar of chutney to take home. Their next event is Broomhall Apple harvest if you want to get involved.

Things about RCTs...
The latest Randomised Coffee Trial (other drinks available) has just finished in SCH so I will be sending out the feedback forms next week - please let us know how it went. The next one will probably be in February.

Things to read...
Reading group next Wednesday 17:15  - do feel free to join us we are a friendly bunch - we will be talking about The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and at our 4th of December meeting  we will be choosing our reading for next year.

Things in advance...
We will be closed during the day on Wed 13th November for staff training and planning - however will be open in the evening as normal until 19:00pm.

Things to make...
Has to be apples...no apologies two weeks running...last weeks tarte tatin was delicious! This baked apple recipe is a standard 'go to' dessert in our house as it is so quick and easy...I even manage it without a grown-up to help!

Things in the library 16th August...

Things about offending children...
A resource from Public Health England has been published to help local partnerships work together to support vulnerable children and young people and stop them offending and re-offending. It outlines how health, education, social care, criminal justice, voluntary sector services and others can work together to stop children and young people offending.
Collaborative approaches to preventing offending and re-offending by children (CAPRICORN) is a framework that has been developed by Public Health England, working with stakeholders in national and local government, the NHS, academia and the voluntary sector.
As well as the full report and summary available here, you can also download a slide pack which gives you some infographics and other material for presentations.

Things to do tomorrow...

Sheffield Carnival is a free Multicultural Family Event in Norfolk Heritage Park,
Guildford Avenue, Sheffield S2 2PL 12:00-8:00pm Saturday 17th August.





Things about care leavers...
An article in the Guardian reports on the 'grandmentor' scheme which pairs up volunteers aged 50 and over with young care leavers in England to support them as they move to independent living. The scheme, organised by the charity Vounteering Matters working with local authorities, is running in eight locations and expects to match up to 500 care leavers with grandmentors in 2019. Using the power of inter-generational mentoring to support care leavers who may be in challenging life circumstances. These mentors are volunteers aged 50 and over who use their wisdom, their energy and their life experience to help keep young people leaving care on track.

Things about international child abduction...
The House of Commons Library has published a briefing paper on international child abduction covering England and Wales. The briefing includes: the criminal law, who can take a child overseas; steps to prevent abduction occurring; and what to do if it happens.





Things to read...
The next reading group session is on Wed 4th September at 17:15 for about 1 hour - drinks and nibbles provided. The next book we are discussion is 'The Power' by Naomi Alderman.
In 'The Power' the world is a recognisable place: there's a rich Nigerian kid who lounges around the family pool; a foster girl whose religious parents hide their true nature; a local American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family.
But something vital has changed, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power - they can cause agonising pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world changes utterly.
This extraordinary novel by Naomi Alderman, a Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year and Granta Best of British writer, is not only a gripping story of how the world would change if power was in the hands of women but also exposes, with breath-taking daring, our contemporary world.

Things to attend...
Our highly praised Critical Appraisal course is running next on 9th Sept 13:00 to 16:30. Do consider signing up for this if you are SCH staff -via Course Bookings on the intranet. It is a non-threatening way to learn some important skills and no prior knowledge is necessary. We do need a commitment to attend if you sign up as the course will be cancelled if there are not enough participants.

Things about water...
There has been much in the media recently about how much water is used in production of various items...from denim to asparagus. With World Water Week coming up soon you might like to look at your own personal water footprint with this calculator or find out more about savings you can make.

Things to eat...
So a vegetarian meal this week - a South African classic (vegetarian version) Lentil & Vegetable Bobotie.