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Protest are they for Change or just Unnecessary Disruption:
One of the core elements of a democracy is our right to free speech and a right to protest however, although we have these rights not all campaigns are treated equally. Not all causes are adopted by the public will and therefore just because a minority can does that mean they should.
The protests:
In the news we have seen an increase in protestors taking direct action on the M25 with the aim to disrupt drivers to garner media attention to influence change. With the aim to improve insulation of Britains instead of warming hearts the disruption caused has left protestors out in the cold.
Now I am not against protest or the power of the individual as many of our key moments have come from a small number but many methods are flawed. The 3.5% rule as an example is a principle that so long as 3.5% of the population agree with an action engaging this can influence government decisions. Now to put this into a context the insulate britain protests are headed by a small minority numbering at most a hundred from evidence. Extinction rebellion was in the 1000s and in Leicester BLM had 4000 individuals.
Now 3.5% of UKs population is 2391190 so many of these protests are a long way off of the influential minority.
So how can you have an impact?
You must take the population with you or offer a sensible alternative. Many individuals of these groups often scoff when people question their actions or intentions telling people to do their own research but this does nothing but forces people away from their cause. Campaigners that share research provide resources and are able to work with other groups are often more anecdotally more successful with their campaigns. Looking at campaigns such as Anatonias Law for care home reform, the moves made my the Pet Theft Reform team, Finns law, Tuks Law as well as larger organisations to influence changes. These campaigns however have benefited from the benefit of research they then add in the emotional component which brings people with them.
Take some of Insulate Britains own points:
Their targets of getting central government to change insulation when planning is a district or unitary council issue. A points they are raising is about new homes being built to a standard, yet they do not focus on shoddy developers with documented evidence of cut corners on their builds. They have no strategy to inform house buyers of their rights so they can challenge developers or to work with communities to block inadequate development taking place. This however is also difficult to achieve when they have no firm targets to influence house building targets. So why are they not targeting councils to adopt a higher standard of housing or working with HORNET to influence changes to house building’s standards tackling property developers as they did with leaseholds and as they are still working on with Fleecehold properties.
Issues such as fleecehold properties are an issue that planners (civil servants) do not want to tackle pressure on elected officials in the right way would help to lobby for change. Or better yet get involved to influence the change on the doorstep. The second point they are campaigning for is for government to pay for insulation of old homes to be levelled up to a standard, but without a clear standard this will always be difficult. The green grant scheme had this option but wasn’t well adopted and if the government bring it back in as an incentive businesses or suppliers up the cost or it becomes another tax burden.
The other reason why many have little sympathy for this particular cause however is strategies are already in place to tackle it. There are green grants households can apply for on existing dwellings particularly for the less well off in society. However rather than promote this change and encourage people to take up the scheme by going to the following link: Simple Energy Advice check your eligibility and see if you can get help.
https://carrcenter.hks.harvard.edu/files/cchr/files/CCDP_005.pdf
https://www.ncvo.org.uk/policy-and-research/campaigning-policy
https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-cavity-loft-insulation/
Care Homes and Monitoring
The continuance of a conversation with Tony Stowell addressing the importance of financing, monitoring and resourcing the care sector.
Introduction:
Continuing on from my conversation with Tony Stowell the recognition of the service that our care home staff provide to all ranges of residents from the young, the sick or the older individual their dedication has been deeply valued by the communities they work in. However, as I said in the previous article we do not want those who are not showing the strength of character of their peers reflecting purely on the sector.
Monitoring:
In terms of monitoring, both Tony and I spoke at length about the need for monitoring changes to reflect a tougher framework for investigation. We acknowledged that organisations will never be able to address stressors in the sector if they do not see this and the current framework will only put extra pressures on staff. Improving what monitoring and inspections teams are looking for will not address the issue if there are methods in place whereby management can demonstrate one area which may not be the true reflection of the organisation. This would easily be remedied by surprise visits and yes as with any inspection this would cause short term stress but when these visits are known about in advance it places additional pressures on staff and management to meet these needs. The second element needs to ensure that reports point out flaws but give a road map for improvement as with no clear areas for improvement that must be met. Now abstract targets are often difficult for organisations to make changes in, why is this? Because current systems of grading will remove public confidence, reduce funding which increases pressure which then promotes a vicious circle of a challenge for organisations and businesses and impacts the residents and staff the most.
Funding:
Once we solve the funding challenges for a care home we will be able to provide a more suitable method of retaining staff by allowing those within and joining the sector to have a solid and long term prospect of fair employment. That way we can ensure our vulnerable residents are getting the care they deserve and need as well as making sure that staff are provided with the correct resources to be able to do high quality of service for years to come. We want to ensure that the sector is able to deliver this and will do so in a way that allows it to develop into the future. Now part of the solution has to be in ensuring that we use our resources to the best of our ability and we can do this by making sure that as many individuals as possible can get the treatment in the right places and in the right way. This can be at home care where they receive the support of professionals who can either help repurpose the relatives home and offers provisions to ensure that the relatives are able to not only safeguard their family members but make sure that they can maximise their independence. If they are able to have their independence this will reduce the number of individuals in care homes reducing the pressure on the organisations. Thereby having a lower staff to resident ratio which then allows for a more specialised care regardless of the individuals circumstances the reduced financial pressure can also then allow for more training and development of staff. We can do more by restructuring how we see care as a supported service offering reviews of the individual’s profile and looking at what support can be provided to the individual to prevent an escalation of the provisions necessary without solely resulting in increasing the funding. Although as we see a rise in the ageing population we must ensure this sector sees all forms of support and measures established.
Fly Tipping and Litter
Litter is an issue that impacts us all and our shared spaces we have all seen the value of our communal spaces so how do we protect these and ensure protection for our communities.
Now an area of Rural Crime is very important to residents as well as impactful on the local environment. Now firstly whilst we all know what littering is Fly Tipping, now this is the illegal dumping of waste on a given location.
One impact which we have to address is where the waste is dumped now whilst police forces including those in Suffolk are working to reduce the crimes they cannot be everywhere at all times. Often when they are alerted to a site they are able to put measures in place to reduce the return of Tippers however, this often causes them to simply find another site. It is also relevant to mention that unlike incidents tipped on public land the farmers often will be responsible for the cleanup. Now in conversation with my colleagues in the sector, this often causes unnecessary cost and can impact livestock, machinery or crops which has unintended consequences as the farmer will both have to cover any damages, clean up the site correctly and protect their site. These cases are also not just small scale occurrences one of the largest Tyre dumps with five hundred tyres have been dumped on a Suffolk. Now, this was committed on a farm between Monks Eleigh and Milden, not through small cars dumping goods but an opportunistic HGV that was spotted. The distress and financial pressure which this likely brought to the farmer who would be saddled with the bill are fundamentally unfair and justice needs to be served by those who committed the offence. In terms of the statistics, Suffolk was at three thousand and eighty incidents which dropped slightly to three thousand and twenty-three. Two hundred and thirty-five of these are in Barbergh the figures are not calculated yearly by region but the district council is investigating the level of industrial waste which has been dropped over the recent lockdown.
What are the laws and whose duty does it fall on, firstly nationally it is the responsibility of the environment agency to work to resolve this particular rural crime. Legally they can be fined up to £50,000 however, this is the maximum, not the average amount fined. From my conversation with Tim Passmore, we mutually agreed that sequestering the assets of the individual or group involved is also something that must be done this is linked to the Magistrates Court system. Whereas the Crown Court has unlimited fines and a five-year prison sentence. Again these are up to five years or an unlimited fine the selection of which court depends on the severity of the crime and is largely dependent on contributory factors such as damages to land or property. Now although the EA has a focus on protecting the environment management of these space falls to your county and district councils in Babergh. Now whilst the council has to move dangerous debris and litter from roads or public spaces where they pose a danger litter on private land is the responsibility regrettably of the landowner (the UK Rules, 2021). Now my concern here is for those on private land who are often saddled with both the legal necessity that they have to clear the rubbish otherwise risking further fines. This can often be because of the nature of the rubbish and its effect on the land as well as those surrounding the dumpsite. I stand by calls by councils that further cost should not be imposed on the landowner by making it free for them to dispose of the waste for no cost. This is something that is already being called for by East Suffolk I believe this should be adopted by all Suffolk Councils.
The information that you need for relevance is the time when you have seen the incident and the date that you have seen it if you have seen them dump the rubbish. Descriptions of the individual and of the vehicle try to get make, model, and licence plate. Identify what the rubbish is and if there was anything specific about the site such as if rubbish was there before finally take as many photos or videos as you can. Also do not at any point confront them or examine the waste leave the seen undisturbed. Now in the public sector, this can also directly impact those who use the streets, roads, highways and our local green spaces. We need to do our best to ensure that we do not contribute we can also get involved with local activism to clean up our green spaces. Whilst councillors should continue to ensure that our highways team are able to keep our roads clean and safeguard our green spaces.
Now, what methods are being practiced around the UK to deter fly-tipping and littering. The police forces in Suffolk and nationally will try to use surveillance systems to ensure that we can have a notable reduction in waste dumping. However, this relies on either mobile surveillance sites or fixed cameras that have a cost limitation. Some methods which have had some impact is arguably the same method we use in honesty boxes for fruit and vege stalls or for eggs in our rural areas. The science indicates that if we place eyes or pictures of eyes above the at-risk areas they arguably reduce the spread of litter in these areas why? “The feeling of being watched”. The final point to bring up is that of a scheme carried out by Croydon Council which incorporated a Hall of Shame where litters or fly-tippers pictures are shared to further act as a deterrent.
If you have had any incidence of Fly Tipping contact the police at 101, Babergh council on 0300 123 4000 (option 7) or crime stoppers https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ also use fixmystreet to flag any concerns. https://www.fixmystreet.com/around?js=1&zoom=2&lat=52.10757&lon=0.79541 or https://www.mysociety.org/wehelpyou/report-fly-tipping-to-your-local-council/
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/suffolk-rubbish-dump-local-authority-defra-figures-7795404
https://www.suffolkrecycling.org.uk/fly-tipping
https://www.theukrules.co.uk/rules/legal/community/littering/fly-tipping.html
https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/planning-waste-and-environment/fly-tipping/
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/east-suffolk-and-cla-flytipping-waste-figures-response-7807738
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/john-west-letter-a12-a14-litter-2690654
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/faqs/advice/fly-tipping-and-law
https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/local-authorities/reduce-litter/fly-tipping/policy
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37350153
Quiet Lanes
Road safety is something that everyone should take seriously yesterday I had the privilege of speaking with a member of the Suffolk Quiet Lanes team. Initially, this was a fact-finding opportunity to get a broader understanding of what Quiet Lanes do as well as what they cannot which will bring me onto the wider point on road safety. It is important that residents recognise what they do as many parishes across the county are adopting this initiative as well as the county councils wider pledge.
To introduce what a Quiet Lane is the main thing to establish is the group’s goals to reduce the cost facing the parishes. Now this is crucial to establishing these routes as one of these lanes may cost the parish approximately five thousand pounds as a rough guide, but by placing the burden on parishes this often racks up the cost and this is often an area that the group intends to support the parishes presently with proposals in place. Parishes currently going through the process are Monks Eleigh, Brent Eleigh, Nedging-with-Naughton as well as others. The group’s other aims are to further promote the safe and responsible use of the roads where all parties feel able to utilise the roads being able to get the best use out of them. Now whilst a benefit of Quiet Lanes would see a greater uptake of the roads by other road users its goal is to make it safer for all involved.
The group views it as a tool for reducing traffic on the road but this has to be achieved by a variety of methods not simply Quiet Lanes as a silver bullet. Noting that they work in tandem with a variety of schemes specifically Home Zones which have a more residential application. Now we can all recognise how important a clear and expansive network of Quiet Lanes could be as well as ensuring that we are all able to use them. The map attached in the second link below will give you an indication of where these roads are and the network has already seen trials running in East Suffolk in Snape and Glemsford.
Suffolk County Council has awarded two hundred and thirty-five thousand pounds of funding to invest in the scheme and the group would very much welcome the opportunity to grow the fund. Councillors from across the chamber have worked to improve road safety and reduce the levels of traffic present on our rural roads. Now like other councillors I also agree that speed limits need to reflect the nature of the roads and need to be suitable for all users and from conversations with the PCC we agreed that traffic calming is a broad issue and needs enforcement alongside reduction. Steps were taken to such as the specific targeting of HGV’s to ensure that they are taking appropriate routes. It is therefore crucial that we recognise the importance of managing the vehicles that use our road and make sure that residents are safeguarded as well as the responsible drivers. The seventh link provides cases of where lanes were adapted as well as further information about where they are suitable.
So to conclude will you agree with me that:
We should support the principle aims of quiet lanes to lower traffic levels, to maintain the tranquillity of our roads, allow us to be able to sustain the healthier lifestyle we have all enjoyed on our roads, promote environmentally friendly transport, increase the range of transport available to road users and help to tackle road dangers. Building on the hard work that various stakeholders, parishes, and councillors have put into the success of this project.
https://sites.google.com/view/quietlanessuffolk/quiet-lanes?authuser=0
https://sites.google.com/view/quietlanessuffolk/map?authuser=0
https://www.suffolkconservatives.org.uk/news/suffolk-launches-quiet-lanes-residents-enjoy-lockdown-eases
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/eastern-region-truckwatch-donate-monry-to-tackle-lorry-crime-in-2551668
https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/news/suffolk-launches-quiet-lanes-for-residents-to-enjoy-as-lockdown-eases/
https://southdownsnetwork.org.uk/quiet-lanes/
https://www.cpre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/quiet_lanes_1.pdf
https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news/show/quiet-lanes-suffolk-secures-funding-to-help-residents-stay-active-and-reduce-their-carbon-footprint
Pet Theft Reform
Pet Theft nationally is on the increase, action is needed to protect our pets and we need to recognise what the cause for the increase is as well as what progress is being made on reform. Together we can make an impact and safeguard our pets.
Lockdown contributed to one of the largest rises in demand for companion animals. Some animals have seen a decline in demand. Many have found horses too expensive to keep, which has led to a drop in horse ownership and a rise in sales.
However, this demand for dogs and pets alongside increased funds that people are willing to pay has resulted in an epidemic of dog thefts. Now last year, people in Suffolk communities have had 46 beloved pets stolen from them. Thefts are now are over at a hundred percent increase from the average thefts in 2014-2019. Now at present, it is suggested the targets are working breeds, particularly spaniels, retrievers over that of other pedigree breeds. Now working dogs face a greater vulnerability due to being often kept in kennels, whereas pets in the home are fielded a safer environment. They are, however, being targeted because people are willing to pay for these breeds and are actively looking for these dogs. Now thefts occur across the borders, we know this. Actions are being taken from the constabulary to reduce this, but why is it happening?
Reputable breeders would have been unable to plan for the increase in demand, yet they also often do not want to increase their dogs' sales solely for monetary gains related to ambitions they have for their breed. This is because they are often bred for pets second and for working or other purposes first. Yet breeders likely will have been unable to legitimately plan their litters this year due to lack of access to the broader gene pool or attend the various shows. Prices for dogs on online websites have continued to increase and are rising, which will full demand. Whilst adoption searches are also growing, the provisions rescue groups have put in place have slowed down the process, which has faced more significant pressures due to lockdown as other businesses have. Many of these websites have less regulation than both "assured" breeders and rescue centres now, many would assume buyers would be looking at lower prices, but the price is also often a third higher for each dog. Ipswich MP Tom Hunt has said, "Current punishments represent a slap on the wrist for this cruel crime." The Home Secretary Priti Patel is also working on increasing the legislation around pet theft campaigned for by various organisations, campaigns and charities. This has to happen as, without harsher sentences, we are limited to a minor impact on criminals who are caught, such as a small fine. By making the punishments harsher, it will often be a deterrent once thieves are caught, as at this point, even once caught, the threat of consequence is low.
Now keeping your pets safe, what you need to know?
Firstly, the dogs at the most significant risk are 50% more likely to be stolen from your garden, so making your garden more secure is a better way to protect them and make them less visible. A further 16% are stolen from within the home now. Remember here that if someone is observing you and waiting for the opportunity, it is worth changing your routine occasionally, such as when you let your dog out in the garden, is it always the front or back garden as an example. Equally, in terms of protecting your home, ensure that if you have a security system that it is live when your not in the house, it is a really simple step but a clincher. Other areas are making sure your dog is not left outside the home in vulnerable positions off lead where your dog may be friendly and want to greet everyone, ensure that you can call them back before they are out of sight. Avoid leaving the dog outside a shop in a locked or unlocked car. Ensure your dog has all of the identification it needs legally but that it is not easy for it to be called away from you. Now when you're out on the walk, and you need extra safeguards, use apps such as https://hollieguard.com/, which will offer you an alarm system of shorts to highlight the crime to passers-by. Also, be aware of where you are and keep yourself safe as criminals have proven they will take the dog, not just wait for an opportunity for you to be separated. In terms of what to do when you are in a position where your dog has been stolen, the following article has many useful points https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/protect-your-dog-against-theft. The key contacts for you in Suffolk: DogLost, NationalPetRegister and AnimalSearchUK are critical databases for stolen pets; as is social media, you must have up-to-date information on your pet, including a recent photo. The local dog wardens number are separated by the District Council. They are in a list for you below under the heading DW. Now to reduce your risk of buying a stolen dog, it is best to follow the guidance of recognised breed clubs or groups and your local rescue centres. These groups are best placed to recommend breeders of specific dogs and be aware of reputable litters. If you do not know where to start, start here or with national clubs like the Kennel Club, Blue Cross and the RSPCA.
Now in terms of positive steps, national organisations are backing Pet Theft reform. MPs such as Tom Hunt, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, and Siobhan Baille are advocating for reform, with the Prime Minister and Home Secretary also advocating for more stringent reforms. Now, will you support Pet Theft Reform to safeguard the nation's pets sign and share the petition and find out more from the links below https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/560216.
DW:
Forest Heath dog warden 01638 71 97 33
St Edmundsbury dog warden 01284 75 70 58
Mid Suffolk dog warden 01449 72 45 00
Waveney dog warden 01502 52 31 17
Suffolk Coastal dog warden 01394 44 40 00
Ipswich dog warden 01473 43 31 15
Babergh dog warden 01473 82 66 22
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/dog-theft-statistics-in-suffolk-2700864
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dog-stolen-puppies-theft-lost-sell-buy-cost-coronavirus-suffolk-a9652231.html
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/2021/february/stronger-penalties-for-pet-theft-welcomed-by-the-kennel-club/
https://www.suffolk.police.uk/services/freedom-information/disclosure-logs/2019-disclosure-logs/crime-and-incident-statistics
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11895265/lockdown-pet-thefts-puppy-farming-fights/
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/protect-your-dog-against-theft
https://www.dogsforgood.org/good-advice/protect-dog-from-theft/
https://metro.co.uk/2021/02/24/how-to-avoid-accidentally-buying-a-stolen-dog-14139487/?ico=related-posts
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/5/209
https://www.pettheftreform.com/
Mind Your Head
With the importance of Agriculture to both the economy and our ways of life, we need to ensure that we look after its workers. This article focuses on the Mind your Head Campaign bringing awareness to mental health in farming and links to resources to help.
Further to my earlier article about mental health today marks the start of the Mind Your Head campaign.
The Yellow Wellies group rightly has highlighted some key points about farmers mental health. Now some issues which they have isolated would be challenging to control or resolve. Now whilst there are specific agricultural loans to help with the business or equipment needs this, unfortunately, is often at a great interest rate as well as which when coupled with other stressors. Some of these stressors can be highly varied from the direct impacts such as the financial impacts on the business to the secondary elements such as one which livestock farmers face. Livestock farmers often face increased opposition to both the changing diets of the masses that has caused abuse and heated debates on both sides. However, whilst both sides of the debate have valid points and passionate views only one directly impacts their livelihoods. Now whilst this debate will likely be on going for a number of years as it one about ideology. Some positives have been drawn from it alternatives to different movements such as Reganuary which puts a focus on a more sustainable form of agriculture. Now rather then discuss this movement in this article the reason for highlighting it, is that this is a way for the industry to champion better practice by highlighting innovations as well as supporting the local businesses. This can also be seen with concerns between farmers and others who use the countryside or visit farmers lands. With an increased amount of walkers in the countryside farmers can be drawn into conflict when dogs are off lead distressing stock. If the stock animals are distressed or attacked by the dog the farmer has the right to shoot the dog but this can be deeply distressing either by seeing the damage a dog can do to the stock or through shooting the dog. Neither is an option that the farmer wants to pursue however it is something which does often happen with a lack of understanding of the environment.
Now when looking at stress in farmers it is important that all actions are taken to reduce stress. Finding people to talk with whether that be online or those in local support group by engaging in conversation and offloading some of the stress recognising they are not alone. Making sure that those that work on farms especially for those whose lives and work focus on the land need somewhere else to focus such as going off site, exploring a hobby or a trip. Making sure you also take the chance to regularly exercise and follow a suitable routine.
Now campaigns such as Fit to Farm also highlight characteristics about the various roles which are often not explored. The working hours which farmers often do can be up to 65 hours per week this is comparable to the 56 hours per week doctors do. Now not all farmers have this type of working environment but for those who do it should be rightly recognised the pressures they face. Especially at busy periods like harvest where they are flat out for days and hours at end. Now because of working and living on site taking leave from your family farm can be a far flung fantasy for some it is not as simple as leaving your home for holiday for those who business needs require careful monitoring but are tied to a fixed location. Many entrepreneurs or professionals can take their work with them and therefore find some release this is arguably the same for large companies but a challenge for the small family farms. Now respondents to the survey by the Fit to Farm campaign have outlined areas they need help in would it not be the best time for the communities to rely around them and support their efforts.
We also need to remember what great resources we have available to support us and those within our community. YANA specifically targets mental health in farming whilst the Yellow Wellies looks at farm safety follow the links below to find out more about their work and how to support them. Together we Can.
http://yellowwellies.org/StressManagementBooklet_0319/StressManagementBooklet_0319/?page=23
Mental Health Week
This week marks the wider discussion on Mental Health addressing areas in which we all collectively can be affected. Today’s article looks at the wider effects mental health has had on young people as well as what to look out for with the possible solutions.
Part and parcel of my role as a teacher are making sure that students mental health is front and centre of what colleagues and I strive to achieve. The step to finding a solution has to be normalising the problem. In my previous blog piece, I looked at some ways that I believe we can use to solve the problem.
In terms of highlighting the problem, I was pleased with the announcement that a public figure like Love Islands Dr Alex has been announced as a youth mental health ambassador. Now whilst he has tragically lost his brother to mental health he is focusing what would often make people shy away from the world and sharing his brother's memory and his own experience of dealing with this tragedy. Now whilst present circumstances has put some of our best steps to prevent adverse impacts on mental health. Being in good physical health whilst difficult without gyms and sports can still be done with communities or activities shared online. We need to promote positive images and content meal preparation, cooking, and fitness plans. Body positivity needs to be encouraged, as does physical fitness. Setting a regular routine for our young people can be removing stressors from the environment like that of some smartphones taking time away from social media. Family makes up many of the structure we all need and those increasingly isolated from this core social group or our self-made groups, friends, peers, and colleagues. Not having access to their workplace or schools can limit their routine and engagement in the broader social setting, so a goal rightly being sought is getting students back into school. As I spoke about earlier this week, volunteering opportunities are few and far between at present, but that does have to be the case opening our doors to new types of activity.
Many parents and young people feel that they miss the most enjoyable parts of the school and university, particularly the social elements. The learners can develop academically the opportunities to discover who they are and the experiences and skills available. Societies and events, even in its best format, struggle to transition electronically. This is why the events economy is still, in my view, the future for the high street but delayed by Covid. Now the anxiety that young people are likely to present because of this lack of experience can lead to mental health problems. The question should be why is there a stigma. Firstly many individuals associate mental health with violence, often because of a link poor mental health support has had with violent offences. This link can be taken from how this is stigmatised in the media and used in ways that often skew a story's narrative. There is also evidence that this same impact can compound a families' wealth and ability to succeed. This can be further affecting social mobility so again, what can we do to build back together. Once we tackle these initial stigmas, we can begin to focus on the harsh reality of the endemic problems in mental health.
We need to end these negative stereotypes to reduce our association of mental health with a sense of weakness and criminality. Because, although criminality links to mental health are concerning by instilling fear in the public, it is also necessary to avoid links to other sides of the debate such as pity and shame. However, to link mental health to different conditions to associate solutions to individual struggles such as suicide, imposter syndrome and body dysmorphia. We can start by avoiding simple phrases like "they must be bipolar" or "nut job" similar to what we do for race. This should help people define their symptoms, fears, anxieties, and goals over their garnered label to recognise they are more than the condition. This can be significantly supported by the positive experience of peers. Finally, we should be mindful that our differences have also strengthened us. Personally, I have a learning difficulty which has had a minor impact on my life. Dyspraxia has impacted my hand-eye coordination elements, which affected my speech, which was primarily rectified by therapies that I am thankful for in my childhood. Now I look at the strengths I have because of how I look at a problem to think outside the box. Transfering this skill to my learners empathising with their challenges or difficulties solutions, I developed my memory, processing and vocabulary. I would not be the same person I am without Dyspraxia regardless of the initial anxieties and stresses this caused me in my early years. I am stronger because of the support I received and have the opportunity to share my experience.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-mental-health-and-wellbeing-surveillance-report/7-children-and-young-people
https://ideas.ted.com/how-should-we-talk-about-mental-health/
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/c/children-and-young-people
https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/research-and-evaluation/mental-health-statistics/
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dr-alex-george-from-love-island-to-mental-health-campaigner-nd8xfl2n9
Lockdowns Effect on our Community
How can we all stay connected with our communities during the ongoing lockdown. With the continued pressure that lockdown has on mental health particularly in young people what can, we do to help out those in our communities. This is also something that can benefit our businesses and each other.
Whilst listening to the Front Row yesterday, the discussion looked at how the next generation of learners is affected by the pandemic. Now part of the impact that the pandemic has had on them is exploring different opportunities available. Understanding how we can best promote knowledge sharing the skills we can encourage, techniques they can be taught, industries which they can see. Lockdown affords us the chance to use communities to support businesses and refine how our communities develop and grow this is an area that I believe we should investigate. Alongside the provisions that we can provide the next generation with we can use the same community to benefit businesses. We all intend to share products, craftsmanship, knowledge and talents.
This article addresses the concerns that affect businesses and our students with thoughts on building back better. With the researcher's main point being highlighted, the individuals at a disadvantage in the labour market. The general focus is lack of opportunities immediately available to young people in the present circumstances. With many people being furloughed or out of work, it is not just the lack of job prospect post-college or school. Still, it also allows us to learn or experience whilst again to grow academically with all but a small number of work experiences being offered by businesses able to field these rare opportunities. Learners need to work with various companies to understand how they work within the sector and establish their likes and dislikes. Employers also need to recognise the next generation's strengths and weaknesses, working with educators and tutors to fill these skill gaps (Johnston and Maddox, 2021).
This brings me to the point about lockdown sectors the first jobs for many the opportunities to develop soft skills. Those who go onto university can recover academically from this disruption, but those emerging into the job market are disadvantaged here (Dias et al., 2020). With other impacts being the effect on people's mental health, the implications of many in the community isolated coming together in new ways to share our experiences should be encouraged. Many have concerns about health, education, careers, and livelihoods having a sense of community where people can share their thoughts before returning to normalcy (Peter Madeley, 2021).
However, how this is delivered is equally as important as the messages discussed. Providing a sense of routine whether that be a discussion by business groups, talks about soft skills, mental health days or sharing a craft all need to be provided in a way that encourages positive habits to form (Mental Health, 2020).
This is where a community is needed rather than letting lockdown impact our lives. We have the chance to promote and showcase what communities can do. Allow people to find out about hidden talents within groups, allowing us to restore our link attachments. A pandemic which has forced us to be disconnected could bring us a greater sense of togetherness.
What we can do to build this sense of togetherness and community. Enabling businesses to share what they do and what they produce it gives individuals a sense of involvement in the process. By following the steps you take, we can learn from your experiences, collectively feel involved with your business and its place within our community. This can let people know what your offering, gives someone insight into your profession and build that link with your brand. Teachers, individuals and professionals can also share their content and experiences to best provide tips for working through lockdown, helping someone discover a new hobby or just helping someone get through the day. If there is something we can provide to wider communities in either core or fringe subjects that gives them a similar advantage to their peers, we should encourage them. There is no equivalent exchange for part-time jobs or being with our peers in terms of soft skills, yet what we can do is share our experiences and knowledge openly talking about mental health, finance, work-life balances (Nick Morrison, 2021).