Community – Page 4 – Transforming workplace teams

The Metro showcases a story of pregnant women being incentivised to stop smoking with vouchers – Is this a good or bad idea?

16 Feb 201724 Aug 2018Jane JamesLeave a comment

What do you think?

Should having a healthy baby be all the incentive someone needs to stop smoking?

What happens if family members smoke around the baby? we all know the solid evidence of passive smoking. Will the Council extend the incentive vouchers to family and friends?

Is there an element of sexism here? Maybe ageist too?

It states ‘pregnant women’ which infers it excludes transsexuals – who born with female sex organs are still capable of carrying a child even though they are now male. Can they claim the vouchers?

I can’t see an older mum shopping in New Look so are they aiming the vouchers at young people who know little of sex education, health and nutrition? Would it be better to spend the money on target education earlier in schools? Or is it right to reward bad life choices?

How do you monitor someone to ensure they have stopped smoking?

With all the pressures on local councils’ budgets, has Stoke-on-Trent Council spent this £16,900 wisely ?

Or do you think that this is value for money?

Maybe it isn’t as black and white as you might first think…… Thought provoking though

Theresa May & Mental Health

9 Jan 2017Jane JamesLeave a comment

An encouraging interview with Sophie Ridge of Sky News and the PM was aired yesterday morning.

Initially, I felt a bit unenthused at the start of the interview. Sophie seemed fixated on the single market. She asked three times about if we were leaving the single market in favour of securing our borders.

This illustrated to me the blinkered, reporting some journalists fixate on to get ‘the story’. Three times Theresa May explained there is no opportunity to stay in the single market as we’ve voted to leave. The negotiations will bring a different relationship. Still Sophie persisted before moving on to other topics.

This is where my interest was renewed.

The PM is highlighting mental health resources especially for children – which is fantastic news. She recognises the biggest issue is stigma. If people felt able to talk about their issues there is proven evidence they don’t deteriorate and get help quickly.

The PM is making a speech 9.1.17 – it will be interesting to see what she says on this.

Mental Health is core component of Growing Talent. We strongly believe in training participants as First Aiders. Indeed everyone on Growing Talent complete the two-day standard global course. There are many reasons for this – a key one is to remove the stigma associated with Mental Health. I’m glad the Government is finally catching up!

Let’s get talking!

Swearing allegiance – will it deliver inclusivity?

19 Dec 201619 Dec 2016Jane JamesLeave a comment

The press is full of the idea of councillors, NHS workers etc swearing allegiance to Great Britain in the hope this will ensure our diverse communities are embraced and included rather than isolated.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as well as MP for Bromsgrove is a supporter of the idea. I’m not sure swearing an oath will carry much weight. It will certainly be meaningless to the members of our communities isolated by fear, religion, culture etc.

However, something Sajid also said made a lot more sense. He told the story of visiting his GP when he was 8. He wasn’t sick. He was attending as translator for his mum who had lived in the UK for years but never learnt the language. Sometime later she did learn English and her life, as told by Sajid, opened up.

I meet a lot of people who have family members who do not speak English despite living in the UK for decades. This of course means they can’t work, nor can they integrate with other communities. Studying is difficult. Day-to-day life – such as a GP’s visit – depends on other family members.

Wouldn’t it break down more barriers between our diverse cultures if we all spoke the same language? At least then conversation could be held, understanding would grow, integration and prosperity would then follow.

Is an oath of allegiance really needed? or is it more relevant to learn English?

Recruit a different way………………..

2 Jun 2016Jane JamesLeave a comment

As part of the preparation for my presentation to an employers forum later this month, I decided to do a comparison of the key stages and costs between Growing Talent and traditional recruitment.

As you can see from the table above, the results are clearly in favour of recruiting via Growing Talent. Time and money is saved and matches made are sustainable. None of the Associates who completed Growing Talent and moved into permanent employment has returned to benefits according to JobCentre Plus’s records.

There are multiple benefits including the orientation week, holistic week, employer selection and training before hiring, dedicated mentors, Mental Health First Aider, personal finance, fitness, nutrition training that traditional recruitment doesn’t offer.

All of this at zero cost to he hiring employer.

So why aren’t more employers recruiting using Growing Talent?

Any thoughts?

Don’t ask…….don’t get – the power of partnerships

1 Jun 201624 Aug 2018Jane JamesLeave a comment

With budget cuts and staff restructuring, it’s always difficult identifying, building and sustaining lasting business relationships. Even more so in the public sector where new joiners generally receive a one year only renewable contract!

Running Growing Talent, I have a solid foundation of central managers from JobCentre Plus supporting the programme who know it very well. The testing times come when local personnel get involved with little time to understand it.

A unique situation arose this week. For the first time a Growing Talent Associate will be going into an international role. A passport is critical. How does someone who has been unemployed for a decade plus afford passport photos, let along the passport itself?

Negotiations commenced. As a passport is essential to the end role, JobCentre Plus are able to cover all associated costs.

hallelujah! Could you image the madness of someone not getting off benefits into a sustainable job due to the cost of a passport?

Surely our JobCentres should have the brief and funding to cover whatever an individual to secure a permanent, full-time job. This could be a toolkit, office clothes, shoes or passport even!

I know as a taxpayer funded organisation JobCentre Plus is accountable but am I the only taxpayer that would be happy to see more people go into work supported with whatever they need to do so? It’s surely cheaper than a lifetime of benefits!

Google – An inconvenient truth?

25 Feb 201624 Aug 2018Jane JamesLeave a comment

As a fairly new micro business – total complement of one! – I do not know enough about the corporate world of tax efficiency/avoidance depending on which view you take to make a right/wrong judgement call.

What is clear every time I do my VAT Returns or my Annual Return and get the respective bills I would like to pay as little tax as possible! Who wouldn’t?

I don’t take the view ‘if I’m paying this huge amount (relative to my business) – every business should’. Part of my business is working in the world of getting unemployed people from all backgrounds to raise their self-esteem and be equipped to go into permanent, sustainable work. I see all the time the positive impact employment makes on them, their families and their communities.

Organisations like Google might do what we all would like and pay as little tax as possible but they are a considerable employer in the UK. They are building new offices here which has the domino effect of a positive impact on local businesses as well. Local people will secure jobs. The outsourced companies Google contract will hire more people. What is the value to UK plc of this?

Whilst the headlines are full of France’s push to secure 130bn Euros – how much will they actually secure and at what cost to France’s job market and business economy?

Instead of knee jerking at the media headlines, maybe some reflective thought before making judgements is needed?

Growing Talent 8 – New Beginnings for 19

18 Feb 201618 Feb 2016Jane JamesLeave a comment

Monday 8 February saw 19 strangers from all backgrounds walk into Holborn Bars – a management conference and training centre in London not knowing what to expect. All a little nervous. Some a little sceptical.

Friday 12 February saw 19 trusted friends walk out of the same building. So what happened inbetween to deliver this growth in confidence, self-esteem and trust? – The Orientation Week of Growing Talent.

After multiple stages of selection, the Associates as they are known, undergo a week long series of workshops, tasks, challenges and presentations to build their confidence and give them the tools to succeed in the employer vacancy they have been selected for.

During this week, Lesley above – Head of Health & Safety for PwC – delivered her interactive workshop on the 3Rs – Refresh, Rejuvinate & Renewal! This gives information and top tips on staying healthy at work. Knowledge on how many ingredients are in a Starbucks Blueberry Muffin (48!) to how many calories are in a specialty coffee. Combined, you would consume half your daily advised calories consumption – scary right? Lesley then gave some top tips on sleeping – did you know repeating the word ‘the’ over and over relaxes the brain so much you quickly fall asleep when before you couldn’t!

Ben delivered his bespoke ‘Give Yourself The Edge Presentation’ focusing on personal image, body language and communication. Ben is Head of Client Services at PwC and has a wealth of top tips from his international hospitality career to share.

Laughs soon started when Ben gave a verbal instruction whilst his visible demonstration was different. Amazing how many were caught out copying what the eye saw rather than what the ear heard!

Ben’s blindfold test brought home how important body language is even when it can’t be seen – eg speaking over the telephone……

The Associates also had a confidential hour roundtable chat with Rehana, Jacq & Kieran – seen in the centre below – some Growing Talent Graduates who know exactly what they are going through.

Throughout the week, we worked on communication, conflict management, taking unexpected feedback – all the situations that can arise at work. A theme throughout the week was to devise and deliver a Social Enterprise idea to a panel of judges comprising senior management from the employer companies.

l-r above, Josh, Krupita, Chris & Jamie delivered Spray Your Way a unique way to bring graffiti artists to the mainstream and art to the masses.

l-r Julie, Dan, Sadeeq & Joe presented Silver Care a way to bring the older and younger generations together and learn from each other.

Tina, Jack & Richard below presented Circle of Life and excellent IT idea where young people teach older people useful things like Skype. In return the older people share live skills and mentoring for the young.

Helping Hands from (l-r) Rebecca, Rosa, Ruby & Nathan had two parts to their idea. The first as a homeless outreach facility whereby an adapted vehicle would park in hotsports for homeless people to get showered and clean clothes as well as signposting to support services if they wanted. The second part was an annual fundraising event. A community fair where the homeless would mix with the community enabling each to get to know the other.

Tom, Mick & Charlene comprised Hairline a unique idea to provide bespoke wigs to cancer suffers to ‘give them their life back for as long as they have it’. The revenue stream would come from makeovers for family, friends and nursing staff. They provide support to the patient- but who supports them?

The final presentation came from Chris below

Unconditional Love came from his own personal experience and focussed on the need for specialist support for children/young people who lose someone close to them. His idea included a website, app and 1-2-1 mentoring scheme.

The judges spent an agonising time trying to select one winning idea. In the end Silver Care was selected. Below l-r, Allen from PwC as Head Judge presented the cash prize to Joe, Dan, Sadeeq & Julie who each received £10.

The judges then shared their career journey and joined the Associates for a buffet lunch.

The seated judges above l-r are Michelle – Portico, Chloe – Iron Mountain, Sharon – wsh, Shane – Invest In Buy To Let, Julie – Portico, Allen – Pwc, Michelle – BASE, Sharon – Harrow Green & Nigel – JobCentre Plus. All were amazed not only in the growth of the Associates over the week but also their ability to devise an idea and present it confidently with no notes!

No wonder the Associates left as confident friends! Watch this space and http://www.growing-talent.co.uk and @Growing_Talent for news on how they progress over the next 10 weeks……………

Judging Panel Formation!

7 Jan 201624 Aug 2018Jane JamesLeave a comment

With just a few short weeks to go before kick off, Senior Managers are juggling their diaries and confirming their place on this very special panel.

The crux of the event is affirmation of the confidence and talent the Growing Talent Associates have grown over the week.

A choice is given to work alone or in small groups. The remit is to devise a social enterprise idea which will benefit a section of the community, develop a revenue stream and have development potential. A tall order for largely unemployed people with little self-confidence.

Working on this largely in their own time with one full day (broken into shorter segments) it’s amazing to all, including the Associates, the confidence with which they deliver their ideas.

It’s always difficult for the senior managers to select one winning idea. The small trophy has now been replaced with a cash prize of £10 per winning Associate – much more useful that a ‘tin cup’!

After this a buffet lunch and networking takes place. By this time some of the Associates are really ‘assertive’ in getting contact details from the panel!

Watch this blog for more stories of success, laughter and a few tears when the next Growing Talent launches later this month…….

Seated – the previous judging panel comprising Selvan – Invest In Buy To Let, Julie – Portico, Peter – Wilson James, Lois – MitieTDM, Allen – PwC – Head Judge, Sharon – Harrow Green, Shane – Invest In Buy To Let & Trevor – known by previous Associates as ‘the legend’ Harrow Green.

Growing Talent – Keeps Growing!

6 Jan 2016Jane JamesLeave a comment

A New Year sees the start of a new Growing Talent programme. Now on the 8th programme having secured over 60 people into permanent full-time jobs!

So far 23 jobs have been pledged by various corporate employers and partners. Wide ranging roles from Recruitment Consultants, to Receptionists, Administration Clerk, Security Vetting Supervisor, Industrial Cleaning Technicians, Hospitality/Food Services Assistant, Business Moves Porters, Mini Bus Drivers and Forklift Truck Drivers to name a few. With a salaries ranging up to £25Kpa.

Looking forward to the personal growth stories that will follow……………..

If you know anyone who could do with some mentoring into a permanent job – direct them to http://www.growing-talent.co.uk………………..

Stay calm this Christmas – just breathe!

17 Dec 201524 Aug 2018Jane JamesLeave a comment

Isn’t it strange, the most effective tools in our life are the simplest and free.

Most of us get caught up in the commercialisation of Christmas. We forget it’s about spending time with those we love and/or just noticing our surrounds – being thankful for just being.

Unintentionally, we let the bombardment of commercials and subtle marketing infiltrate us without realising it’s happening. Gradually, in the run-up to the ‘big day’, we start to let the pressure in.

Some of us set unrealistic goals of getting ‘over the top’ presents for our loved ones instead of just telling them we love them. We hunt down items that are often disregarded quickly afterwards. For some of us, the price paid for this goods will be high – usually assigned to a credit card taking months to pay off.

So, let’s just breathe. Be mindful of ourselves and take back control. My personal survival steps are:

1. Ask myself would the person really love and appreciate the gift or discard it quickly?

2. Honestly, can I afford it? Would I be willing to draw the cash out rather than use a debit/credit card – cards make us forget we’re spending our cash so be careful!

3. Having armed myself with the answers to the above, I draw up a list of the gifts I need to buy with shops, locations and price.

4. Before going out, I take 10 minutes to breathe consciously:

Breathe in slowly for the count of 3

Hold the breathe for the count of 3

Slowly release for the count of 3

Repeat these three breathing steps several times until I’m engulfed in a feeling of calmness.

With each breath, I concentrate on how my body is feeling. Over time my mind wonders – which, with a day’s shopping ahead it invariably does wonder! – I re-focus bringing my mind back to how my body is feeling.

I am so relaxed and peaceful by the time I reach the shops, Christmas shopping becomes enjoyable – not a chore.

Why not try this? Let me know how you feel. Remember – no one can see what you are doing or hear you focussing on your body as you breathe.

A very happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.