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Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Slow down

Neil Thompson’s Lesson for Living – Slow down

Life can happen in a blur if we let it. Doing things quickly can easily become the norm, adding extra – generally unnecessary – pressure to our already fairly pressurised lives. As is so often the case with life’s challenges, what can easily arise is a vicious circle that we can get trapped in. We feel under pressure so we do things quickly. Our lives then become less satisfying, so we try to squeeze more in (rather than relish what we already have); to fit more in we have to do things more quickly, and that makes us feel more pressurised. The more pressurised we feel, the greater the temptation to do things quickly. And there we are, locked in,…
Dr Neil Thompson
April 6, 2017
What can the UK learn from how Finland solved homelessness?

What can the UK learn from how Finland solved homelessness?

A report by EU housing organisation Feantsa has found every country in the EU in the midst of a crisis of homelessness and housing exclusion – with one exception: Finland. So how has the country done it? By giving homeless people permanent housing as soon as they become homeless, rather than muddling along with various services that may eventually result in an offer of accommodation. It’s an idea is being considered in the UK by communities secretary Sajid Javid. We spoke to Juha Kaakinen, chief executive of the Y-Foundation, which provides 16,300 low cost flats to homeless people in Finland, to find out more. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
April 6, 2017
The health workers that help patients stay at home

The health workers that help patients stay at home

Every Monday morning, in a meeting room within earshot of the bells of Wakefield cathedral, a group of healthcare workers help to stage a mini-revolution. Nothing that you read in the next few minutes may strike you as particularly surprising. Yet the experimental manner in which they are working together in this corner of Yorkshire is being seen as a possible way to improve healthcare across the country, and save the NHS money. At the table is a healthcare assistant, called Kay, Karen the physiotherapist, then Jane the occupational therapist. On the other side sit two mental health nurses both called Rachel, and finally Sue Robson - another mental health nurse who's been with the NHS for 37 years. "I've…
Dr Neil Thompson
April 6, 2017
Millicent Fawcett to be first woman statue in Parliament Square

Millicent Fawcett to be first woman statue in Parliament Square

The suffragist Dame Millicent Fawcett is to be the first woman to be honoured with a statue in Parliament Square, the prime minister has announced. The equal rights campaigner who dedicated her life to getting the women's vote, will stand alongside Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. Theresa May said Dame Millicent "continues to inspire the battle against the injustices of today". All 11 statues in the central London square are currently men. The new statue will be funded using the £5m fund announced in this year's spring Budget to celebrate next year's centenary of the first British women to get the vote. Click here to read more
Dr Neil Thompson
April 6, 2017
Groundhog day: UK stuck in rut of high inequality

Groundhog day: UK stuck in rut of high inequality

Official Households Below Average Income statistics show that thanks to modest income growth across the distribution, the Gini measure of income inequality before housing costs has increased only slightly from 34 per cent to 35 per cent. While it’s not a statistically significant increase, what is hugely significant is that this is yet another year of failure to create a fairer society. You’ll see a lot of people today stating that inequality is the same as it was 25 years ago. For the avoidance of doubt, this is categorically not a good thing. That our current situation is comparable with inequality levels following a meteoric rise through the late 1970s and 1980s is no cause for complacency, let alone celebration.…
Dr Neil Thompson
April 6, 2017
Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living: Avoid drift

Neil Thompson’s Lessons for Living: Avoid drift

Drift is the term used for when we become unfocused, when we lose sight of what we are doing or what we are trying to achieve. Ever gone upstairs and, when you get to the top of the staircase, you have no idea why you went upstairs; your mind is blank? That’s drift. Ever been on the way to a meeting, got distracted then found yourself wondering where it was you were going? That’s drift. But there are more serious versions of drift. For example, an important meeting can get bogged down in detail and lose track of what was supposed to be discussed. A worker can lose sight of what they are trying to achieve or what their role…
Dr Neil Thompson
March 23, 2017
How poverty affects people’s decision-making processes

How poverty affects people’s decision-making processes

As poverty continues to be a feature of the social and economic landscape in the United Kingdom, attention is turning towards the potentially damaging role played by individual decisions made in low-income contexts. This report summarises the most recent evidence on the relationship between socioeconomic status and the psychological, social and cultural processes that underpin decision-making, it highlights: the results of 15 systematic reviews of recent evidence on the relationship between socioeconomic status and psychological, social and cultural processes underpinning decision-making; insights on the impact of poverty on thinking, behaviour patterns, facing challenges and engaging with the social world; a discussion of what these relationships mean for decision-making by those living in or near poverty; how decision-making in contexts of…
Dr Neil Thompson
March 23, 2017