Covid-19 and the Battle for the Control of Teaching

June 4, 2020June 4, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, there has been a strong wave of public support for key workers and this has included teachers; for example, they are explicitly mentioned on the front page of the clap for our carers website. However there are widely differing views about the crucial role of schools and teachers in enabling the economy to begin to return to something like normal. On one side the right wing press - and the Education Secretary - cleverly placed this as a call to the 'duty' of teachers, positioning 'hero' teachers in opposition to the teacher unions. On the other, many parents are concerned about the safety of schools for their children. Other UK nations - not to mention some English LAs - take the view that it is unsafe to open schools so soon, as we can see. Meanwhile, the Children's Commissioner argues that disadvantaged children need to return to school quickly.

Proposals, Packages, Priorities: why Universities need support during C-19

May 13, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

Universities have proved their worth in the COVID-19 crisis, responding at speed not simply to their own students and research partners’ changed demands, but to the communities and the national effort. But there is a clear sense that the skies will darken once the immediate crisis abates. The concerns include a precipitous fall in international students and constrained local mobility, student retention and progression to university, and the impact of a prolonged economic recession on research and development budgets. These concerns led Universities UK – the umbrella body for the country’s 137 universities, of which I am a Board member, to develop a proposal to government for a systematic programme of support.

COVID-19: Blurred Spatial Boundaries?

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

The social, economic and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the UK Government issuing instructions for members of the public to 'stay at home' with limited exceptions for shopping, exercise, medical need, and essential travel for work purposes. These directions are supported by Regulations that restrict the operation of public meeting places (or Third Places) including restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas and gyms. The guidelines for entering a public space, and the maintenance of a 2 metres distance from other individuals not of the same household, pose fresh questions about blurred spatial boundaries.

WITHOUT ‘HOME’ AND AWAY FROM CHILDREN: HOMELESSNESS AND MOTHERHOOD DURING COVID-19

May 6, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

Dr Emma Bimpson and Dr Kesia Reeve discuss the unique and profound challenges that COVID-19 is likely to pose to mothers experiencing homelessness. Last year we completed a research study exploring the experiences of homeless mothers for the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) and Sheffield Hallam University. Now that we are all adjusting to a life spent entirely at ‘home’ we have had cause to think about the mothers who participated in that research. It is difficult to imagine what the domestic circumstances described by those women – in the lead up to their homelessness and then afterwards – would look like in the context of COVID-19.

Youth Unemployment and Covid-19: Avoiding the creation of a pandemic generation

May 5, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

There are nearly seven million 16-24 years olds in the UK; around 1 in 10 of the national population. The scale of government responses across much of the world to the Covid-19 pandemic have been unprecedented in peacetime. Extensive business and employee support schemes (such as furloughing) have prevented an economic downturn turning into a huge crisis of mass unemployment and rapidly increasing poverty.

Never more needed – the voluntary and community sector and COVID-19

May 4, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

As the COVID-19 crisis has spread, Governments across the world have responded with a variety of virus-suppressing restrictions. Our everyday lives and livelihoods have been upended. We have become locked into an all-encompassing ‘Coronaverse’.

Flouting the rules on Covid 19: Things the government could learn from schools about behaviour management

May 1, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

With ‘lockdown’ firmly in place, no-one can be in doubt about Government rules. However, only recently the BBC News reported anti-social behaviour being on the increase. There will be those who always misbehave, however, daily I see groups of, I'm sure, 'normally law-abiding citizens' gathered together, playing, or simply enjoying the sunshine. This is particularly concerning given the volume of media reminders.

DELIVERING PROBATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

April 30, 2020May 1, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

The Covid-19 pandemic has touched every aspect of society. It has shone a light on parts of society which tend to go unnoticed and highlighted the ways in which the disadvantaged bear the brunt of events like this. In relation to the criminal justice system, there has been a focus on the policing of lockdown laws and how to protect people in prisons. But we should not forget the impact on probation services which – in England and Wales – are responsible for supervising around 250,000 people in the community. Here, I want to highlight some of the ways in which probation services are being affected by the current situation.

COVID-19 and the need for behavioural science

April 7, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

Call for Research Participants Researchers in the Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology (CeBSAP) are conducting a survey to understand how people are responding to COVID-19 health recommendations in order to inform similar health guidance and messages and develop effective communication in the future. If you are interested in taking part, you can access … Continue reading COVID-19 and the need for behavioural science

Social Prescribing at a Crossroads

January 20, 2020January 21, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

Social prescribing is a policy innovation that aims to improve health and wellbeing for people with complex health conditions by enabling healthcare practitioners to refer patients to activities provided by voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs) in their local area. Having started out as a bottom-up social movement lead by GPs and community organisations … Continue reading Social Prescribing at a Crossroads