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Blog
Not up to the job
I was too trusting Other people let me down I didn’t ask the right questions I forgot my values I didn’t understand the technical stuff but was reluctant to admit it I...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
27 May 2024
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AI Chatbots
Paul Gray and colleagues at Scottish Government Library have created an excellent guide to AI Chatbots and Search Engines. It'll show you the pros and cons, the dos and don'ts, and the fine...
By:
Helen Blockwell
Last updated:
24 May 2024
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GKIM Civil Service Live
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The Smart way to deal with bullies
A group of Hells Angels roar up to a transport cafe and noisily tumble through the door shoving and pushing each other. There is one customer a truck driver who has just sat down to eat a...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
24 May 2024
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School Uniform Donation Appeal 2024
Not every child starts school in August with a new uniform, and this can profoundly impact their self-esteem. Our mission is to ensure that every child experiences the same sense of belonging as...
By:
Collette Moran
Last updated:
23 May 2024
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The fox is in the hen house and other cryptic messages.
The door is open but they insist on climbing through the window The gardener-my garden is full of weeds the herbicide isn’t working. I need someone to pull them up by their roots. We...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
23 May 2024
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Talking your way out of trouble
The smooth talker doesn’t make up implausible excuses, like my dog ate my home work or the WiFi went down , they admit their mistakes, apologise and use humour and flattery to get them selves out...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
22 May 2024
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Children coming into care: when data tells us the what but not the why
The publication of the latest Children’s Social Work Statistics 2022-23 ‘Looked After Children’ data at the end of last month (April 2024) should provide us with a picture of what’s happening for...
By:
Micky Anderson
Last updated:
21 May 2024
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Children's Care and Protection Data Community for Scotland
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Best career advice ever
“I'm giving you a chance to survive this place not a f****ing career opportunity “ The tattooist of Auschwitz
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
19 May 2024
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Do we expect too much from the workplace ?
I was reading an article on how important it was that employees were made to feel they belong. Whilst I agree it is a problem if people feel they don’t fit in or belong in a team or organisation I...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
19 May 2024
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Friends teaching AI to be sarcastic
Artificial Intelligence (AI ) like Sheldon has trouble detecting sarcasm. The very brainy Sheldon is like AI very literal. But that could soon change using episodes of US comedies like The...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
17 May 2024
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Some of the best solutions come from informal conversations!
Scottish Recovery Network brings together people, services and organisations, across sectors, to create a mental health system that is recovery focused and powered by lived experience. A key part...
By:
Christine Muir
Last updated:
15 May 2024
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“ We never ever do nice and easy”
In the intro to the live version of Proud Mary, Tina Turner says, “ We never ever do nice and easy” she was talking about the energy they put into their performance but if you know...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
19 May 2024
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Job Opening: Zero Carbon Council Policy Project Lead
"Are you passionate about climate action and committed to driving change and supporting our internal work on carbon management to become carbon neutral by 2030? We have an excellent...
By:
Kunal Prasad
Last updated:
12 May 2024
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The best ever episode of Four in a Bed
Four couples compete to see who has the best value for money B&B. Having been treated fairly by everyone else the couple had an apparently unbeatable 100% final score. Just to be sure of...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
08 May 2024
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Bible now Illegal ?
Early in May (this year) the Antisemitic Awareness Act was passed by US Congress. It is a Bill which among other things criminalises any passage of any book (including the Bible)...
By:
Ian Messenger
Last updated:
07 May 2024
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Biblical Christianity
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Spuddle -17 th century
They’re hard working, they put in the hours, no one doubts their commitment. Pity they‘re useless. Their diary is full of meetings from early morning to early evening. Their mail box is full....
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
05 May 2024
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What is the Historic Environment Skills Forum?
The Historic Environment Skills Forum was launched in November 2022 in direct response to Action 1.1 of the Heritage Sector Resilience Plan. The purpose of the Skills Forum is to...
By:
Phil Pollard
Last updated:
01 May 2024
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It’s expensive and one day it will work
It wasn’t Covid. It wasn’t the War. It wasn’t leaving the EU. It wasn’t the Trade Unions or the Government that brought the largest Local Authority in the country to its knees. It was IT....
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Blair McPherson
Last updated:
01 May 2024
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Intelligent, clever or smart
The problem with calling AI Artificial Intelligence is humans may increasingly mistake it for human intelligence and defer to it attributing intellectual powers to machines that they don’t have....
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
25 Apr 2024
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Alzheimer Scotland Advisor Service
Thank you to Elaine Edgar, Dementia Advisor, Alzheimer Scotland for writing this article for Inverclyde Supporting Self Management. Hello, I’m Elaine Edgar and I am the Dementia Advisor...
By:
Annette Wilson
Last updated:
24 Apr 2024
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Inverclyde Supporting Self Management Community of Practice
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No experience require but excitement guaranteed
When you’re young, just about to leave school or university isn’t this exactly what you’re looking for in a first job? This particular recruitment advert was accompanied by a picture of an...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
23 Apr 2024
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Metadata & Asset Discovery - Round 2
Hi All. Thank you for your input into the metadata guidance so far. In line with your feedback and our most recent session, I have decided to use the blog posts in Knowledge Hub more as a...
By:
Kathryn Reynolds
Last updated:
23 Apr 2024
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Scottish Government Data Transformation Framework group
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Skills Forum Webinar Series
The Historic Environment Skills Forum host a series of bi-monthly webinars focused on heritage skills issues. Webinars will be grouped under one the following three themes A) Showcase: Guest...
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Phil Pollard
Last updated:
01 May 2024
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Historic Environment Skills Forum
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Internal relations make the difference
What makes a difference to an organisations success and what makes a difference to a managers effectiveness are the same - internal relations. Strong , positive, supportive internal relationships...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
15 Apr 2024
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I am the Question not the Answer
Organisations look to leaders for the answers but effective leaders ask questions. Good questions. Good question prompt others to focus on the right things and come up with solutions. Blair...
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Blair McPherson
Last updated:
14 Apr 2024
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Place and Wellbeing Outcomes, Indicators and Intentions
‘A Scotland where everybody thrives’ is the overarching ambition of Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) Strategic Plan 2022-25, which focuses on improving life expectancy and reducing health...
By:
Amy Stevenson
Last updated:
22 Apr 2024
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Place and Wellbeing Network
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You’re getting sacked in the morning
It’s a chant beloved by opposition supporters to taunt rival managers during a bad run of results. It’s even worse if your own supporters join in. Real Madrid supports traditionally wave a white...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
07 Apr 2024
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Resenteeism
Not every one is lucky enough to love their job but it can’t be good for an organisation to have significant numbers who hate it! Lack of job satisfaction, low morale, a stalled...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
06 Apr 2024
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What she did was wrong but was the punishment too harsh ?
Mavis had been a care worker in this large 60 bedded traditional residential care home for older people for years. She lived just round the corner. She was a middle aged woman with a family who had...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
04 Apr 2024
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“ Do you know how to land this ?”
Every air craft needs a pilot for take off and landing These are the difficult bits of flying. It’s the same with organisations the difficult bits are getting lift off, it requires a lot of...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
02 Apr 2024
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What story does Scotland's latest statistics on child protection tell?
The Scottish Government has this week (26 March 2024) published the annual child protection statistics for August 2022 to July 2023. While waiting for this year’s publication, a key question was...
By:
Alexander McTier
Last updated:
27 Mar 2024
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Children's Care and Protection Data Community for Scotland
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When management only pretend to care
There is delegation and then there is abdication. Some organisation refer all complaints made to the Chief Executive (CE) back down the line to the responsible manager. So the complainant can find...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
20 Mar 2024
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Atamis
I am working in collaboration with two other public sector organisations to address current performance issues with the provider, Atamis. We are keen to understand if any other...
By:
Amy Halkyard
Last updated:
18 Mar 2024
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Government Commercial Function (GCF)
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Odd , unusual and often bizarre behaviour by managers
You have heard the story about the famous Rock band who’s manager placed a rider in the band’s contract that they be provided with a a bowl of M & N’s in their dressing room but with no...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
17 Mar 2024
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Naked person on the bus
It’s apparently a surprisingly common occurrence for London Transport. The unusual may not be a surprise even so there is a big difference between identifying the fridge thief and catching the...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
12 Mar 2024
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The difference between courteous and helpful
My recent experience of trying to resolve a problem as a customer has made me realise that the people at the other end of the phone don’t understand the difference between courteous and helpful....
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
07 Mar 2024
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Depends how you look at it
Our financial problems are because we are not competitive and we are not competitive because we are inefficient due to a reluctance to embrace new technology and change working practices. Or our...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
07 Mar 2024
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The problem isn’t AI it’s people
People are teaching AI bad habits. It’s like when your Dad teaches you to drive. People put too much faith in untested technology. People can’t be trusted not to abuse the power and opportunities...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
06 Mar 2024
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No excuses
The football manager who after a disastrous run of results points out that with a relatively small squad, an exceptionally long list of injuries, including the top score, they have been...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
05 Mar 2024
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Data Governance: creating a Framework
One of the most difficult questions for anyone undertaking Data Governance is where to start? For many the need for better data quality will be the main driver and indeed it's likely...
By:
Sally Kerr
Last updated:
05 Mar 2024
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Scottish Government Data Transformation Framework group
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I thought my job was safe because no one else would want it.
It was a senior manager the restructuring was presented as more of a reshuffle. The boss said he wanted to move people around. He had done this before in responcse to a criss in one area of the...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
24 Feb 2024
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February 2024 SysTime
SysTime is STIG's series of interactive seminars. We are currently working our way through the Systems Thinking Toolkit on gov.uk, and this month we focused on Tool 4 in this guide - Behaviour Over...
By:
Katie Gronow
Last updated:
22 Feb 2024
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Systems Thinking Interest Group (STIG)
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Running on empty
Juergen Klopp shocked the world of professional football recently by announcing he would be leaving his post of manager of Liverpool at the end of the season. What surprised...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
13 Feb 2024
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But he gets results
That was always the excuse but was the past about to catch up with him? You know the type their motto better to ask forgiveness than permission. Innovative and creative when it came to finding ways...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
13 Feb 2024
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More than one way to lose an argument
Managers particularly senior managers spend a lot of time in meetings. It’s the way most organisations do business so it is rather surprising that so many managers report finding the experience...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
08 Feb 2024
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The opposite of a dysfunctional team is not a nice team
He was a very nice man but an ineffective leader. She was abrasive, opinionated and intolerant of those less experienced. Together they frustrated and annoyed the rest of the team. ...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
08 Feb 2024
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4 days a week
My school maths text book set the following problem. If a boat being rowed by four men can cover a mile in 10 minutes how long would it take a 10 men to row the same distance? The assumption being...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
04 Feb 2024
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Be curious
Tattooed on the arm of every Cnief Executive and Council Leader, Portfolio holder and senior manager. Be curious, ask the right questions, if the rumours persist investigate...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
01 Feb 2024
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First line managers are both the problem and the solution
First line managers who don’t look after their people or who don’t know how to look after their people undermine an organisation. First line managers who look after their people enhance an...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
01 Feb 2024
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The Away Day Hell
I’m not talking about team building trust creating rope climbs or raft making. I’m talking about taking the team away from the office to sit all day in a stuffy over heated hotel conference room...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
31 Jan 2024
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Is AI a car crash waiting to happen?
According to a Guardian article self drive cars will be on UK roads by 2026. According to many business analysts organisations are increasingly reliant on AI to make the big business decisions....
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
30 Jan 2024
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I’m not feeling it today
“ They are really annoying especially in the workplace” Joked Jodie Foster famous actor and mentor to a number of young people. “They’re like: ‘ Nah , I’m not feeling it today. I’m...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
25 Jan 2024
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SEHP's monthly newsletter
Hi all, Please find attached a link to the partnership's monthly newsletter, which includes introductions from our two new team members!! January Newsletter ...
By:
Madison Roberts
Last updated:
19 Jan 2024
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As cooperative as a dung beetle but not necessarily smarter
Scientists have discovered that dung beetles are the only creatures that cooperate like humans in moving an object to over come obsticals. (Guardian 17 January). Which presumably reinforces...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
10 Feb 2024
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Of course leadership makes a difference but does it make The difference.
“ I’m not afraid of an army of lions lead by sheep. I am afraid of an army of sheep lead by lions.” Alexander the Great. But maybe he should have been a little afraid. Poor...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
16 Jan 2024
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When work becomes meaningless
Her expectation of work experience whilst still at school were high and unrealistic almost comical to my baby boomer generation but typical of generation G . After the first day she came home...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
12 Jan 2024
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I never sleep well on a Sunday
For an increasing number of people the working week starts on a Sunday evening.That’s when they look at their diary for the weekend ahead. It’s when they start to think about work. What needs to...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
12 Jan 2024
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Operation Crossbow
I was watching one of those old how we won the Second World War films they always show at Christmas. An early scene in the film shows a security briefing about intelligence reports of the Germans...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
11 Jan 2024
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So why do bullies get promoted?
Bullies as opposed to weak, indecisive or unpleasant managers got to their position of authority because someone,somewhere thought they would be a good at management. Did they suddenly become...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
10 Jan 2024
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To Err is AI to recognise it is Human
Machines don’t lie. Machines don’t make mistakes. Machines don’t steal money. People do. This is the logic of believing machines over humans. As AI becomes an increasing essential component of our...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
10 Jan 2024
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Follow from the front
It sounds like a contradiction but it really just means take what the leader says and apply the underlying values and principles to the circumstances and situation you and your team find your...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
09 Jan 2024
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What were they really like ?
They were a great leader. Maybe they were once a great leader. They talk and walk and act as if they were a great leader. Were they ever really a great leader? This type of business...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
08 Jan 2024
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Newly published paper on using DAGs (directed acyclic graph) for conceptual framework and study protocol development
Development and use of a directed acyclic graph (DAG) for conceptual framework and study protocol development exploring relationships between dwelling characteristics and household transmission of...
By:
Obiageli Onyekpe
Last updated:
04 Jan 2024
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Environmental Public Health Tracking
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A three body problem
A 3 body problem- employees, management, customers Each exert a force which determines the direction and the way an organisation behaves. Like the interaction between the sun, moon and...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
02 Jan 2024
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Avoiding the language of violence at work
Some words convey action, energy and determination others violence. To launch a project as opposed to firing the starting gun or pulling the trigger. Two organisation may identify they same issues...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
26 Dec 2023
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Canvac R Vaccination
If you come across a dog, cat or ferret that has had the Canvac R vaccination, you need to check that they have had the right number of doses of the primary course, before they entered GB. ...
By:
Illegal Landings APHA
Last updated:
12 Dec 2023
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Let’s see less of each other next year
Don't really want to work with you but can't say so. Don't really want to be at this meeting but darn't say so. Don't see what's in it for us but better not say so. Don't agree with you but it...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
10 Dec 2023
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Good leaders never overlook human collateral damage.
“Explain to me why it is more noble to kill 10,000 men in battle than a dozen at dinner?” Tywin Lannister ( Game of Thrones) says in defence of that infamous Red Wedding ambush. This...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
08 Dec 2023
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Does the job change you?
I am reading the latest Ian Rankin book. One strand of the story concerns a police officer accused of,” domestic abuse” and repeated assault. The evidence is overwhelming but he comes...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
07 Dec 2023
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Sponsored content: AI for social good
Meganexus believes that education should be inclusive and empowering, regardless of one’s circumstances or background. They supply both learners and educators with the tools needed to succeed and...
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KHUB Focus
Last updated:
06 Dec 2023
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Bad Bosses cause losses
To: All managers email From: HR The organisations response to the current jobs market is to put the emphases on retention over recruitment. Keeping employees happy is now paramount. The...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
30 Nov 2023
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Can you trust an organisation that doesn’t trust itself with the truth?
In the public sector vacant posts are not just a result of poor pay and overwork but of poor treatment of staff due to institutional apathy towards staff subject to bullying, racism and misogyny....
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
28 Nov 2023
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Detached Youth Worker Opportunities
4YP are an incredible organisation who are currently looking to recruit Detached Youth Workers to add to their team to undertake work in and around Ipswich. Please follow the link to...
By:
Simon Doling
Last updated:
22 Nov 2023
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Youth Focus Suffolk
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I scored goals
If you were a footballer you might judge your success in goals. If you were a surgeon it might be the lives saved. If you were a foster carer it would be the lives you have changed for the...
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
16 Nov 2023
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The lion king, the jackals and the bull
In the Panchantantra animal fables from India cunning, strategy and amorality often overcome all opposition. The good guys don’t always win.( Sometimes it’s not even clear who the good guys are)....
By:
Blair McPherson
Last updated:
13 Nov 2023
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