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!
