Things in the Library - September

RSV Research

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) are, along with the pharmaceutical company Sanofi, conducting a study called the Harmonie study looking at how well a one-off injection protects babies from RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). Children up to 12 months of age and entering their first RSV season, will be given Nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody. RSV is a leading cause of hospital admittance for infants, and this will be the biggest study looking to look at this preventative drug.

Polio

Polio has been found in sewage in London, as well as in New York and Israel. Read this BBC explainer to find out what polio is, how it is spread, and how it has been discovered again.

Health Inequalities in England

The Health Foundation have published a study showing that people living in the most deprived parts of England are diagnosed with serious illness earlier and die sooner than their peers in more affluent areas. They used linked hospital and primary care data to examine socioeconomic, regional and ethnic variations in the prevalence of diagnosed long-term illnesses including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. This was especially true of people with Pakistani, Bangladeshi and black Caribbean backgrounds.

Whole-Genome Sequencing for Newborn Babies

The Lancet reports on the UK Newborn Genomes Programme, which was created by Genomics England to oversee plans to undertake whole-genome sequencing of up to 200 000 newborn babies. Working with the NHS, they will start recruiting in 2023, examining whether screening healthy babies for arange of rare genetic conditions could improve outcomes. The requirement for screening is that it should only be done if there is strong evidence that the selected variant causes a condition that takes hold in childhood, would adversely affect the child's health or wellbeing if left untreated, and for which there are effective and accessible interventions or treatments available.

Harmful Sexual Behaviour

NSPCC Learning has released the latest blog from the why language matters series. This blog looks at harmful sexual behaviour (HSB), the importance of focusing on a child’s actions rather than labelling them as an abuser, and the impact language can have on professionals’ perceptions and a child’s self-identity.  

Children's Social Care

The Children's Society have written a blog which explains what children's social care is in a simple, engaging way. They want to highlight how cuts local authorities and under-investment in children's services over the last decade have led to children and young people being more likely to suffer abuse, neglect or exploitation inside and outside the home. 

Things to do in Sheffield in September

Sheffield Ghost Walk

Get spooky early this year with Strange Sheffield Ghost Walk, which is happening on the 2nd and 16th September. There will be spooky stories, ghostly encounters and plenty of strange tales with a good dose of local history too. Adult tickets cost £7.50 (over 14s), under 14s tickets are £5 - children can attend at their parents' discretion. If you're in South Sheffield you can also check out the Graves Park Ghost Walk - Bunting Nook by the side of the Park is said to be Sheffield's most haunted place.

Sheffield Showcase

There is heaps going on in the first weekend in September to highlight the masses of cultural activity that takes place in Sheffield. It'll feature film screenings, music performances, art exhibits, family-friendly workshops, and more. Try circus tricks, community gardening or go and see some jazz. There is something for everyone - check out the programme here. 

Recipe of the month

'Tis the season for bramble picking. If you don't scoff them all as soon as you've picked them, you can put your blackberries in a pie, which is what I hope to be doing soon - I might skip the latticing though!

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 22 Jan...

 Things about pets... 

The Government COVID-19  advice to those with animals has been updated, it contains advice  for pet owners and livestock keepers on looking after the welfare of animals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This advice applies to England only.

Things about family group conferences...

Family group conferences (FGCs) have been around in the UK since their introduction by Family Rights Group (FRG) and others in 1992 and they have been increasingly used in recent years for family-led planning in children and families’ social care. 

Covid restrictions have meant that many FGC services have either had to stop working or significantly alter their practice. Many FGC staff have simply been redeployed, often as social workers or family support workers, in order to support these increasingly stretched services at a time when many workers were shielding and unable to work.

This blog post from from CommunityCare discusses the lessons that can be learnt, the challenges and benefits from conducting virtual FGCs during the pandemic and beyond. 

Things about Mental Health Act... 

In 2017 the government asked for an independent review of the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA), to look at how it’s used and to suggest ways to improve it. The review’s final report said that the MHA does not always work as well as it should for patients, their families and their carers.

The Government are now proposing a wide range of changes to rebalance the MHA, to put patients at the centre of decisions about their own care and ensure everyone is treated equally.

The changes are based on 4 principles that have been developed with people with lived experience of the MHA. They are:

• choice and autonomy – ensuring service users’ views and choices are respected
• least restriction – ensuring the MHA’s powers are used in the least restrictive way
• therapeutic benefit – ensuring patients are supported to get better, so they can be discharged from the MHA
• the person as an individual – ensuring patients are viewed and treated as individuals

They want your views on changes to the Mental Health Act to help put patients at the centre of decisions about their own care. This consultation closes at 11:59pm on 21 April 2021. More information and the link to respond can be found here.

Things about e-books... 

We have recently added 100 extra e-books to our library catalogue which were made available to us via HEE North. As with our other e-book collections authentication for these is via your NHSOpenAthens account. The recently added books cover a wide range of health topics (not just paediatrics) and are aimed at a variety of NHS staff. To see all the e-books to which you have access with an Athens account check this search link. We are still processing some of the new books so if you come across any access problems please let me know.

Things to remember to do...

We already have nearly 70 SCH staff signed up to our next randomised Coffee Trial - many of whom are regular attendees. It would be lovely to get to 100 participants, remember it is a virtual meeting for most people this time. Closing date 5th Feb sign up here.

Things about snowdrops... 

The first ones are appearing in my garden and show that spring is on its way. The snowdrop is a familiar spring flower, coming into bloom in January and flowering until March. Despite its long history in the UK, however, it may not actually be native here; it is a native of damp woods and meadows on the continent, but was not recorded as growing wild in the UK until the late 18th century.

According to the Wildlife Trust, in Yorkshire, it was customary for village maidens to gather bunches of Snowdrops and wear them as a symbol of their purity on February 2nd, which was Candlemas. The Wildlife Trust also have some suggestions of things to do during lockdown including activity sheets for children (and others). 

Things to make...

Keeping with the snowy theme what about trying these Snow-capped fairy cakes 

Things in the library 4th October...

Things we have read...
We had an excellent reading group session this last week and the 'Contemporary Short Stories' scored  83%. We are starting to think about what books to read next year so if you want to get involved why not come along on 6th November for "Seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" and put the December date (4th) in your diary - this is when we vote on what to read next. If you are interested in knowing about what we are reading, even if you can't attend, then ask us to put you on our distribution email list. I can also send you list of past reads or you can check them on our catalogue by searching for  "reading group".

Things about words...
With Sheffield's 'Off the Shelf' festival starting tomorrow (5-26 October) over 150 events to attend for all ages and interests. Some may be booked up but many will still be available everything from coal mines to wildflowers to book art - it really is a fantastic opportunity as it is one of the largest and most accessible literary festivals in the UK so do check the website.

Things about culture and leadership...
Following on from one of the keynote speakers (Michael West) at last week's Clinical Summit these are the links to his resources Phase 1 and Phase 2- you can also find these via our library catalogue. If you know of online resources that would be useful for colleagues why not send us the links and we can add them to our catalogue to make them easier for people to find.

Things about social care ...
The Buurtzorg model of care, developed by a social enterprise in the Netherlands in 2006, involves small teams of nursing staff providing a range of personal, social and clinical care to people in their own homes in a particular neighbourhood. There’s an emphasis on one or two staff working with each individual and their informal carers to access all the resources available in their social networks and neighbourhood to support them to be more independent. In 2017 a group of NHS and local government organisations in West Suffolk, who had joined forces in a project to support older people to live independently at home, initiated a test-and-learn of the Buurtzorg model. They recruited a team of nurses and assistant practitioners to provide health and social care to people in line with the principles of the Buurtzorg model. The Fund has been working with this team to support them to learn about their experiences as they go along.

Things with cinnamon...

Apparently today is Cinnamon bun day in Sweden & Finland (Kanelbullens dag) so if you needed an excuse...here is a recipe.

Things in the library 28th Sept...

Things that are exciting...

There is a real buzz around the launch of our Randomised Coffee Trial @ SCH. Join in today via this form and in late October you will be randomly matched to another member of SCH staff. You both then agree a time and place to meet for coffee (or other drink) during November and just chat for 30-40 mins.
Why?…it’s a good way to meet new colleagues, make connections and find out more about each other.
You can talk about anything you like ….it doesn't have to be a job related …but it can be...don't miss out!

Things about children & social care...

A strengths-based approach (SBA) to social care focuses on identifying the strengths, or assets, as well as the needs and difficulties of children, young people and families. This briefing from Social Care Institute for Excellence describes how SBAs work and assesses their effectiveness. The values and principles that inform this approach are not new, but there has been a rapidly growing interest over the last five years in such approaches. These approaches are also about co-production – people providing care working in equal partnership with those who need it to design and deliver services.

Things about Childhood Tuberculosis...
This article looks at The Changing Landscape of Childhood Tuberculosis in the United Kingdom. They describe the recent epidemiology of childhood TB in the UK, how this compares to TB in adults, and document changes with time (2000-2015).




Things about health inequalities...
The aim of this systematic review is to examine the effect of age on associations between household income and overall health from birth to adolescence, and whether age patterns vary by country. It is uncertain whether income-related health inequalities remain stable, widen, or narrow as children age, which impacts optimal timing of equity-focused interventions.

Things to have your say about...
Sheffield City Region (SCR) is working with South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive to establish what the future of the Supertram system might look like. The consultation opens on Monday 24 September and runs until Monday 5 November. The consultation seeks views on three options:

• Maintaining Supertram as it is through ongoing essential repairs
• Renewing and modernising Supertram’s tracks, vehicles and information systems
• Exploring alternative options to Supertram

They are encouraging as many people as possible to have their say in this consultation. For more information about the proposals on the future of Supertram and to take part visit this website

Things about war & peace...
This autumn, as the nation marks the 100th anniversary of the First World War armistice, Sheffield City Libraries are considering how Sheffield and the surrounding area has been shaped by conflict through the ages. From early Anglo-Saxons to the defense of Sheffield Castle, from Waterloo to rebuilding after the Sheffield Blitz; they will be revealing fascinating stories from our city‘s rich and complex history. a variety of events can be booked online.

Things to attend...
Reading group on Wed 3rd October 17:15 to 18:15 (discussing 'The Children Act') and Journal Club Thurs 4th October 8:00 to 9.00 (contact the library for details) both on F Floor of Stephenson Wing.

Things to enjoy...

I made this very simple French yogurt cake last night - can recommend it! from the first blog I ever subscribed to when they were a 'new' thing!

Things in the library 24 March...

Things about mental health services...

The Education Policy Institute has published a new report, The performance of the NHS in England in transforming children’s mental health services.  The report analyses data from NHS England’s Mental Health Five Year Forward View Dashboard and examines progress made by the Government in improving children and young people’s mental health services (CAMHS).  It highlights that almost three quarters of CCGs failed to meet NHS England’s benchmark for improving services although there has been a slight improvement since quarter 1.

Things about Children's Social Care...
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Children (APPGC) published the findings of their latest Inquiry into children’s social care services in England in March 2017. The report, ‘No Good Options’, pulls together information obtained throughout the duration of the Inquiry which ran from February 2016 to January 2017.  As part of the Inquiry, the APPGC held 7 oral evidence sessions (including one private closed session) and received 62 written submissions from local authorities, academics, statutory bodies, local safeguarding children’s boards and the voluntary sector. This Inquiry brought together evidence about the current resourcing of children’s social services and changes in the nature and level of demand, to improve our understanding of the challenges facing under-performing children’s services, and how to address them.  ‘No Good Options’ has identified key areas in which improvement is essential if children’s services are to reach all children and young people in need of support.

Things about breast milk...
An interesting article published this week on "Stem-Like Cell Characteristics from Breast Milk of Mothers with Preterm Infants as Compared to Mothers with Term Infants" their finding were that " (1) stem cells are present in preterm breast milk; (2) differential expression of stem cell-specific markers can be detected in preterm and full-term breast milk samples; and (3) the percentage of cells expressing the various stem cell-specific markers differs when preterm and full-term breast milk samples are compared." Briere Carrie-Ellen,  Breastfeeding Medicine. March 2017, ahead of print. doi:10.1089/bfm.2017.0002.

Things for a smart phone...
Childline has launched a new app providing counselling to young people in the UK and Channel Islands through their smartphone. The app, named ‘For Me’ and invented by four teenagers, allows users to interact with all Childline’s online services including: 1-2-1 chat with a counsellor; the 'Ask Sam’ problem pages; and entrance to their private 'locker’, an area where they have their own daily mood tracker and can write down personal thoughts. Currently just available for i-phone..android version out soon.

Things to join...
A reminder that we are currently asking our SCH staff and library users if they would be interested if we started running a leisure reading book club. If you haven't already expressed your interest then please do so on this online form.


Things about lunches...

I thought this was a really interesting idea four university colleagues who get creative with their lunchboxes and share the cooking. It also reminded me about a favourite book of mine which is Salad Love by David Beg which has a different salad for every workday for a year. So this week I am picking one of his salads Chorizo, chervil and couscous