A cohesive community is one that is in a state of well-being, harmony and stability. To support local councils in facilitating community cohesion, through listening to communities, engaging residents and assisting interaction between communities, the IDeA has published this practical approach to community cohesion work with young people. This community toolkit has been drawn up with Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council and Unison.It deals with the ‘blind spot’ consultation work – examining project methodology and giving hints and advice for consulting with young people. The toolkit recognises that there are no quick fix solutions to strengthening community cohesion. Instead it focuses on sustainable, long-term goals such as promoting citizenship, a common understanding of the future and engaging young people in democracy. It contains a DVD, with footage of the outcomes of the project and supporting documentation.
Britain’s leading public service union is claiming that local government employees worked the equivalent of 7million days overtime last year without being paid for it or given time off in lieu. A survey of almost 4,000 members of UNISON working for local authorities found that a third said they worked unpaid overtime each week, averaging an extra 4.6 hours.The survey was carried out for the union by MORI and UNISON says it reflects a workforce under increasing pressure, with 59 per cent of those questioned saying they had considered leaving their jobs in the last six months and almost three-quarters of those respondents feeling undervalued by their employers.
Read more on UNION SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS COUNCIL WORKERS’ UNPAID OVERTIME…
Changes in the way that illness is dealt with in the community are putting more pressure on emergency care services, according to a study published today. It finds that the changing profile of patients needing emergency care medicine across the UK has led to longer waiting times for those who are seriously ill and who need urgent treatment.The findings, published in “Emergency Medicine Journal” are based on ten years of data collected from three emergency departments, including one minor injuries unit, in Sheffield. The information records the time taken for every episode of care, from the moment each patient booked in until they were discharged from the emergency medicine department. The data covers four months from April to July in every year from 1993 to 2003.
Read more on STUDY SAYS CHANGES IN PATIENT PROFILE PUT PRESSURE ON EMERGENCY CARE…