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Good leaders choose to listen, then act

Good leaders choose to listen, then act

We’ve learned through the pandemic that listening to employees is even more important during a time of great stress than during normal times. If you think you have a great workplace, or aspire to be a great workplace, then assessing how you are doing during a challenge is going to be more insightful than when things are fine. So when is the best time to solicit employee feedback? Company leaders should ask themselves – and their leadership team – two questions: Do you care what your employees think? Does it matter what your employees think? Click here to read more 
Dr Neil Thompson
July 6, 2021
LGBT-inclusive RSHE: Putting it into practice guide

LGBT-inclusive RSHE: Putting it into practice guide

All children and young people deserve an education that supports them to thrive. Quality relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) is an important part not only of keeping children and young people safe, but of helping them to lead happy, healthy and fulfilled lives. At Stonewall, we’ve worked with hundreds of schools and colleges to help create a world where all children and young people are free to be themselves. Our team of experts have created some free guidance to help schools feel confident planning and delivering LGBT-inclusive RSHE. To read the guidance in full, download our guide, ‘Putting it into Practice’. We are grateful to Sex Education Forum for their help in developing the content. Click here to read…
Dr Neil Thompson
July 6, 2021
Anxiety: How you can help your child – with five simple coping techniques

Anxiety: How you can help your child – with five simple coping techniques

Over the course of the pandemic, many children have been feeling worried and anxious. Mental health services have seen a significant increase in anxiety, depression and the use of unhelpful coping strategies – for instance, using food, self-harm, tantrums and avoidance of worrying situations - to manage tricky feelings. We spoke to clinical psychologist Doctor Anna Colton. She explains the causes of anxiety and offers some techniques to stop anxious thoughts, as well as tips on how to help your child manage their anxiety. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
July 6, 2021
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Save face

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living – Save face

To lose face means to become embarrassed or to feel that your standing has been diminished. Unfortunately, if we are not sensitive enough in our interactions with other people, we can easily unintentionally make them lose face – for example, by implying a criticism of them. In some cases this can lead you an aggressive reaction. This is because, if people are faced with a choice between losing face and reacting strongly, many will choose the latter. Indeed, feeling diminished or humiliated is a common cause of aggressive or even violent reactions. We therefore need to make sure that we are skilful enough to avoid contributing to situations where people lose face. Saving face means, on the one hand, not…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 22, 2021
Book review – Outlanders: Hidden Narratives from Social Workers of Colour from Black & Other Global Majority Communities

Book review – Outlanders: Hidden Narratives from Social Workers of Colour from Black & Other Global Majority Communities

Neil has recently had the privilege to review three new books on anti-racism. The first of these is now available at: https://drneilthompson.medium.com/book-review-outlanders... His own book, Anti-racism for Beginners, will be published soon.
Dr Neil Thompson
June 22, 2021
Seth Godin’s blog – Five useful questions

Seth Godin’s blog – Five useful questions

They might be difficult to answer, but your project will benefit: What’s the hard part? Which part of your work, if it suddenly got much better, would have the biggest impact on the outcome you seek? How are you spending your time? If we took at look at your calendar, how much time is spent reacting or responding to incoming, how much is under your control, and how much is focused on the hard part? Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
June 22, 2021
More tailored support services needed to ensure older people being abused can get the help and support they need

More tailored support services needed to ensure older people being abused can get the help and support they need

A report from the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales has highlighted the need for more services and support tailored to meet the needs of older people who are experiencing or at risk of abuse to ensure they can access the help and support they need to keep them safe or leave abusive relationships. The report also identifies a number of issues that can prevent older people from accessing services and support, including a lack of awareness amongst some policy-makers and practitioners about the specific ways that older people may experience abuse, and the kinds of support that would have the most beneficial impact. In addition, a lack of accurate and comprehensive data relating to older people’s experiences of abuse creates…
Dr Neil Thompson
June 22, 2021