Monday News Issue 171- 14th April 2025
- Matthew Paminter
- 2 days ago
- 11 min read
“If you are not willing to be uncomfortable, you are not willing to change”
Events this week:
April 15th- International Micro-Volunteering Day 2025
April 16th- National Early Years Techer Day 2025
April 16th- International Voice Day 2025
April 18th- Good Friday 2025
April 20th- Easter Sunday 2025
Legislation/Regulation of the week
Easter Act 1928
This act aims to fix the date of Easter in the UK, ensuring it falls on the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. However, the act has never been implemented, meaning the current practice of calculating Easter based on the lunar calendar remains in place
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Act_1928#:~:text=An%20Act%20to%20regulate%20the,periods%20and%20occasions%20depending%20thereon.&text=The%20Act%20requires%20the%20agreement,made%20by%20Order%20in%20Council.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Please remember to review this in your policy/legislation review workbook)
Videos of the week
The History of Easter
While the origin behind Easter is known to all, the origins of the traditions that accompany it are less familiar. When did Christians start celebrating Easter? When did the bunnies come into play? And why do bunnies hide eggs
Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 60 mins)
Event of the week/month
National Early Years Teacher Day 2025
National Early Years Teacher Day is a celebration of the invaluable role that Early Years Teachers play in classrooms and settings.
Best Practice Network created National Early Years Teacher Day after realising something was amiss. The calendar was full of awareness days for a variety of causes, but where was the recognition for Early Years Teachers and their invaluable contribution to our children?
Early Years Teachers work long hours caring for babies and children up to the age of five. Their input has a crucial effect on the development of children and has long been deserving of greater recognition. National Early Years Teachers’ Day is a way to show them our appreciation and celebrate the importance of their role.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
Incels: Inside a dark world of online hate
Jake Davison, the man suspected of killing five people in Plymouth had been active on social media platforms discussing the "incel" movement - young men describing themselves as "involuntarily celibate".
At least two previous mass killings, both in the United States have drawn attention to the online activities of these groups.
So what do we know about those who participate in these forums?
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 50 mins)
“Stay Calm, Don’t Pay”
The National Crime Agency reports that UK police forces are receiving over 110 child sextortion attempts each month. In response, a new awareness campaign has been launched to tackle this growing online threat.
The NCA noted that the use of artificial intelligence in sextortion attacks has increased substantially over the past three years as criminals adapt their methods. Sextortion is a form of blackmail where teenagers-typically boys, although incidents involving girls are increasing-are tricked into sending nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves to fraudsters who have made contact on social media and messaging platforms. The criminals then demand money and threaten to share the material publicly or with people known to the victims.
The new NCA campaign, launched on 27th March, features on social media platforms including Instagram, Reddit, and Snapchat.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Safeguarding the Deaf
Children and young people who are d/Deaf or have a disability are at an increased risk of being abused compared with their peers. They are also less likely to receive the protection and support they need when they have been abused.
Professionals sometimes have difficulty identifying safeguarding concerns when working with d/Deaf children and children who have disabilities. It is vital that everyone who works with d/Deaf children and children who have disabilities understands how to protect them against people who would take advantage of their increased vulnerability.
A child having a disability, being d/Deaf or needing additional support should never stop someone acting on child protection concerns.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 60 mins)
Measures announced for councils tackling grooming gangs
A £5 million fund – heralded by the government as an alternative to a national public inquiry into grooming gangs – will now allow the five pilot councils the choice of whether to hold local inquiries.
“Following feedback from local authorities, the fund will adopt a flexible approach to support both full independent local inquiries and more bespoke work, including local victims’ panels or locally led audits into the handling of historic cases,” said safeguarding minister Jess Phillips in a speech updating Parliament on the government's action plan for tackling child sexual exploitation.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Protective Preparedness for FE provisions
The Home office led ‘terrorism protection of premises bill’ is new legislation applicable to all sectors and will look to place a legal duty upon settings to safeguard its users. The Bill was introduced September 2024 and is still being debated in the House of Lords.
Implementation will happen AFTER royal assent has been reached, with settings being given approximately 24 months after it becomes law to set up requirements. Once the bill becomes an Act, settings who cater for over 200 people will need to appoint an appropriate person to implement the conditions.
If you are a setting below the capacity of 200, you will likely to be considered out of scope (doesn’t matter what type of setting) but the DfE still recommend that all providers put plans in place as security to avoid becoming vulnerable.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 40 mins)
Health & Safety
Struggling to Sleep? Your Phone is most likely to blame
Electronic devices are a major part of our lives, used daily for work, entertainment, and communication. While technology offers many benefits, it also has downsides - especially its impact on sleep.
All screens emit artificial blue light, which affects melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. Naturally, melatonin rises after sunset, peaks at night, and decreases by morning.
Exposure to artificial blue light at night tricks the brain into thinking it's still daytime, delaying melatonin production. This makes it harder to feel sleepy, fall asleep, and stay asleep. Disrupting the body's natural sleep-wake cycle can lead to shorter sleep duration, lower sleep quality, and increased fatigue the next day. Over time, poor sleep can affect mood, concentration, and overall health.
Given the importance of sleep, especially for our mental and physical health, ensuring that we are consistently getting enough sleep at night is critical. If you are concerned about the impact blue light exposure may be having on your sleep, there are a number of steps you can take.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Generation K- Ketamine epidemic
There are growing fears of a new Ketamine epidemic amongst young people.
Ketamine is a powerful drug often used as a horse tranquiliser and anaesthetic. It is at present a licensed drug that can be prescribed medically. However, when misused, it can cause serious, and sometimes permanent damage.
Although Ketamine is currently classified as Category B drug, following the alarming rise of use in young people, there are calls to the government to increase it to a Category A, grouping it with other illegal substances, such as heroin and cocaine.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Signs that someone may be experiencing poor mental health
Behaviour change is key, this may be the more ‘typical’ signs such as:
· Seeming ‘sad’
· Lacking energy
· Loss of interest in day-to-day life
· Withdrawn
· Negative thoughts
· Anxious
· Low self-esteem
But it can also be less ‘typical’ signs such as:
· Aggression
· Feeling full of energy
· Forgetfulness
· Sleeping too much or too little
· Eating too much or too little
· Having strict habits or routines around food
Just because someone may be showing one or more signs of the above does not mean that they are experiencing poor mental health but that they could be.
All of these are to be compared to the person’s ‘normal’ behaviour, e.g. a person sleeping 10+ hours isn’t unusual if the person normally sleeps for longer periods, whereas it would be unusual for a person who normally only sleeps 6 hours or less.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
The Crisis of Masculinity
Young men are struggling.
Look at the data. It’s not pretty:
· Education: There is a significant gap in high school graduation rates and college enrollments. Women graduate college at significantly higher rates than men in every state in America.
· Mental Health: the suicide rate for men is four times that of women.
· Intimate Relationships: Nearly half of male teens have never dated, almost double the rate of previous generations.
· Friendships: According to survey data, thirty years ago a majority of young men had over six friends. Today, it’s half of that. Meanwhile, fifteen percent of young men report having no close friends.
None of this is to say that young women aren’t struggling too, but the data is clear that there has been a significant change over the last few decades that has impacted young men to a larger degree.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
The best foods and nutrients to eat for healthy skin
It seems we go from fighting teenage blemishes, straight on to battling wrinkles. However, incorporating nutrient-rich foods into your diet can benefit your skin at any age. Here we take a look at some of the key nutrients for healthy skin and what you should be adding to your weekly shop to get them.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Wider Curriculum
Only Safety Act Update 2025
On March 17th, the Online Safety Act's illegal duties officially came into force, sparking a wave of activity across the digital landscape. This landmark legislation aims to make the internet a safer place by holding platforms accountable for harmful content.
Companies are now required to swiftly remove illegal material and protect users from online abuse. The act's implementation has seen tech giants scrambling to comply, ensuring their systems are robust and user-friendly.
This proactive approach is a significant step towards a safer online environment, where users can interact without fear of harassment or exposure to harmful content.
As we navigate this new era of digital safety, it's encouraging to see such positive changes taking shape.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
About Settle
Care-experienced young people lose almost all of the available support after they age out of the system. We’ve identified the transition of moving into a first home as the most impactful point to intervene – avoiding eviction and homelessness while setting up the foundations for their lives. By focusing on early intervention, we’re tackling a leading cause of youth homelessness before it happens.
We provide intensive 1:1 coaching support that is personalised to the individual. Our sessions are flexible and led by the young person. We focus on growing their strengths and removing systemic barriers that restrict their opportunities. This creates a consistent, transformative relationship that the young person can count on.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Gambling in gaming: Video
Gambling within gaming includes features like loot boxes, microtransactions, and pay-to-win mechanics that mimic traditional gambling. Loot boxes are virtual items purchased with real money or in-game currency, offering randomized rewards, which encourage spending in hopes of receiving valuable items.
Microtransactions allow players to buy in-game items like skins or boosts, often creating addiction-like behaviour, especially in free-to-play games. Pay-to-win mechanics give players who spend money advantages over those who don’t, incentivising further spending. Skin gambling, where virtual items are traded or gambled for real money, also contributes to the gambling-like environment.
These features raise concerns, particularly for younger players who may not understand the risks. The addictive nature of these elements, combined with a lack of clear regulations, has led to calls for stricter oversight. Some countries have already taken action, but global regulation remains inconsistent, prompting a need for better transparency and safeguards in the gaming industry.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Sustainability
Who should pick up the bill for climate change?- Video
One of the biggest debates over the last few years is how much countries should contribute to a new fund that will help developing countries cope with climate change. Many developing countries argue that the world's biggest polluters, and those that have benefited economically from it, have not paid their fair share of climate finance to date.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Let's have an Eco-friendly Easter holiday!
Did you know that in the UK alone, approximately 80 million Easter eggs are sold each year! With the Easter break fast approaching, and everyone enjoying the abundance of chocolate at this time of year, it can be very wasteful and impactful on our planet.
Therefore, we wanted to share with you some easy, cracking tips on how to have both an egg-citing and sustainable Easter this year.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
An Idiot’s guide to change the world- Bold Leadership
We are officially halfway to the deadline of the Global Goals - 17 goals the world promised to deliver by 2030 - but we are not halfway to achieving them. In this bonus series of ‘An Idiot’s Guide to Saving The World’ we take a half-time assessment of where we need to get to and how we are going to do it. Gail Gallie and Loyiso Madinga are joined by politicians, filmmakers, sports stars, activists and business leaders to give some ideas on what we can do to bring fresh energy to the second half. In this episode former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson teaches us a thing or two about communicating with people who might not share our values, and tells us why the future lies with women in leadership. And over in the USA, Chi Ossé - the youngest member of the New York City Council - is an advocate for the importance of getting people involved in local politics, and says that if you think something needs changing you might be the person to get it done
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