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The Latest Bulletin

BAYO welcomes you

BAYO welcomes you

BAYO means 'Joy has found us' in Yoruba and it is a space to find collectives, organisations and services from across the UK -- for the Black community -- to support your mental health and wellbeing, and it is run by The Ubele Initiative. We are continuously adding new organisations to the directory and have a link that you can use to tell us about organisations that have been useful to you that others may like to know about. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
February 13, 2024
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Tolerate silence

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Tolerate silence

In working with people, emotions are never very far away. Being able to tune in to other people’s emotions, to be aware of our own and get the balance of head and heart right is often referred to as ‘emotional intelligence’. A key part of this is being able to tolerate silences. When someone is distressed or otherwise in the grip of strong emotions, they may fall silent, and that silence can feel very uncomfortable for us. We can be very tempted to jump in and ask a question or just fill the gap in some way. Understandable though this may be, it can be quite problematic because we are, in effect, giving the person concerned the message that dealing…
Dr Neil Thompson
January 31, 2024
Spain elects first parliamentarian with Down’s syndrome

Spain elects first parliamentarian with Down’s syndrome

Spain has elected its first parliamentarian with Down's syndrome. Mar Galcerán was voted into Valencia's regional assembly, in the east of the country. She is thought to be the first person with the genetic disorder to join a European regional or national parliament. Her appointment has been called "a huge step forward" and "an example of real inclusion." Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
January 31, 2024
Addressing inequalities: The role of staff race networks

Addressing inequalities: The role of staff race networks

In March 2021 Acas commissioned Essex Business School to undertake an Acas partnership research project on the role of staff race networks. This reflected increasing recognition of the importance of employee network groups, particularly race networks, in helping employers act on equality issues in the workplace, especially those around recruitment and progression. The growth in racism consciousness spawned by the Black Lives Matter political and social movement has renewed interest in the role of race networks in tackling ethnic inequities. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
January 31, 2024
Tackling sexual harassment in the workplace – Employer toolkit

Tackling sexual harassment in the workplace – Employer toolkit

The Tackling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace toolkit is a free resource. It will help employers create workplaces where women are safe to report incidents of sexual harassment and support employers to respond appropriately – creating environments where sexual harassment does not happen in the first place.  Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
January 31, 2024
Spotlight – The Values-based Practice Manual

Spotlight – The Values-based Practice Manual

Values are at the heart of best practice. This important manual offers a successful blend of theoretical understanding with very helpful practice guidance to enable readers to make sense of the complex but vitally important issues. This is an ideal resource for anyone involved in types of work where success depends on effective engagement with people. Available from https://nti.coderra.uk/shop/ or Amazon
Dr Neil Thompson
January 11, 2024
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Silence does not equal consent

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Silence does not equal consent

This is a mistake I made many times early in my career: making a suggestion or proposal, having no one object to it and then assuming that the lack of explicit objection constituted agreement to what I had put forward. I then had the unpleasant experience of watching my plans fall apart as people did not cooperate with them or play their part in moving things forward – or even, on some occasions, actively sabotaged what I was trying to do. It only slowly became apparent to me that they were never really ‘on board’ in terms of what I had proposed but, for whatever reason, had chosen not to voice their disagreement. So, there is a very important lesson…
Dr Neil Thompson
January 11, 2024