Vic

#NASW strongly opposes the motion to expel the Israeli Union of Social Workers (IUSW) from the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). Read our full statement: tinyurl.com/5rtf954s

Thank you. An ethical approach

Response to the final English local government finance settlement | Institute for Fiscal Studies 2025–26 will continue the substantial above-inflation increases in funding for English councils, but their costs have also been outpacing inflation.

This @TheIFS analysis of the 2025/26 local government finance settlement calculates it’s a 6.4% real terms increase. While substantial, it will still be a stretch to fund extra #socialcare costs, driven especially by the NICs increases for care providers. ifs.org.uk/articles/ifs...

Sussex police consider manslaughter charges over dozens of hospital deaths Bereaved told police are looking into possible corporate and individual charges, after alleged negligence and cover-up

I don't think it is any surprise that these are the charges which the police are "considering" - hard to see why they would have invesitgated otherwise as most clinical errors are civil cases. But consdiering is a long way from actually bringing charges.

Bought for £215k in Dec 2018

Following Kathleen’s subsequent move to a nursing home in 2021, aged 97, the flat was put up for sale in March 2021 by her daughter, Deborah Whale for £225,000. The price was gradually reduced until it was finally sold, over 3 years later, in July 2024 for £100,000

Social Work Links and Learning #155 1 February 2025

Published this week’s newsletter a day early

open.substack.com/pub/vic15/p/...

Research: Incivility at Work Silences Everyone, But Especially Women Incivility at work isn’t good for anyone. But while both men and women are less likely to speak up in uncivil environments, women are more likely to withhold their ideas due to concerns about gender b...

You don’t need to be rude to get your point across.

As the Pink Floyd roadie said: “Good manners don't cost nothin', do they, eh?”

hbr.org/2025/01/rese...

Trump pardons give Jan 6 defendants nearly everything they wanted - BBC News Some of the president's own team had signalled not all of those arrested over the Capitol riot would be released - until his order on Monday.

Has any other democratic country pardoned violent criminals on this scale? There’s something almost medieval about it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Hope it went ok

Such a great prize & all you need to do is listen to the episode & post your reflection to be in with a chance of winning. The book is brilliant!

NHSE accused of cutting action to protect staff from violence A union has accused NHS England of trying to save money at the expense of reducing violence against healthcare staff, as several national initiatives face the axe.

Unfortunately, it seems an opportune moment to repost this story from last year.

Social Work Links and Learning #152 12 January 2025

open.substack.com/pub/vic15/p/... newsletter from yesterday - share if you find it useful. I publish most Sundays

Anorexic teenager in 10-day induced coma for re-feeding: What next? Doctors gave her a general anaesthetic, ventilated and sedated her, and fitted her with an NG tube, believing this to be in her best interests. She did not consent to any of this – there was …

My new blog post

Would love to hear people's views on treating anorexia this way. It's not something I'd come across before.

openjusticecourtofprotection.org/2024/12/14/a...

Introducing my partner to a Prime cooking show which has just said ‘chop your spaghetti into little pieces’ and I think I’ve broken his Italian heart

Mama capybara next to a bowl of salad where a little baby capybara is standing like it doesn't give a flip

important announcement: there is a new baby capybara at the San Antonio Zoo named Tupi. i would lay down my life for Tupi

Would you check out this job ad, who wouldn't want to work with Donald. If I wasn't at the other end of the country I'd be tempted. Imagine getting paid to swim, cycle, explore and chill.

Love @cchangescotland.bsky.social. This is like a Flourishing Lives job ad @sarasiobhan.bsky.social 🙌

2024's anti incumbency wave strikes again

Potato 🥔

Only two more weeks until all the single career women in New York go home to their parents and fall in love with a lumberjack widower who hasn't celebrated Christmas since the mother of his only child died.

Thanks so much for making the link - I’ve shared email details so hopefully we’ll link up and it really is like old Twitter!

Currrently struggling with rail challenges to get back to London and doing my best at zen like ‘there’s nothing I can do to change the situation’ with intermittent success

Thanks so much. Do you mind if I use this in a session tomorrow with my (NHS) social work team? (Credited). We have some time to thrash out/reflect on how we are adding value to MDT and how we can best evidence it

'I quit to fight for my son': how the SEND crisis is wrecking women's careers Four in 10 parents of children with special educational needs have stopped working, and mothers are hit the hardest

I wrote about the way the SEND crisis is quietly unpicking women's lives - destroying careers, dismantling relationships, damaging physical and mental health.

And all this goes on unacknowledged.

Long read for The i Paper:

inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

A bar chart titled “Number of low-income households in hardship, May 2022 – October 2024” displays data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) cost of living tracker survey conducted by Savanta. The chart is divided into three categories: 1. Going without essentials: Both May 2024 and October 2024 show 7 million low-income households struggling without basic necessities. 2. Including food insecurity: Both May 2024 and October 2024 report 5.4 million low-income households experiencing food insecurity. 3. In arrears: Both May 2024 and October 2024 show 4.3 million households in arrears. The visual demonstrates consistent hardship levels across the reported periods.

New figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation:

- 7 million families are going without essentials, including 5.4 million without enough food.
- 86% of those on Universal Credit, and 93% of those with UC deductions, are affected.

Overgenerous benefits, #Dispatches?

Which is wrong

I wonder if more linking across trusts would be beneficial - maybe networks of NHS social workers (not just at ‘principal’ levels)

That’s appalling

Today we celebrate #IDPD2024 with the theme "Amplifying the Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive & Sustainable Future." Let’s build a world where leadership knows no barriers & disabled voices lead the way.
#LeadershipWithoutBarriers #AmplifyDisabilityLeadership #NoOneLeftBehind

Social Work Cats & Rocket Science book 2 available for pre order from online book shops now. Huge thanks to @sarasiobhan.bsky.social & School of Rock and Media for writing the forwards @robmitch92.bsky.social

That’s so sad but I think it tells a story