Newsletter Introduction
Welcome to the November edition of Showcase’s Newsletter! Aiming to give all our readers an insight into key updates within our sectors, the monthly editions will guide you through key legislation updates, Government policies, news stories that have caught our eye, and things to be aware of coming up over the next few weeks.
If you have any suggestions on features to highlight please do email them to hello@showcasetraining.co.uk and we’ll be happy to work with you.
We hope you enjoy the newsletter and find the content useful and interesting to read.
Message from the Author
Entering a new lockdown period has been challenging for so many of us, but we are grateful to our learners and their employers for the ongoing support, helping studies to continue and for programmes to be achieved. It’s been lovely hearing some of the feedback from our completing Apprentices over the past few weeks, and it’s so reassuring that our level of service and quality remains high even though we have faced such limiting restrictions due to COVID.
Showcase has continued to be very busy with a massive influx of new enrolments in October, and we welcome all our new learners and employers to their respective programmes. It’s very exciting to see the Childcare sector remaining in a strong position as it is something we are very passionate to support, and our team is excited to continue this into 2021 and beyond where restrictions will start to lift.
In November, we will be welcoming our new tutor to the team and we are really looking forward to her starting. The world of Apprenticeships is very different at the moment, but it really is a great opportunity for us all to work together and innovate, making delivery and learning more exciting and engaging.
Finally, I am very pleased to share the news that Shirley Faichen, Manager at Alverbridge Nursery in Gosport, has been awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to education. Shirley has been the manager at the setting for 23 years and was nominated by the nursery’s parent’s committee for her passion and dedication to early years education. Huge congratulations, Shirley!
Equality and Diversity in the News
Former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has been suspended from the party in a row over his reaction to a report on anti-Semitism. The party has been subject to a rigorous investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) since 2019 over its handling of anti-Semitism claims, with Corbyn stating the claims had been “dramatically overstated” in a “political” move by opponents. Current leader, Sir Kier Starmer, has promised to implement recommendations made in the report by the new year, and has stated he is “disappointed” with Corbyn’s comments, saying “anyone who thinks anti-Semitism is exaggerated or a factional attack are part of the problem”.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54730425
Why are people anti-Semitic? The BBC’s video below explores this topic further to understand the history behind such activity and behaviour.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/why-are-people-anti-semitic/p07ygz58
~~~
The BBC reported this month that Coronavirus has impacted disproportionately on youth and ethnic-minority unemployment rates, with members of these groups being the most likely to be made redundant or unemployed following the furlough scheme. Potentially linked to the decline of sectors such as hospitality, which typically have a high concentration of young people working within it, the Government’s Job Retention Scheme has unfortunately not protected against job losses, with only 33% of young people finding new work by September after losing their jobs since March. The Treasury has announced its “Kickstart Scheme”, subsidising training and work placements for young people, promoting avenues such as Apprenticeships as a great pathway to take.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54714896
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54662485
~~~
Baroness Doreen Lawrence has expressed that members of the BAME community have been worst hit by COVID-19 due to “structural race discrimination”, being “over-exposed” to risk and facing “barriers” to healthcare. Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch said higher transmission rates among BAME groups could be due to “a range of socio-economic and geographical factors”, including “exposure at work, population density and household composition, as well as pre-existing health conditions”. A BBC report states people of Bangladeshi ethnicity had “twice as high a risk” of death from COVID-19 as white British people. People of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, other Asian, black Caribbean and other black ethnicity had between a 10% and 50% higher risk of death when compared with white British people.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54697714
Extremism and Radicalisation in the News
The UK terror threat level has been raised from “substantial” to “severe” following several incidents this week in France and Austria. Severe indicates an attack is highly likely. Whilst there is no reported intelligence indicating an imminent incident, 2 recent attacks in France and 1 in Vienna has prompted the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to urge people to remain alert and to report concerns to the police immediately.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54799377
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54729957
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54786952
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54602171
~~~
Popular show, The Chop, has been withdrawn from Sky History this month after viewers reported that one of the contestant’s tattoos could be linked to Right Wing ideologies. Hosted by Lee Mack and Rick Edwards, the show looked to find “Britain’s Top Woodworker”, but contestant The Woodman has caused controversy by sporting tattoos of “88”, “23” and “26”, all linked to code used within white supremacy and Neo-Nazi groups.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54747089
https://news.sky.com/story/sky-historys-the-chop-axed-over-contestants-far-right-tattoos-12118581
~~~
Harry Vaughan, an 18-year-old A* student from South-West London, has been given a suspended sentence following downloading indecent images of underage boys, expressing homophobic views, and posting bomb-making manuals on neo-Nazi forums. He pleaded guilty to: 12 count of possessing documents useful for terrorism; 2 counts of making an indecent image of a child; and 1 count of distributing terrorist materials.
A series of home-made posters were found in his room quoting the Norwegian killer Anders Breivik, and thousands of right-wing and ne-Nazi images, footage of massacres, and videos linking to firearms, bomb-making, and right-wing ideology were found on his electronic devices.
His parents have expressed their complete shock at the incident and that they had no idea of his activity. They believe he had been radicalised online but that he can be helped.
~~~
Anti-Terrorism Hotline:
0800 789 321
Crime Stoppers:
0800 555 111
See It. Say It. Sorted.
0800 40 50 40 or
Text 61016
If in doubt, dial 101 or 999
Safeguarding Update
The Department for Justice have announced the intention to give children additional protection under law from sexual exploitation. This includes movements such as changing key terminology used like “child prostitution” (which is outdated and misleading), legislating against “adults masquerading as children online”, and including livestreaming in sexual offence cases. Additionally, new laws regarding up-skirting help to strengthen laws to protect children from sexual exploitation, which commonly occurs online as much as in the “real world”.
~~~
Net Aware, a partnership between O2 and the NSPCC, have released guidance for parents and carers of young people about children sharing images and videos online via social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. Traditional social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, are now commonly no longer used by young people, and instead Snapchat and TikTok are being favoured. Influencers online typically use these platforms to gain followers, and young people follow their lead in participating on such apps by following trends, completing viral challenges, and posting videos/images of themselves using fun filters. However, commonly the risks of sharing online content is unknown, and Net Aware have published practical tips and advice for keeping children safe online.
~~~
A viral video on Instagram has led to the prosecution of a London man for attempted kidnap and rape of a child. The video appears to show a girl being led by a man into a side street; a woman following can be heard asking her if she is OK before the man eventually ran away, though unfortunately an assault had already taken place. Police urge the public to dial 999 for such incidents and not to take matters into their own hands, though commend the woman for her bravery stating: “the extraordinary bravery of a lady who followed and filmed them has almost certainly saved the victim from even further distress”.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54797958
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54822731
~~~
Local Safeguarding Teams:
Portsmouth
Children: 0845 671 0271
Adults: 02392 688 613
Southampton
Children: 02380 833 336
Adults: 02380 833 003
Isle of Wight
Children: 01983 814 545
Adults: 01983 814 980
Hampshire
Children: 0300 555 1384
Adults: 0300 555 1386
Showcase Safeguarding Team
Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO):
Ellen Mould
07715 658036
Deputy DSO:
Louise Bloomfield
07597 366506
Office Number:
01329 848714
Online Safety
Part of staying safe online is learning how to critically assess posts on social media, articles and features to decide if they are true and factual. In this current era of fake news, fact-checking is incredibly important and the best way to stay safe and ensure you have correct information is to follow credible news sources such as the BBC.
For example, the BBC issued an article this month fact-checking statements regarding COVID-19 by Sir Rocco Forte, owner of a large hotel chain, many of which were found to be untrue or misleading:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/54735702
And this article fact checking President Trump’s recent speech on the Election:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-54837926
Similarly, a viral Tweet and Twitter account claiming the relaunch of Woolworths to the UK high street has been proven to be a hoax. As if 2020 hasn’t been disappointing enough! A case-point in fact checking before sharing online.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54706063
The Government have a handy checklist to use when assessing information for yourself, which is especially relevant in this time of a pandemic where we are seeing false medical advice being shared, technology scares going viral, and fake “academics” or “professionals” endorsing information and articles. After all, “things aren’t always what they seem online”.
“Before you like, comment or share online, use the SHARE checklist to make sure you’re not contributing to the spread of harmful content about coronavirus.”
Check it out:
https://sharechecklist.gov.uk/
Health and Well-Being
Shout is a free text messaging service that is free to use and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It aims to support anyone struggling to cope with their mental health, including those suffering with anxiety, stress, depression, suicidal thoughts, or those who are feeling overwhelmed and require immediate support. Their text number is 85258 and is a key number to have saved in your phone for whenever you may need to lean on them.
~~~
Showcase Mental Health Lead:
Nicola Bailey
07597 366606
Featured Topic: Sleep Matters
We have all probably been told to ‘get a good night’s sleep’ more than once in our lifetime, but what exactly does that mean? On average we spend 1/3 of our life sleeping which equates to roughly 2,400 hours a year. Whilst we should aim to get an average of 8 hours of sleep a day, more than 50% of people are not getting enough sleep. This article highlights the importance of sleep and offers tips for improving yours.
Sleep Deprivation and mental health risks
Researchers believe there is a strong connection between insomnia and depression, and in several studies undertaken, Insomnia represented a “substantial risk” for the development of mental health disorders. In fact, in one study, people with chronic insomnia were 5 times more likely to develop anxiety disorder. This is down to the amygdala (part of the brain that processes emotion) becoming “rewired”. The effect of this is that rational responses are reduced, resulting in potentially creating symptoms similar to those of Schizophrenia. Whilst this isn’t the case for a lot of people suffering from sleep deprivation, lack of concentration, mood swings, lethargy to name just a few are almost certain. Rather than focusing on the number of hours slept, it is important to ensure that you are getting good quality sleep to be at your optimum level of performance. Some people will need to seek medical help for severe sleep deprivation, however for many people, countering sleep deprivation is simply a matter of committing to improved sleep hygiene.
Ways to improve your sleep
- Put your body on a schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every-day
- Keep your bedroom dark and not using electronics once there; the light emitted by screens confuses your body’s internal clock.
- The backlit ‘blue light’ displays suppress melatonin production – the hormone that helps you sleep; the suppression of melatonin causes sleep disruption. You should stop using these devices two hours before you go to sleep to reduce their impact on your sleeping.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in the hours before bed whenever possible.
- Exercising on a regular basis is thought to help us sleep as well as helping to reduce anxiety and relieve stress.
Meditation
Meditation is a deep relation technique that has been shown to increase sleep time and the quality of sleep you have.
Head to: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/treatment/meditation and find out more.
You could also try relaxing to some peaceful music. A simple search online with pro-vide you with 100’s of options, but here is one to get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WasSqhmGYg4
Did you know… _
The Beatles song ‘Yesterday’ _came to Paul McCartney in a dream. It was only when no one he spoke to recognised the tune that he realised he had written it himself!
Useful Links
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/sleep/
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm
Upcoming Events
1st November: Loy Kratong (Buddhist)
1st November: All Saints’ Day (Christian)
1st November: All Souls’ Day/ Day of the Dead (Mexican)
5th November: Guy Fawkes/ Bonfire Night
8th November: Remembrance Sunday
8-15th November: Interfaith Week
11th November: Remembrance Day
14-18th November: Diwali (Hindu/ Sikh)
26th November: Thanksgiving (USA)
29th November: Advent Sunday (Christian)
30th November: St Andrew’s Day (Patron Saint of Scotland)
6th December: St Nicholas Day
8th December: Bodhi Day (Buddhist)
8th December: Immaculate Conception of Mary (Christian)
10th December: Human Rights’ Day
11-18th December: Hanukkah (Jewish)
21st December: Yule (Pagan/ Wiccan)
21st December: Winter Solstice (Druid)
24th December: Christmas Eve
25th December: Christmas Day
26th December: Boxing Day
26th December: Kwanzaa (USA)
31st December: New Years’ Eve/ Hogmanay
31st December: Omisoka (Japanese)
1st January: New Year’s Day
1st January: Feast Day of St Basil (Orthodox Christian)
1st January: Shogatsu/ Gantan-Sai (Shinto)
5th January: Twelfth Night (Christian)
6th January: Epiphany (Christian)
13th January: Maghi (Sikh)
28th January: Tu B’Shvat (Jewish)