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My Dad is a carpenter. A skilled craftsman. Making. Building. He’s good with wood. He says 2be2 and 4be4. His hands are workers hands.

As a child he made me play houses, desks, toy boxes. When I left home he’d put up shelves, assemble bookcases, repair fallen fences, replace rotten window sills, hang doors. Anything in fact which was wood related he’d get the ‘Ddddaaaaad?’ phone call. The ‘call the Carpenter’ call.

Well, my dad was a carpenter. He semi-retired a few years ago, his reputation and customer base wouldn’t allow his to retire fully until recently when he gave it up for good. His tools went in the outhouse and his car is no longer full of sawdust and dust sheets. He worked as a carpenter for 50 years. From boy to man.

When he told school that he wanted to be a carpenter they arranged for him to have two weeks working experience at a company which sold sheds. Not quite what he was expecting.

He told me this week about his one and only job interview. He was 15, dressed as a teddy boy, hair slicked to the max, probably with a fag behind his ear, thinking he was the best thing since; he had his swagger on.

He went to meet Gaffer, who stood there looking my dad up and down.

The gaffer spoke. ‘So, you want to be a carpenter then eh?’

My Dad replied ‘Yeah’

The gaffer nodded ‘OK, you start Monday’ and walked off. 

@KateBentham

16th May 2012

I was talking to the head of our digital communications team a few weeks ago about how effective the social media accounts I manage for work were, and how it was hoped the #WeAre12 Campaign would have a positive impact on the reputation of these accounts.

We also spoke about other frontline council services operating social media accounts and how some of those were flourishing. To see the success of services using social media would hopefully make other frontline services consider the potential and opportunity it has for connecting with prospective and existing customers. Let’s not let the corporate accounts have all the fun after all. I mentioned one which I especially admired - Acton Scott Historic Working Farm – and their use of Twitter. They can be found at @actonscottmuse

There’s lots I admire about their twitter feeds including the language they use, photos they post and the attractions they directly deliver and are able to promote. It naturally made me compare their use of twitter to my use of twitter for the service I manage (Shropshire Family Information Service), how the two accounts differ in their approach, are similar in their approach and what I could learn from them.

Acton Scott

•  Include photos of really cute baby farmyard animals, enough to make you go ‘Awwwwww’
•  Their tweets are 140 characters of pure poetry, beautifully composed
•  They take you back in history with extracts from farm diaries of days gone by
•  They promote the hands on activities they actually deliver on site
•  They retweet feedback from customers
•  Run as a business, they need to generate revenue.

Shropshire Family Information Service on the otherhand

• Tweet about services which support families, children and young people such as domestic  abuse helplines, accounts from mums who suffered from post natal depression, work clubs, benefits, disabilities, etc.
• Tweet about things to do and placed to go, where families can enjoy each other’s company, have fun and where children get to experience something new and wonderful
• Offer curly wurlys
• Post photos of cuddly toys – we’ve only done this once mind
• Don’t have piglets.

My out loud thoughts went like this…

‘I’m slightly envious Acton Scott can tweet pictures of two day old piglets, we don’t have piglets, maybe I need some piglets?’ 

Of course the conversation made me realise that I was being unfair. I wasn’t comparing like with like. I couldn’t compare cute photos of piglets and the other amazing work they do as a business with providing an information and support service to help make a difference in lives of parents and children. And it doesn’t make one use of social media any better than the other. We’re different frontline services and different is good. We both have something to offer, and social media has something to offer the two services.

So, no, we don't have piglets but our recent #WeAre12 campaign has shown that we don't really need them. We just need to know what our stratgey is for the use of social media and how we apply that stratgey in practice - and whilst the social media tools are there for frontline services the strategy for use will differ.

@katebentham

8th May 2012

I like birthdays, mainly for the #cake but it also offers the opportunity of reflecting on years gone by and achievements and milestones along the way. 

On 5th May 2012 the local gov service I manage, Shropshire Family Information Service (FIS), celebrates 12 years since the service was first launched. To commemorate this milestone and the 76,800 enquiries we’ve dealt with, I have planned a week of digital events, under a #WeAre12 project title.

The FIS is continually working to expand the ways that parents and carers can gain access to quality information, advice and support and as part of our birthday celebrations I wanted to build on the work we have been doing with social media and was keen to explore new technologies.

The activities I have planned for the Birthday Week means we can add to the variety of channels through which the FIS is already (Facebook and Twitter) available, and offer help to parents who prefer to use the internet and social networking sites as a way of gathering information to support them in their role as parents.

Research shows that 70% of parents feel they need advice and support in their parenting role. Yet most are either unaware of the services that already exist or they have difficulty accessing them. The FIS delivers free, impartial information, advice and support on all aspects of family life, providing options and possibilities that might otherwise remain unknown and therefore inaccessible. It is a statutory requirement under the Childcare Act. The FIS reaches out to parents and carers to make these possibilities a reality, linking families to services and providing an early intervention in terms of information provision and support.

So, apart from eating cake all week, what have we got planned?

Monday 30^th April – we are launching a new blog page, which is aimed at sharing news, information and tips for parents and carers. We will also have guest blogs from others in children, young people or family services and also from parents who have kindly agreed to share their experiences of being a parent. We’ll love to hear from you if you want to write a blog – it can be on anything and everything you think others would like to read – get in touch if you’re interested, we’re giving away our usual curly wurly to anyone who writes a blog.

Tuesday 1^st May – we will launch a new Google Plus account for the FIS. We are one of the first (if not the first) FIS to launch on Google Plus. There is a lot of wait and see what happens, to see if it takes off the same as Facebook/Twitter – but we figured we wanted to be one of the first – also statistics showed that the highest proportion of users are male – so I’m guessing it’s a good way to also target dads.

Wednesday 2^nd May – we are doing a live ‘Ask us a Question’ on Facebook from 8-9 in the evening – once the children are in bed. Parents can ask anything and we’ll try to help as best we can.

Thursday 3^rd May – we are doing a live tweet of enquiries into the service to show the range of requests for information we can help with – it really is anything and everything. We will be using the hashtag #FISlive

Friday 4^th May – we will be distributing infographics showing info and stats on FIS enquiries, childcare in Shropshire and our on-line information Directory. We are also issuing Wordles on the types of enquiries we receive and feedback from service users.

Saturday 5^th May is our official birthday, so we’ll mainly be eating cake and posting a blog evaluating the week.

Some aspects of the #WeAre12 campaign might work, some might not, but I figured we needed to give it a go. I don’t want to be a stagnant service, plodding on with the day job. I want to innovate, to try new ways of working, and not just for the sake of it but because there are benefits to the service and more importantly benefits for our service users.

Happy 12^th Birthday Shropshire Family Information Service.

The FIS on Twitter is @ShropFamilyInfo

The FIS on Facebook is Shropshire Family Info

Email a blog post to ShropshireFIS@shropshire.gov.uk

@katebentham

23^rd April 2012

This week it’s been 12 months since ShropCamp changed my life, which may sound a bit OTT but it’s true. As a Newbie (see N) I was defo out of my depth, and left a bit shell shocked by the whole unconference whirlwind, but it had also been my light bulb moment. It helped me with some of the basics like:

·         What was social media – was it just Facebook and Twitter or is there more to it?

·         How are others in Local Gov using it to reach service users?

·         How can we measure our reach or impact?

·         What ideas can I pinch and use?

·         What the feck was a hashtag?

So, here’s an A-Z of life since ShropsCamp (sorry it’s a long one)

A is for

Audience.  – know your audience; look at the platforms they are using; look at when they are using them; look at how they are using them. I noticed a key time for our service is after 8 o’clock in the evening, when the children are in bed, and also at weekends when families have some time to relax. We try to post as much as we can at these times to get maximum reach. We don’t auto post but post live. Yes it means evenings and weekend working and you have to find someone dedicated (read fool) enough to do that but it hopefully gives us a better reach.

B is for

Blog – I like writing. I write for work and when we go on our jolly holidays I write a travel journal, so a blog was something I wanted to set up as an extension of this. I set up a personal blog and have been blogging on a weekly basis for a few months. Yes there have been times I have questioned why I blog, and who I’m blogging for but it’s been an enjoyable experience so far. I have also looked into a creative writing course to try help with the flow and style of my blogs. Extra exciting is I’ve even managed to get approval for a work blog which we’re launching in a few weeks.  

C is for*

Channel Migration – I doubt there isn’t a local authority who isn’t working towards channel migration in the face of increasing financial pressures and it’s something which we are considering for our frontline service. It’s important for those who can, through ability and opportunity, to be able to self-serve but it shouldn’t replace all other routes through which to access a service and obtain information. We work with vulnerable families and families in crisis and, even if they could, the last thing they would want is to spend time online accessing information. We need routes of access to operate alongside each other, responding to individual customer’s needs, rather than just dumping everything online.

D is for

Digital – I am still hopeful that there is going to be a Shropshire Digital Festival, even if it isn’t going to be in May. It would be utterly brilliant to bring this to Shropshire. Watch this space.

E is for

Evaluation – there’s lots of discussion about how we evaluate social media, but as with any business tool the objectives need to be clear from the outset before it is possible to see if they have been achieved through the chosen channel.  

F is for

Facebook – this is where my service first dripped its toe in the social media water. It took us 12 months of trying, but we were one of the first in the local authority to have approval to set up a page – and it was only for a 12 month trial. Things have changed since then, thankfully. I wonder which is the better strategy for corporate/frontline accounts, setting up sites based around customer type or based around subject type, or a bit of both maybe. If you’re interested in seeing our page it’s here Shropshire Family Info on Facebook   

G is for

Google Plus – As a new(ish) social networking platform there seems that there is a lot of sitting on the fence and waiting to see what happens - will it take off in the way Facebook and Twitter has. For me that isn’t a good enough reason not to occupy a space on there. As a service we’ve taken the plunge and will launch our new Google Plus account in a few weeks. One of the deciding factors for us was that statistics showed there were more men than women using it – and we saw this as a chance to reach more dads. 

H is for

Helpful – A couple of days after ShropCamp I put a plea out on Twitter for anyone who could help a newbie with tips and ideas on using social media in local gov. I was utterly amazed by how helpful people were, and how willing people were to share ideas and tips, that Dan Slee was one such person. People give help so generously and this hasn’t stopped as the year has passed.

I is for

Infographics – oooh pretty pictures, I like. We’re even developing some. I’ll share them when they’re ready.

J is for

JFDI – don’t faff about, seize the moment before it’s passed.

K is for

Keeping it real – I was very clear that through our use of social media we should always keep it real. We needed to build up trust in parents so they could have confidence in us. There wouldn’t be this trust if we faked anything or presented ourselves as something we’re not. We don’t profess to know everything but our customer centred ethos pushes us to always help, as best we can.

L is for

Learning – it’s been quite a learning curve over the last 12 months and I feel I’ve learnt loads so far but I know my learning will continue, as I am sure will others. This ‘thing’ moves at such a fast pace that I think there will be times when we all have to stumble in the dark and stub our toe before we reach that light bulb moment, but it will come.

M is for

Media Surgeries – after ShropCamp I realised that I needed some practical support on how to execute social media tools and to also begin exploring what other social media tools may be of benefit to my service. I heard that a Social Media Surgery might be a useful place to start. These have been established to help the voluntary sector and individuals within local communities develop skills to use social media tools and share knowledge on the options available. I came away from the session full of information, ideas and motivation to implement what I had learnt and to explore further the possibilities that were available. It was a really useful place to start and I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants to know more about social media. Thanks to #shrewssms

N is for

Newbies – At #localgovcamp in June there was a very useful Social Media/Local Gov Jargon list handed out where there was a term I associated with, a ‘Newbie – (adj.) Someone who is new to social media. They should be helped and assisted. No, seriously, they should. We were all newbies once and in many ways we still are.’

O is for

Opportunities – social media offers lots of opportunity to engage, learn, innovate, share, make friends, discuss, debate, have fun, raise awareness. It can offer you anything you are looking for, you get from it what you want, based on what you are prepared to give. We walk a two way street afterall. 

P is for

Policy – the best policy I heard for social media was ‘Don’t be a dick’ and if anyone knows who that should be credited too please get in touch, as credit where credit is due.  

Q is for

QR Codes – I had the opportunity of trialling the use of QR codes for a Summer Fun campaign we promoted in July 2011. We were encouraged to try and drive as many people on-line as we possibly could so we printed 25,000 postcards and distributed them to all school aged children in Shropshire. We hit a few stumbling blocks with technology, the destination and the ‘what’s that?’ questions from service users but I still think it is something we will trial again this year as we definably saw an increase in traffic and there is greater awareness out there now. 

R is for

Riots – I saw lots of news emerge first on twitter over the last 12 months and sat agog as I watch some stories develop. One of the first news threads I followed, with disgust, was when it emerged journalists had hacked into Milly Dowler’s phone and the anguish this must have caused her parents. The drama was unfolding fast and it was fascinating waiting for the next calamity to be published. I also followed the August Riots on twitter, again astounded by the speed in which news can emerge and be shared. It was difficult to keep up with the pace at times. Some blame has been placed at the feet of social media during the riots, as a tool through which rioters could congregate, where rumours and scaremongering could take place, but I also watched twitter for the positive post riots response in bringing communities, strangers together to clean up afterwards.

S is for

ShropCamp – Looking back now and having been to similar unconference camps I don’t quite think I appreciated what it meant to have such an event in Shropshire, and looking through photos of attendees I didn’t quite realise the company I was keeping that day. Thank you to all who helped organise and all I spoke to on the day. S is also for Stars and you all one of those, especially that fabulous Ben Proctor of Likeaword fame.

T is for

Twitter - Until I attended ShropCamp I hadn’t sent a single tweet. Now I’ve sent loads. Twitter gives me access to information, news and also fun. There are some incredible people on twitter who I admire, am a little in awe of and who make me laugh. My work Twitter account (@ShropFamilyInfo) has over 100 more followers than my work Facebook page and I think my twitter love has influenced this a little. Maybe I’ve neglected Facebook a bit as a result.

U is for

UK Gov Camp – this was a great event, and I hope more frontline services attend the various camps across the country in the future. Frontline services should be encouraged, with the support of central/corporate teams, to embrace social media for the potential it can offer in reaching specific user groups and attending camps is a great way of discovering the potential.

V is for

Virtual Family Information Service - I wanted to use social media as a route through which to not only deliver information but to also get to know our customers a little better, to engage with them and for them to feel confident to ask us questions about their family. To do this we wanted to create a virtual Family Information Service, an extended family network of support – where members could share the highs and lows (#shatteredparentsclub) of being a parent, where they know we appreciate that children don’t come with a manual and that as a parent, every day is a school day.

W is for

Weekly Blog Club – I love Weekly Blog Club  Janet Davies deserves a mass of praise for the encouragement, retweets, weekly summaries and squidgy deadlines. Thank you for all you do Janet and thanks to fellow #weeklyblogclub members for also being such a supportive bunch of friendly folk.

X is for

eXciting – I’m excited by the possibilities social media has for delivering a frontline local gov service, and although I’m fairly late to it all, I don’t think we’re doing bad so far.

Y is for

Yammer – We now have a corporate account but I don’t think I make the most of it. I need to change this as it offers a valuable route to raise awareness of our work to colleagues (a lot of whom are parents and therefore potential service users) but also help me understand a bit more about the council as a whole and the great work which is being undertake. Time doesn’t often allow me to check but I need to make it part of my daily routine. Stop. Yammer time. (sorry, always makes me think of MC Hammer)

Z is for

Zombies – are you prepared for a zombie attack? I’m not. I couldn’t care less frankly, but it began with a z and has links to social media so it gets a mention.

Well done you made it to the end. Thanks for reading, now go and get yourself a big slice of cake.

*(C is really for #Cake #CurlyWurlyKate or @CakeBentham)

@katebentham

18^th April 2012

I manage a local authority’s Family Information Service, which is aimed at parents and carers of children and young people aged 0-19 years. We fulfil the statutory duty to provide information, advice and support on any aspect of family life. I’ve been in post for 11 of the 12 years it’s been running and have noticed lots of change over that time. There’s been a shift in the types of enquiries we get (increasingly more from vulnerable parents facing a crisis) and also a shift in how parents are accessing the service (less telephone, more face to face and more on-line).

Eighteen months ago we were one of the first frontline services in the local authority to be approved to set up a Facebook page for families (for a 12 months trial!). We wanted to use Facebook as a route through which to not only deliver information but to also get to know our customers a little better, to engage with them and for them to feel confident to ask us questions about their family. To do this we wanted to create a virtual Facebook Family, an extended family network of support – where members could share the highs and lows (#shatteredparentsclub) of being a parent, where they know we appreciate that children don’t come with a manual and that as a parent, every day is a school day.

The forced move to the new Facebook timeline did create a little issue for us. What would be a suitable main image to either sum up the work we do or to represent those that like our page? There isn’t a one image fits all, as all families are uniquely different. We wanted to celebrate not alienate parents, so we would have to choose an image carefully.

In the end I decided to ask the members of our Facebook Family what they would like to see. I did and the ideas came back from the ace Jan Minihane to feature actual Shropshire families, yes, customers, there for all to see as our main image. It's a site for families, so why shouldn't they feature more?

We loved this idea from Jan and so decided to run a competition to find a monthly Featured Facebook Family. We’re run competitions before, silly things really like when to get to a milestone on the number of likes, writing a recommendation and also for naming our office elephant (don’t ask!). We found that people get involved, it’s not that we are giving away much of a prize – it’s me nipping to the shop to buy the winner a Curly Wurly and sticking it in the post. I offer it based on the fact that I would love to get a bar of chocolate through the post.

So, I posted the rules for the Featured Facebook Family competition

1 – email a photo

The end.

I even upped the prize to a Curly Wurly for everyone appearing in the photo!

Jan tweeted about the completion, it got picked up by BBC Radio Shropshire and before you know it, I’m live on the Jim Hawkins Show doing an interview about it. Bish, bash and indeed bosh.

Parents liked the idea and photos started to come through on the email. We picked a winner and if you go to the site now, you will see this month's featured family, and it only cost me 3 curly wurlys.

 We'll push the competition again at the end of the month, but we have photos submitted this month we can fall back on if no one submits a photo. If parents are a little shy they might want to send in photos of their children instead. The project will evolve just as our approach to social media evolves, but it's been fun so far.

If you what to be a part of our Facebook Family visit

http://www.facebook.com/ShropshireFamilyInfo

If you want to be our next Featured Family email a photo to ShropshireFIS@shropshire.gov.uk and you too could be in with a chance of winning a top* prize. *Curly Wurly

If you have any ideas on the types of information you’d like to see or how the pages could be improved, I’d love to hear from you at kate.bentham@shropshre.gov.uk

@katebentham

11th April 2012

One of the first ever dates I went on with Mr B was a night ‘wild camping’. This generally means pitching your tent on a patch of land which is not a designated campsite and for which you often don’t have permission from the landlord to do so. It’s also currently illegal in England. Mr B is clearly a bad influence.

It was a lovely April afternoon, when the idea was suggested. I had never been camping in my life, whereas Mr B was a pro having camped since a child and done many a solo expo under a bivouac.

It’s fair to say I didn’t have a clue. I asked what I would need, but Mr B said he had all the kit, which included two sleeping bags that zipped together to make one double, it all sounded very snug. I headed home to pack an overnight bag of what I considered to be my camping essentials.

When I arrived back at Mr Bs house all keen and eager for my first ever camping experience, Mr B said I looked like I was off for a night out. It’s true. Because it had been such a lovely day, and my head was filled with the romance of wild camping, I was dressed in a white floaty top, with maybe a cardy in my bag. I didn’t have a coat or actually anything else of worth for camping. My bag contained make up remover, a bottle of wine and a change of clothes for the morning.

We walked to a suitable campsite, somewhere inaccessible to cars so we were less likely to be caught and we could make the most of the wild camping experience by getting completely off the beaten track. We found a gorgeous place to set up camp – amongst the bluebells, in a wood, next to a field with gambolling lambs, with a fallen tree to sit on. The sun was still streaming through the trees and all we really needed was a guitar for some campside singing. Despite the lack of guitar, we had all the essentials needed in life covered.

Shelter

Mr B had a 2 berth dome tent, which was lightweight to carry in the back pack and really quick to put up. In a flash our new home was up. 

Warmth

Naturally my white foalty top and cardy wouldn’t have kept a nat warm. Yes it had been a lovely sunny day but once the sun went in, it was chilly. I needed jumpers, coats, socks, books, hats, gloves and a hot water bottle. Mr B lit a fire and soon I was warm. I also borrowed his jumper. It was big enough to cover my knees. I even had a hot water bottle thanks to Mr B (AKA a much more handsome Ray Mears) wrapping rocks from the fire in tin foil. I hadn’t taken a sleeping bag, why would I? After all Mr B said he had two which zipped together to make a double. Turns out Mr B was only telling me that, he actually turned up with one expecting me to bring one. Massive fail on the sleeping bag front which made for a cold nights sleep.

Food

We took a packet of sausages, some potatoes and some #cake (natch). The spuds were wrapped in foil and went on the fire, and then proceeded to take an age to cook. I think we ate them about midnight. To cook the sausages we sourced ‘sausage sticks’ to stake the sausages on and then dangle over the fire – again for an age. Turns out that you need a lot of patience cooking over an open camp fire.

Drink

We went semi-sensible and took as much water as we could carry but we also took a bottle of wine. Sitting round the camp fire, sipping wine, chatting, laughing and making plans for the future was such a perfect way to spend time.  

The location of our first wild camp is now a very special place. We go back every year for a walk and to see the bluebells. We even went back the day Mr B proposed.

Despite the cold, I loved my first camping experience. It felt great to spend time in the middle of such a beautiful environment and to have a break from everyday life.  After that, we camped for many years and mainly on legitimate sites. We’d pack up the car and head for the hills. In two hours we could be at the coast. A few days break away could feel like a week away. Our camping trips would usually include a walk, a fire, some cooking over the fire, as much sitting in the sun as we could and then watching the sun set over sand dunes. This all sounds rather nice but there have also been times when our tent flooded and also blew away, but we remember them just as fondly.    

I confess that our tent camping days came to an end when we acquired an old VW Campervan, and I was easily lured by the luxury of heating, a fridge and a comfy bed. Confessions of a vdubber in Part Two.

A note about Wild Camping

In England it is currently illegal to camp anywhere you like, without the landowner's permission. It’s important to show respect to the land owners and the environment by leaving no trace of a visit behind, and not disturbing the flora and fauna throughout a stay. Camp responsibly kids.

The following questions were asked on Twitter last week…

How long would you leave it before reporting suspicion of child abuse? Would you do it at all?

My reply – The welfare of a child is paramount. Doing nothing is not an option. It’s everyone’s responsibility to safeguard children.

I have heard many reasons as to why people may not want to report child abuse. There’s a fear of getting it wrong, fear for personal safety, or maybe a fear of causing more harm to a child. But we all have a shared responsibility to keep children safe from harm. Children should feel safe and grow up knowing there are people and communities around them who care for them and help them feel good about themselves, to enable them to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams.

Handling any concerns you have about the welfare of a child can be difficult, but there are services and organisations out there to help. We’re all in this together.

Concerns about a child can emerge in a number of ways.

A child can tell you something which is happening to them that they are worried about. Children very rarely lie about abuse, yes children have wonderful imaginations, but that is often based on information we have taught them or events which they have experienced first-hand. If they disclose abuse, it’s likely that it’s true.

You may see a change in a child’s behaviour or mood. Extremes of behaviour may be displayed. One child could become very aggressive compared to one who is very withdrawn. Children are wonderfully different and so their behaviours will also differ. One type doesn’t fit all. Those with regular contact will a child are best placed to be able to observe any changes in behaviour.

You may witness something for yourself, either physical signs of abuse or neglect, or behaviour towards a child which gives you cause for concern.

It maybe that an adult has disclosed something to you. This could range from either a disclosure that they have abused a child, to that they are having difficulties. You may also know there is domestic abuse in the home, that there is substance misuse, or some mental health issues. These factors (often referred to as the Toxic Trio) may impact on a parent’s capacity for positive parenting.

So what can we do?

We need to build a culture whereby children and young people are listened too, that their needs are recognised. They need to feel that the worries and concerns they have shared are acted upon promptly and we take those concerns seriously. The block to getting support for children can often be that as adults we cannot accept that this most monstrous of events has taken place.

We need to consider any language or communication difficulties a child may have, providing opportunities for children to be able to express themselves in a manner which would be understood.

We must never promise to keep a secret. A child must be able to trust and if we promise to keep a secret which we then can’t keep, we become another adult in that child’s life who had let them down.

We need to reassure a child that they have done the right thing. A child will have taken that massive step in telling someone because they want whatever is happening to them to stop. We need to be honest with a child and let them know that the information will be shared.

We need to record what has been disclosed or what has been observed. In investigation terms, if it isn’t written down it didn’t happen. It’s vital to use the child’s own words, don’t ask leading questions and don’t assume. If we don’t have all of the information it shouldn’t stop a referral being made.

I’m certainly not an expert in child protection and safeguarding and if I’m honest I don’t think there is such a thing. There are so many Ifs, Buts and Maybes, that action should be taken on a case by case basis. I’m a designated child protection officer for my team, write team policies and procedures and deliver child protection training. It’s through this experience that I know that if we are worried about the welfare of a child is vital we act upon any information we have. Doing nothing is not an option.

If you have concerns about a child in Shropshire and want to talk to someone about your concerns you can call 0345 6789021 and ask for a consultation with a social worker.

If you want more information on child protection and safeguarding in Shropshire visit the Shropshire Safeguarding Children’s Board website http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/childrenfamilies.nsf/open/3CFF4BEE973745F38025753D0050A4C3

You can also seek advice from the NSPCC at http://www.nspcc.org.uk/  where you can report your concern online or can call on 0808 800 5000

A couple of weeks ago we had a visitor to Bentham Towers. His name was Herman. He was German. He stayed for 10 days. He was a #cake. Ace.

A friend came round and dropped off a bowl of what looked like batter, with a list of instructions on what to do. The instructions transformed the bowl of batter into a person, called Herman. They listed what to do and not to do, otherwise Herman would die. He had to be stirred each day and fed more ingredients after a few days. On day nine I needed to divide him into four and give three away to other friends for them to do the same. Day 10 was the day Herman could finally be cooked and transformed into a cake. At last.

To be honest, Herman sounded like a right faff, but I was prepared to give it a go, especially as Herman was pitched as a Friendship Cake, and what sort of friend would I be if I didn’t oblige?

Also Herman sounded a bit like a chain letter and I always ditch those emails/texts that urge you to send them on otherwise you have years of bad luck. But this one was a bit difference, there was the promise of cake at the end of it after all, and cake is one of my favourite things.

One of the things I enjoy most about cake is the ability it has to bring people together. Having a cuppa and a slice of cake is a very sociable activity. It’s a great way to spend time with family and friends, talking and eating. There’s something very comforting about it. I haven’t been eating cake of late, but I still like baking to share with others. There’s as much pleasure in sharing cake as there is in eating cake. There’s always a bit of cake knocking round the kitchen at Bentham Towers and if you’re ever passing you’re more than welcome in for a cuppa and a slice.

I notice that there seem to be a number of fans of cake in Localgov, and it’s great to be able to meet colleagues from my own or neighbouring local authorities talk about the issues of the day, learn along the way and eat cake. What a brilliant way to spend time.

So, if a friend turns up at your door with someone called Herman, welcome Herman in, nurture him, and then share the love with others. You’ll learn, you’ll share, and you’ll eat cake. What’s not to like about that?

@katebentham

22^nd March 2012

I haven’t been blogging for long, only since the beginning of January 2012. I’ve enjoyed the challenge so far. It’s been good to write, to let thoughts out and to have time to reflect. But for a few weeks now I’ve wondered why I have been blogging and even who am I blogging for? Being able to answer these first two questions helps with my final question, what do I want to blog about?

So, question one – Why do I Blog?

I blog as a diary – When I was a teenage I used to keep a diary. It detailed all my angst about boys, friends and school and it used to be a quite therapeutic way of dealing with some very important issues at the time. It was a place that felt safe. It was also a place to simply keep a note of what I’d been up to, days out I’d had, events which had taken place, so I could look back in years to come and remember seeing T’Pau at Telford Ice Rink (1988 fact fans).

Using a blog as a diary now will still offer me some therapy although by its very on-line nature might be less of a safe place for some of my inner most thoughts but it can still be a useful tool to keep a log of events such as holidays, especially as I have a shocking memory. It could prove useful in my older age.

I blog as a memoir – Generations have traditionally passed down stories, fables and songs, through the extended family and I want to be able to use on-line space to record events about my life, and my family’s life. It’s vital to have a route through which I can pass down accounts of events to younger generations. It’s important for a sense of self to hear the voice of our ancestors and if we can’t do this verbally, the next best is to be able to read about it in their own words.  

I blog to share information on a subject I may know a little bit about – I work in quite a specialist service with a very wide remit. I’ve not yet met anyone on-line who works in the same field as I do. I don’t profess to be an expert in anything, is there just a thing, but I am willing to share what I know to anyone who might find that interesting or helpful.

I blog to express an opinion – I quite like being a part of a debate, just as long as I know what I’m talking about. I welcome anyone to tell me they don’t agree with me. It’s good to be challenged to see something from another view point. 

I blog to be a part of something – the catalyst for getting me started was #weeklyblogclub. It’s great to have the support of Janet and follow club members to encourage and motivate me and to keep me to deadline. It’s also a chance for me to be able to read the wonderful contributions each week and learn something new and informative along the way. 

Question two – Who am I blogging for?

Well this often depends on the subject matter. If it’s a diary or memoir blog that it wouldn’t matter if no one in the world reads it. I’m writing those mainly for me and the other residents of Bentham Towers. But we all have a personal side, and if I blog about something personal which someone else can relate too, it might help a little.  

I also want to blog to inform people of the work I’m involved in and to share some of the experiences of working in a local gov front line service. One day I hope to also set up a work blog – and this might help in the great debate around personal/professional identity. I don’t want to bite the hand that feeds me but I want to be able to talk about work from a personal point of view.

Question Three – What do I want to Blog about?

Life, love and the universe? Does it matter what the subject is? I have enjoyed blogging over the last few months, some of it may be a ramble, some of it may not be clever, in time it may be may be blogging for blogging sake, but I’m not forcing anyone to read them. They’re there if you choose them. Just like this one. Written with a massive thank you for reading this far.

@katebentham

15^th February 2012

For the last two days I have been on a management training course called Creating a High Performance Culture in preparation for when the organisation moves towards performance related pay. I haven’t done any professional development for a while, and so although it was two days out of a crazy busy diary, was quite looking forward to be bit of ‘me’ time.

The course was really well facilitated and fun along the way. It was great to meet others from within the organisation and to have the time and opportunity to share experiences – and there was a lot of experience in the room.

One of the sessions was on personality types, looking at the ways in which people differ and interact with each other. Considering how as a manager, if I had a greater understand and awareness of what makes individuals in my team tick, I can bring their best performance out.

The session considered the Myers Briggs Type Indicators which is based on four dimensions of personality and on the notion that people have a preference for one of the dimensions more than the other, in its simplest terms. Of course we’re talking about people here and it’s not that clear cut. People can react differently in different situation and around different people, but nevertheless it is a tool to use.

The first dimension looks at differences between an extravert and an introvert and the we were asked to stand on one side of the room or the other. The room quickly split with the majority standing on the extrovert side, whereas I’m stood on the other side of the room, with two librarians, flying the flag for the introvert.

The extraverts then started to talk about why their personality type was the better way of working compared to an introvert. They said things like:-

·         ‘We like talking to people’ – well I like that too

·         They said ‘we like forming relationships’ – well I like that too

·         They said ‘they were enthusiastic – well I’m that too

·         They said they were easy going – well that’s me too

·         They said they enjoy things and make things more fun for others – well I enjoy things and also like to make things more fun for others.

When it was time for the introverts to talk about why their personality type was the better way of working, I quickly found myself on the defensive. I felt I had to challenge the perception that as an introvert you were the opposite of the extrovert. We’re not. I felt that if we’re supposed to be opposites that might mean introverts are loners, that they weren’t fun or that they didn’t have any get up and go. We’re not. It suddenly felt like a very negative personality type. It’s not; in my mind, it’s just all about scale – and volume.

Maybe the introvert just isn’t very good at self-promotion (or ww) or about getting themselves heard over the volume of the extravert. So, how as an introvert can we demonstrate our enthusiasm, relationships, and achievements if it doesn’t come naturally to us to shout about it? And are there more extrovert managers because that scale and volume of a personality can overshadow the personality of an introvert, or do they simply make better managers?

One thing is for sure, the world is a wonderful place because we are all so different. We all have skills that we can share and learn from. Not one type is better than another and we should celebrate diversity. After all, it takes all sorts of people to make up an organisation and you will need all sorts of managers to help lead an organisation.

@katebentham

8th March 2012