Cordis Bright’s Post

Parliament has now been dissolved and political parties are solidifying their policy agendas in preparation for the upcoming election. Already, there is a renewed focus on issues central to our work at Catch22. Major parties have made early announcements on prisons, knife crime, and youth mental health, and we are only on day nine of the campaign. Last autumn, Catch22 published our manifesto, drawing from our frontline expertise to highlight the necessary changes to improve the lives of our service users and staff: https://lnkd.in/dHA6evUC Our recommendations include: - A renewed focus on adolescents and the specific challenges faced by those leaving care. - Tailored support for meaningful employment and skills development. - Embracing rehabilitation. - Increasing support for victims of crime. We hope to see more parties addressing these critical areas in their manifestos and policy announcements. Catch22 looks forward to collaborating with the new government to advance these vital issues.

May 5th is the National Day of Awareness fir Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirited People. We are losing far too many of our family members to violence. The National Enquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls issued Calls for Justice to stop the violence. The Calls for Justice are aimed at governments, media, health & wellness services providers, transportation services & hospitality industry, police services, law societies & attorneys, educators, social workers involved in child welfare, extraction, & development industries, correctional services and all Canadians. Government is taking time responding to the Calls for Justice. I challenge corporations and communities to be leaders and make change for Indigenous women to be safe and contribute to society in the best way possible.

Day 2 of Labour party conference! My top tip from today has been to wear something distinctive so the event chairs can single you out when choosing people to ask questions. I'll be digging through my suitcase for my most unique items of clothing! Today kicked off with an IPPR event on tackling poverty and raising living standards. Winter fuel payments obviously came up but struggles to heat homes are certainly not limited to pensioners. I'll be reflecting on what other options we should be looking at in this area. Next up was an event on crime and justice. Panellists spoke about how building more prison spaces won't be enough and we need to think about how to reduce our prison population. When asked about the upcoming sentencing review, I was concerned to hear the minister present focus on the need to consider public perceptions and the limiting impact that would have on how radical the review would be without any plans to challenge those perceptions which are wildly different from the actual reality. I managed to squeeze in a coffee with the wonderful Baroness Hilary Armstrong then it was back to IPPR for an event on social security and supporting people into good work. A really interesting discussion around how much conditionality there should be in our social security system. I loved the point that one of the speakers made that social security is seen differently from other public services and the most comparable is actually the probation service in terms of the scrutiny and punitive nature of it. To finish the day was an event on temporary accommodation where I was finally able to ask the question I'd been attempting to ask at multiple events: how do we break down the barriers to work for people in supported accommodation? Now off to bed before another full day tomorrow!

Last week Care England published a report on the results of its Sector Pulse Check Survey 2023 undertaken in partnership with Hft, a national learning disability charity. The report - link in post below - analyses the financial health and workforce of adult social care, providing an important benchmark for the nature and scale of challenges facing the sector. The report highlights that workforce costs were the most significant financial pressure for adult social care providers in 2023, and that 79% of those responding to the survey reported that local authority fees did not cover the costs associated with the increased National Living Wage from April 2023. A Member Fee Survey undertaken by Partners in Care in October 2023 found that only 19% of respondents feel that the current local authority fee rates they receive from local authorities in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin cover their actual weekly operating costs. Politics aside, it's critical that Government invests in adult social care to meet the needs of our ageing population with increasing numbers living with complex needs. #socialcare #ageingpopulation

As part of the NHS England’s health and justice inclusive workforce programme, we developed the non-custodial career and competence framework. This framework is helping the health and justice workforce by providing clearly outlined roles and progression routes, allowing employers and individuals to understand how they contribute to service outcomes.   Non-custodial pathways support some very crucial elements of the justice sector: ✅ Supporting rehabilitation by making sure individuals get the healthcare they need, such as help with substance abuse or mental health ✅ Helping increase out-of-court resolutions and reducing the strain on custody and detention systems ✅ Safeguarding vulnerable people and helping prevent individuals entering the criminal justice system Read the full case study: https://ow.ly/ARww50SPcvK #Framework #Workforce #JusticeServices 

The LGA are pleased to announce Partners in Care and Health (PCH) are organising a new webinar Tackling exploitation and modern slavery in adult social care on 7 February. Tackling exploitation and modern slavery in Adult Social Care 7 February 2024, 11:00 – 12:30 https://lnkd.in/ehHUURwY In June 2023 the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) reported a significant increase in reports of exploitation in adult social care. The decentralised nature of the adult social care market, the rise in the number of overseas workers, the growing use of agencies, low rates of unionisation and the widespread use of temporary contracts may all contribute to this greater exploitation risk. In this webinar we will hear how some councils are working with national and local partners to identify and manage the risks of exploitation and modern slavery in adult social care. Speakers include: Amanda Whittaker-Brown, Senior Advisor, Partners in Care and Health (Chair) Gang Masters and Labour Abuse Authority Council representatives

🚨 Important Read: "Preventing Violence Against Social Workers – Advocating for Change" 🚨 In our latest feature, we tackle a critical issue facing the social work profession: workplace violence. We sought the expert opinion of Kiva Harper, LCSW-S (she/her), LCSW-S, an esteemed Associate Professor of Practice of Social Work at the The University of Texas at Arlington, to shed light on this pressing topic. She is also the owner of @Harper Counseling and Consulting Services. Key Takeaways: +Understanding the risks faced by social workers. + Strategies for enhancing safety and advocating for systemic change. This article is not just a read but a call to action for policymakers, social work professionals, and all those committed to creating a safer work environment in the social work sector. #SocialWorkSafety #Advocacy #SocialChange https://lnkd.in/ge9FXdps

abolish. abolish. abolish.

Tomorrow, Seattle city council votes on 3 regressive, counter productive, anti-progress ordinances that won’t make any of us safer but will put more of us under the boot of the criminal “justice” system. Here’s the comment I will be submitting in response. Please reach out to your city council member and show your solidarity with the labor movement by opposing SOAP/SODA/loitering ordinances which divert funds away from job creating housing/social services toward expensive and ineffective law enforcement mechanisms that even our cops don’t want. If you can’t make it in person, you can also reach the full council or your individual member to us way: Written Comments You can email all nine Councilmembers by sending your comments to council@seattle.gov (mailto:council@seattle.gov) or contacting them individually. (https://lnkd.in/gr3pGXti) Here’s my comment: My name is Byram Simpson. I am a member and representative of OPEIU Local 8 and a delegate to the MLK Labor Council. Our labor movement stands with our community in opposition to the regressive soap/soda and prostitution loitering ordinances. We know that safe communities are achieved through robust investments in community spaces, social services and affordable housing. Make our community prosperous with good union jobs to build a safer, more connected future for us all. The ordinances before council will make not a single person safer. Criminalization and incarceration are the most expensive and the least effective way to address social problems. Seattle faces a historic deficit. It is time to invest in real solutions. Invest in our communities. Invest in our labor. Invest in what works. Vote no on the failures of the past.

Thanks for all the messages of support and feedback following last nights Channel 4 news coverage. Hopefully it’s the start of somthing much bigger… but what happens next is down to you! THE ASK It’s time for an independent inquiry by an external body who can examine the systemic failings and democratic deficit at the heart of PFEW and hold the organisation and its officials accountable for their actions and/or inaction. We need your help to bring about this change. BUT WHAT CAN I DO? I’ve tried to make this process as simple as possible.  I’ve prepared a briefing paper for you to read, and if you agree with me, all you need do is add your MP’s details, Sign, download the paper and forward onto your MP along with your details and a brief paragraph on why you want them to act on this matter. Please copy us into the e-mail so we can keep a track on who has been sent what and when copsagainst@outlook.com Its that simple! The idea is to generate constituency noise whilst providing all MP’s with the information they need to make representations on our behalf. Start now by downloading the Briefing paper contained in the blog. https://lnkd.in/eswwhckH Like with the Victimisation and Discrimination claims against PFEW and the Pension Challenge claims before that, change only happens if we stand together and demand it. Lets make change happen! DEMAND AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO THE POLICE FEDERATION OF ENGLAND AND WALES